Playing WAV files over a network using Access 2k app?

[Lauren Wilson]

Hi Folks,

I have an Access 2k app that is often run on a LAN with several users.
Unfortunately there is one feature that fails to work in that setup.

Our app allows the user to play WAV audio files through their sound
card that is connected to their phone through a proprietary piece of
hardware. This feature works fine on the machine that hosts the back
end data base. It does NOT work for a client PC because, for whatever
reason, WAV files with pathnames stored on the host PC's back end
table will not play across the network.

I wrote a procedure that allows the client PCs to copy the WAV files
and their link table to a local XLS file. I then tried linking the
that file as a table stored in the Front End MDE data base. It STILL
does not work.

Anyone have a clue what I'm missing?

Thanks.

[Pieter Linden]

Lauren Wilson <???@???.???> wrote in message news:<9f********************************@4ax.com>. ..

Hi Folks,

I have an Access 2k app that is often run on a LAN with several users.
Unfortunately there is one feature that fails to work in that setup.

Our app allows the user to play WAV audio files through their sound
card that is connected to their phone through a proprietary piece of
hardware. This feature works fine on the machine that hosts the back
end data base. It does NOT work for a client PC because, for whatever
reason, WAV files with pathnames stored on the host PC's back end
table will not play across the network.

I wrote a procedure that allows the client PCs to copy the WAV files
and their link table to a local XLS file. I then tried linking the
that file as a table stored in the Front End MDE data base. It STILL
does not work.

Anyone have a clue what I'm missing?

No, but what if you create a subdirectory where you file sits and put
the files in there on the local machine(s). Do a Dir() to find out if
the file exists, and if not, copy it. then run it locally. Other
than that, not a clue.

[Lauren Wilson]

On 21 Oct 2004 06:08:45 -0700, pi********@hotmail.com (Pieter Linden)
wrote:

Lauren Wilson <???@???.???> wrote in message news:<9f********************************@4ax.com>. ..

Hi Folks,

I have an Access 2k app that is often run on a LAN with several users.
Unfortunately there is one feature that fails to work in that setup.

Our app allows the user to play WAV audio files through their sound
card that is connected to their phone through a proprietary piece of
hardware. This feature works fine on the machine that hosts the back
end data base. It does NOT work for a client PC because, for whatever
reason, WAV files with pathnames stored on the host PC's back end
table will not play across the network.

I wrote a procedure that allows the client PCs to copy the WAV files
and their link table to a local XLS file. I then tried linking the
that file as a table stored in the Front End MDE data base. It STILL
does not work.

Anyone have a clue what I'm missing?

No, but what if you create a subdirectory where you file sits and put
the files in there on the local machine(s). Do a Dir() to find out if
the file exists, and if not, copy it. then run it locally. Other
than that, not a clue.

Thanks Peter. We figured it out. What you suggest plays a central
role in the solution.

[Pieter Linden]

> Thanks Peter. We figured it out. What you suggest plays a central

role in the solution.

And the answer was?

[Lauren Wilson]

On 22 Oct 2004 04:48:33 -0700, pi********@hotmail.com (Pieter Linden)
wrote:

Thanks Peter. We figured it out. What you suggest plays a central
role in the solution.

And the answer was?

I'm embarrassed to admit that the solution was so simple. I did not
see it because I was trying to make the problem more complicated than
it was. All we had to do was to abandon trying to use UNC path names
and copy the wav files from a folder on the host to an identically
named folder on the client. That way, the non-UNC pathnames were
identical on all user machines.

I assume that the wav files would not play correctly via UNC path
references because of the time delay for network transport. Audio is
time/rate sensitive. I believe that music and other audio requires
streaming technology to play correctly over a network of ANY kind.
Please correct me if I am wrong.

[Pieter Linden]

Lauren Wilson <???@???.???> wrote in message news:<au********************************@4ax.com>. ..

On 22 Oct 2004 04:48:33 -0700, pi********@hotmail.com (Pieter Linden)
wrote:

Thanks Peter. We figured it out. What you suggest plays a central
role in the solution.

And the answer was?

I'm embarrassed to admit that the solution was so simple. I did not
see it because I was trying to make the problem more complicated than
it was. All we had to do was to abandon trying to use UNC path names
and copy the wav files from a folder on the host to an identically
named folder on the client. That way, the non-UNC pathnames were
identical on all user machines.

I assume that the wav files would not play correctly via UNC path
references because of the time delay for network transport. Audio is
time/rate sensitive. I believe that music and other audio requires
streaming technology to play correctly over a network of ANY kind.
Please correct me if I am wrong.

Oh, I have never ever made anything more complicated than it was.
Ever. Oh, I *wish*!!!