Run Access on Server Nobody Logged on?

I have two clients now who want to have an Access 2000 & 2002 application
running on NT Server 2000 do some file updating at night when nobody is in
the office. I have used Windows scheduler to schedule the apps to start at
4:00 am, but at that time of night, nobody is logged on to the server.

Is it possible to get Access to run on a server when nobody is logged on?

Many thaks
Mike Thomas

"Mike Thomas" <MikeAmca@Yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:XVbvb.11833$P%1.10194065@newssvr28.news.prodi gy.com...[color=blue]
> I have two clients now who want to have an Access 2000 & 2002 application
> running on NT Server 2000 do some file updating at night when nobody is in
> the office. I have used Windows scheduler to schedule the apps to start[/color]
at[color=blue]
> 4:00 am, but at that time of night, nobody is logged on to the server.
>
> Is it possible to get Access to run on a server when nobody is logged on?
>
> Many thaks
> Mike Thomas[/color]

There's no need for someone to be logged on for Scheduler to work.

Unless someone can tell us how, I'm going to say "No" because Access will try to open its
user interface when you run it. You'll need to leave someone logged on but the server
locked (Ctrl+Alt+Del, Lock Workstation or a passworded screen saver).

--
Wayne Morgan
Microsoft Access MVP


"Mike Thomas" <MikeAmca@Yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:XVbvb.11833$P%1.10194065@newssvr28.news.prodi gy.com...[color=blue]
> I have two clients now who want to have an Access 2000 & 2002 application
> running on NT Server 2000 do some file updating at night when nobody is in
> the office. I have used Windows scheduler to schedule the apps to start at
> 4:00 am, but at that time of night, nobody is logged on to the server.
>
> Is it possible to get Access to run on a server when nobody is logged on?
>
> Many thaks
> Mike Thomas
>
>[/color]

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 23:15:03 GMT in comp.databases.ms-access, "Mike
Thomas" <MikeAmca@Yahoo.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>I have two clients now who want to have an Access 2000 & 2002 application
>running on NT Server 2000 do some file updating at night when nobody is in
>the office. I have used Windows scheduler to schedule the apps to start at
>4:00 am, but at that time of night, nobody is logged on to the server.
>
>Is it possible to get Access to run on a server when nobody is logged on?[/color]

On Win 2000 the scheduler does prompt you for a login name/password to
run the job, it will log itself on when the time comes. Be aware it
will not log in a session on the console so an error or msgbox will be
futile (no way to press OK). Error trap everything, if an error
occurs, handle it, log it to a table, exit with noprompt/nosave. Let
the next person to log on read the error log (or hopefully, log a
success message).

There is an option to kill the job if it runs for xxx hours/minutes,
better set that to something sensible JIC, it defaults to 72 hours.

--
A)bort, R)etry, I)nfluence with large hammer.

"Wayne Morgan" <comprev_gothroughthenewsgroup@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:m9cvb.22886$Wb6.9783@newssvr33.news.prodigy.c om...[color=blue]
> Unless someone can tell us how, I'm going to say "No" because Access will[/color]
try to open its[color=blue]
> user interface when you run it. You'll need to leave someone logged on but[/color]
the server[color=blue]
> locked (Ctrl+Alt+Del, Lock Workstation or a passworded screen saver).
>
> --
> Wayne Morgan
> Microsoft Access MVP[/color]

I've been using the Open event of the startup form. It checks the Len of
Command, if 0, run normally, if > 0 then run in a batch mode - it does the
needed work, then Application.Quit. As Trevor suggested in an earlier
reply, debugging is murder. I've got many, many error traps, it still hangs
up every couple of weeks, I have to reboot the system. If it hangs, there
is abosolutely no way to tell what caused it. The scheduler kicks it off
every hour on the hour, Monday through Friday. It's been "publishing" for a
couple of years now.
[color=blue]
> "Mike Thomas" <MikeAmca@Yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:XVbvb.11833$P%1.10194065@newssvr28.news.prodi gy.com...[color=green]
> > I have two clients now who want to have an Access 2000 & 2002[/color][/color]
application[color=blue][color=green]
> > running on NT Server 2000 do some file updating at night when nobody is[/color][/color]
in[color=blue][color=green]
> > the office. I have used Windows scheduler to schedule the apps to[/color][/color]
start at[color=blue][color=green]
> > 4:00 am, but at that time of night, nobody is logged on to the server.
> >
> > Is it possible to get Access to run on a server when nobody is logged[/color][/color]
on?[color=blue][color=green]
> >
> > Many thaks
> > Mike Thomas
> >
> >[/color]
>
>[/color]

Thanks for all the replies.

The problem here is not with the scheduler - it does its thing just fine -
in fact it runs another app, V FoxPro, just before, and another Cute FTP,
just after it is supposed to run Access. They both run correctly.

