FIX: "Microsoft Access Cannot Be Started." Error Message Occurs When You Download Access Template from the Office Template Gallery (820266)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Access 2002
  • Microsoft Access 97
  • the operating system: Microsoft Windows XP


Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

SYMPTOMS

When you click Edit in Microsoft Access for a database template in the Microsoft Office Template Gallery, and that database template requires Access 2000 or later, you may receive the following error message:

Microsoft Access cannot be started.
If you have this application installed on your computer, click the Start menu, point to Programs and then click Microsoft Access to start the application and then download the template again.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

CAUSE

If you install and then run Access 97 on your computer, earlier versions of the Office Template Gallery DOWNLOAD control mistakenly use Access 97 to open any database template.

RESOLUTION

With the fix that is on the Office Template Gallery Web site, you may edit the Access 2000 or Later template as long as the last Access application you start is Access 2000 or Later.

To edit the Access 2000 or Later template from the Office Template Gallery Web site, follow these steps:
  1. Run Access 2000 or Later.
  2. In the Office Template Gallery Web site, select the required Access template and then click Edit in Microsoft Access.

MORE INFORMATION

The Office Template Gallery DOWNLOAD control uses the registry keys to identify the last version of Access that is run on your computer. The DOWNLOAD control then uses that version to open the selected template.

The previous versions of the DOWNLOAD control used a registry key that was only updated by Access 97. Therefore, after you ran Access 97 on your computer, the DOWNLOAD control identified Access 97 as the current version.

By fixing the DOWNLOAD control, the problem is now fixed for the Office Template Gallery. The DOWNLOAD control now reads the correct registry keys and correctly identifies the last version of Access.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:5/15/2003
Keywords:kbweb kberrmsg kbfix KB820266 kbAudDeveloper
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