In the scheduler, Access is opened with the following command:

"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\msaccess.exe"
"d:\Apps\ChangeManagement.mdb" /x StartLoad

where StartLoad is a macro which calls a procedure which in turn calls the
other procs, then issues the Application.Quit command.

When I look at the scheduler log the next day, I see the entry "Access could
not start".

When somebody is logged on, no problem, the Access app opens, a blank
looking user interface opens, it does its thing and then shuts itself down.

So I am back to the original question of whether Access can be started and
run on a server, Win 2000, when no users are logged on. It looks like the
answer is no.

Mike Thomas






"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\msaccess.exe"
"d:\cumminsApps\ChangeManagement.mdb" /x StartLoad
"Trevor Best" <bouncer@localhost> wrote in message
news:34kqrvskt91cbj0vutqnead8230r9csq0u@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 23:15:03 GMT in comp.databases.ms-access, "Mike
> Thomas" <MikeAmca@Yahoo.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
> >I have two clients now who want to have an Access 2000 & 2002 application
> >running on NT Server 2000 do some file updating at night when nobody is[/color][/color]
in[color=blue][color=green]
> >the office. I have used Windows scheduler to schedule the apps to start[/color][/color]
at[color=blue][color=green]
> >4:00 am, but at that time of night, nobody is logged on to the server.
> >
> >Is it possible to get Access to run on a server when nobody is logged on?[/color]
>
> On Win 2000 the scheduler does prompt you for a login name/password to
> run the job, it will log itself on when the time comes. Be aware it
> will not log in a session on the console so an error or msgbox will be
> futile (no way to press OK). Error trap everything, if an error
> occurs, handle it, log it to a table, exit with noprompt/nosave. Let
> the next person to log on read the error log (or hopefully, log a
> success message).
>
> There is an option to kill the job if it runs for xxx hours/minutes,
> better set that to something sensible JIC, it defaults to 72 hours.
>
> --
> A)bort, R)etry, I)nfluence with large hammer.[/color]

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Hash: SHA1

I had the same problem: Windows 2000 network - opened an Access 97
application using Scheduler & a .bat file. I had the .bat file write
to a log file to show when the process started & ended. If I was
logged on to the server or a workstation & ran the .bat file the
application worked OK. When the scheduler ran the .bat file it logged
the start, started the Access application & immediately logged that
the application stopped! I had other log tables inside the
application to track what was updated - nothing happended during the
automatic run. This seems to me that Access won't run when no one is
logged on, i.e., the interface needs to display to the screen before
the automatic code runs.... ???

I never could figure out what was going wrong. Had to teach the users
how to do the automatic thing manually. Luckily, I'd created a manual
interface along w/ the automatic code.

I'd be real interested to know if anyone can solve this problem.

Rgds,

MGFoster:::mgf
Oakland, CA (USA)
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Mike Thomas wrote:
[color=blue]
> Thanks for all the replies.
>
> The problem here is not with the scheduler - it does its thing just fine -
> in fact it runs another app, V FoxPro, just before, and another Cute FTP,
> just after it is supposed to run Access. They both run correctly.
>
> In the scheduler, Access is opened with the following command:
>
> "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\msaccess.exe"
> "d:\Apps\ChangeManagement.mdb" /x StartLoad
>
> where StartLoad is a macro which calls a procedure which in turn calls the
> other procs, then issues the Application.Quit command.
>
> When I look at the scheduler log the next day, I see the entry "Access could
> not start".
>
> When somebody is logged on, no problem, the Access app opens, a blank
> looking user interface opens, it does its thing and then shuts itself down.
>
> So I am back to the original question of whether Access can be started and
> run on a server, Win 2000, when no users are logged on. It looks like the
> answer is no.
>
> Mike Thomas
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\msaccess.exe"
> "d:\cumminsApps\ChangeManagement.mdb" /x StartLoad
> "Trevor Best" <bouncer@localhost> wrote in message
> news:34kqrvskt91cbj0vutqnead8230r9csq0u@4ax.com...
>[color=green]
>>On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 23:15:03 GMT in comp.databases.ms-access, "Mike
>>Thomas" <MikeAmca@Yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>[color=darkred]
>>>I have two clients now who want to have an Access 2000 & 2002 application
>>>running on NT Server 2000 do some file updating at night when nobody is[/color][/color]
>
> in
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>the office. I have used Windows scheduler to schedule the apps to start[/color][/color]
>
> at
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>4:00 am, but at that time of night, nobody is logged on to the server.
>>>
>>>Is it possible to get Access to run on a server when nobody is logged on?[/color]
>>
>>On Win 2000 the scheduler does prompt you for a login name/password to
>>run the job, it will log itself on when the time comes. Be aware it
>>will not log in a session on the console so an error or msgbox will be
>>futile (no way to press OK). Error trap everything, if an error
>>occurs, handle it, log it to a table, exit with noprompt/nosave. Let
>>the next person to log on read the error log (or hopefully, log a
>>success message).
>>
>>There is an option to kill the job if it runs for xxx hours/minutes,
>>better set that to something sensible JIC, it defaults to 72 hours.
>>
>>--
>>A)bort, R)etry, I)nfluence with large hammer.[/color]
>
>
>[/color]

Does it need /nostartup to suppress the opening banner?

TC


"MGFoster" <me@privacy.com> wrote in message
news:T0svb.9641$n56.3267@newsread1.news.pas.earthl ink.net...[color=blue]
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
>
> I had the same problem: Windows 2000 network - opened an Access 97
> application using Scheduler & a .bat file. I had the .bat file write
> to a log file to show when the process started & ended. If I was
> logged on to the server or a workstation & ran the .bat file the
> application worked OK. When the scheduler ran the .bat file it logged
> the start, started the Access application & immediately logged that
> the application stopped! I had other log tables inside the
> application to track what was updated - nothing happended during the
> automatic run. This seems to me that Access won't run when no one is
> logged on, i.e., the interface needs to display to the screen before
> the automatic code runs.... ???
>
> I never could figure out what was going wrong. Had to teach the users
> how to do the automatic thing manually. Luckily, I'd created a manual
> interface along w/ the automatic code.
>
> I'd be real interested to know if anyone can solve this problem.
>
> Rgds,
>
> MGFoster:::mgf
> Oakland, CA (USA)
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
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> Charset: noconv
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> iQA/AwUBP75Mu4echKqOuFEgEQJ1/gCgwaak6N1qrarjPewSbEmHDqt94FgAnjB7
> zw8WaM9sDSg5kUpMvfKnXP4o
> =yOMl
> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
>
> Mike Thomas wrote:
>[color=green]
> > Thanks for all the replies.
> >
> > The problem here is not with the scheduler - it does its thing just[/color][/color]
fine -[color=blue][color=green]
> > in fact it runs another app, V FoxPro, just before, and another Cute[/color][/color]
FTP,[color=blue][color=green]
> > just after it is supposed to run Access. They both run correctly.
> >
> > In the scheduler, Access is opened with the following command:
> >
> > "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\msaccess.exe"
> > "d:\Apps\ChangeManagement.mdb" /x StartLoad
> >
> > where StartLoad is a macro which calls a procedure which in turn calls[/color][/color]
the[color=blue][color=green]
> > other procs, then issues the Application.Quit command.
> >
> > When I look at the scheduler log the next day, I see the entry "Access[/color][/color]
could[color=blue][color=green]
> > not start".
> >
> > When somebody is logged on, no problem, the Access app opens, a blank
> > looking user interface opens, it does its thing and then shuts itself[/color][/color]
down.[color=blue][color=green]
> >
> > So I am back to the original question of whether Access can be started[/color][/color]
and[color=blue][color=green]
> > run on a server, Win 2000, when no users are logged on. It looks like[/color][/color]
the[color=blue][color=green]
> > answer is no.
> >
> > Mike Thomas
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > "c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\msaccess.exe"
> > "d:\cumminsApps\ChangeManagement.mdb" /x StartLoad
> > "Trevor Best" <bouncer@localhost> wrote in message
> > news:34kqrvskt91cbj0vutqnead8230r9csq0u@4ax.com...
> >[color=darkred]
> >>On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 23:15:03 GMT in comp.databases.ms-access, "Mike
> >>Thomas" <MikeAmca@Yahoo.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>I have two clients now who want to have an Access 2000 & 2002[/color][/color][/color]
application[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
> >>>running on NT Server 2000 do some file updating at night when nobody is[/color]
> >
> > in
> >[color=darkred]
> >>>the office. I have used Windows scheduler to schedule the apps to[/color][/color][/color]
start[color=blue][color=green]
> >
> > at
> >[color=darkred]
> >>>4:00 am, but at that time of night, nobody is logged on to the server.
> >>>
> >>>Is it possible to get Access to run on a server when nobody is logged[/color][/color][/color]
on?[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
> >>
> >>On Win 2000 the scheduler does prompt you for a login name/password to
> >>run the job, it will log itself on when the time comes. Be aware it
> >>will not log in a session on the console so an error or msgbox will be
> >>futile (no way to press OK). Error trap everything, if an error
> >>occurs, handle it, log it to a table, exit with noprompt/nosave. Let
> >>the next person to log on read the error log (or hopefully, log a
> >>success message).
> >>
> >>There is an option to kill the job if it runs for xxx hours/minutes,
> >>better set that to something sensible JIC, it defaults to 72 hours.
> >>
> >>--
> >>A)bort, R)etry, I)nfluence with large hammer.[/color]
> >
> >
> >[/color]
>
>[/color]

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Didn't have that in the startup command. Can't try it now 'cuz no
longer working for that client.

Anyone else can try?

MGFoster:::mgf
Oakland, CA (USA)
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TC wrote:
[color=blue]
> Does it need /nostartup to suppress the opening banner?
>
> TC
>
>
> "MGFoster" <me@privacy.com> wrote in message
> news:T0svb.9641$n56.3267@newsread1.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
>[color=green]
>>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>>Hash: SHA1
>>
>>I had the same problem: Windows 2000 network - opened an Access 97
>>application using Scheduler & a .bat file. I had the .bat file write
>>to a log file to show when the process started & ended. If I was
>>logged on to the server or a workstation & ran the .bat file the
>>application worked OK. When the scheduler ran the .bat file it logged
>>the start, started the Access application & immediately logged that
>>the application stopped! I had other log tables inside the
>>application to track what was updated - nothing happended during the
>>automatic run. This seems to me that Access won't run when no one is
>>logged on, i.e., the interface needs to display to the screen before
>>the automatic code runs.... ???
>>
>>I never could figure out what was going wrong. Had to teach the users
>>how to do the automatic thing manually. Luckily, I'd created a manual
>>interface along w/ the automatic code.
>>
>>I'd be real interested to know if anyone can solve this problem.
>>
>>Rgds,
>>
>>MGFoster:::mgf
>>Oakland, CA (USA)
>>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
>>Version: PGP for Personal Privacy 5.0
>>Charset: noconv
>>
>>iQA/AwUBP75Mu4echKqOuFEgEQJ1/gCgwaak6N1qrarjPewSbEmHDqt94FgAnjB7
>>zw8WaM9sDSg5kUpMvfKnXP4o
>>=yOMl
>>-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
>>
>>Mike Thomas wrote:
>>
>>[color=darkred]
>>>Thanks for all the replies.
>>>
>>>The problem here is not with the scheduler - it does its thing just[/color][/color]
>
> fine -
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>in fact it runs another app, V FoxPro, just before, and another Cute[/color][/color]
>
> FTP,
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>just after it is supposed to run Access. They both run correctly.
>>>
>>>In the scheduler, Access is opened with the following command:
>>>
>>>"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\msaccess.exe"
>>>"d:\Apps\ChangeManagement.mdb" /x StartLoad
>>>
>>>where StartLoad is a macro which calls a procedure which in turn calls[/color][/color]
>
> the
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>other procs, then issues the Application.Quit command.
>>>
>>>When I look at the scheduler log the next day, I see the entry "Access[/color][/color]
>
> could
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>not start".
>>>
>>>When somebody is logged on, no problem, the Access app opens, a blank
>>>looking user interface opens, it does its thing and then shuts itself[/color][/color]
>
> down.
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>So I am back to the original question of whether Access can be started[/color][/color]
>
> and
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>run on a server, Win 2000, when no users are logged on. It looks like[/color][/color]
>
> the
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>answer is no.
>>>
>>>Mike Thomas
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\msaccess.exe"
>>>"d:\cumminsApps\ChangeManagement.mdb" /x StartLoad
>>>"Trevor Best" <bouncer@localhost> wrote in message
>>>news:34kqrvskt91cbj0vutqnead8230r9csq0u@4ax.com ...
>>>
>>>
>>>>On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 23:15:03 GMT in comp.databases.ms-access, "Mike
>>>>Thomas" <MikeAmca@Yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>I have two clients now who want to have an Access 2000 & 2002[/color][/color]
>
> application
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>>>running on NT Server 2000 do some file updating at night when nobody is
>>>
>>>in
>>>
>>>
>>>>>the office. I have used Windows scheduler to schedule the apps to[/color][/color]
>
> start
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>at
>>>
>>>
>>>>>4:00 am, but at that time of night, nobody is logged on to the server.
>>>>>
>>>>>Is it possible to get Access to run on a server when nobody is logged[/color][/color]
>
> on?
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>>On Win 2000 the scheduler does prompt you for a login name/password to
>>>>run the job, it will log itself on when the time comes. Be aware it
>>>>will not log in a session on the console so an error or msgbox will be
>>>>futile (no way to press OK). Error trap everything, if an error
>>>>occurs, handle it, log it to a table, exit with noprompt/nosave. Let
>>>>the next person to log on read the error log (or hopefully, log a
>>>>success message).
>>>>
>>>>There is an option to kill the job if it runs for xxx hours/minutes,
>>>>better set that to something sensible JIC, it defaults to 72 hours.
>>>>
>>>>--
>>>>A)bort, R)etry, I)nfluence with large hammer.
>>>
>>>
>>>[/color]
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]