Error "can't create SYSTEM.MDW" ???

[Robert Lacoste]

Dear Access gurus,

I was using since years Access 97, now under XP SP2, without any problem.
However I've just reformatted my HD (viruses...), reinstalled XP SP2, and
then I am no longer able to install Access 97 :

When executing the install, I got successively two error messages (sorry,
it's probable not exactly the same text than in the english version of
access as I've just translated what my french access says) :

- "Error while changing workgroup"
- "Impossible to create SYSTEM.MDW (-1011)"

Then when trying to launch access I get of course an error like "missing
c:\windows\system32\system.mdw". I tried to copy system.mdw from another PC
but then access crashes with an "out of memory" error !

What's happening ? Any help welcome...

PS : As an urgent workaround, is there any open source database front-end
that that "read" acces DB and forms ?

Many thanks,
Robert

[Rog]

Sorry if I state the obvious, but do you have write access to the
system32 folder? Are you using an admin account for the installation?

[Robert Lacoste]

"Rog" <de********@state.gov> a écrit dans le message de news:
11**********************@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups. com...

Sorry if I state the obvious, but do you have write access to the
system32 folder? Are you using an admin account for the installation?

Thanks, but I am administrator (and the only account on my PC). I can create
or modify a file in system32 without any issue from the explorer. Any other
idea ?

[Tim Marshall]

Robert Lacoste wrote:

"Rog" <de********@state.gov> a écrit dans le message de news:
11**********************@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups. com...

Sorry if I state the obvious, but do you have write access to the
system32 folder? Are you using an admin account for the installation?

Thanks, but I am administrator (and the only account on my PC). I can create
or modify a file in system32 without any issue from the explorer. Any other
idea ?

I can't see the original post. I ran into this when I had components of
Office 97 and 2003 on my PC at the same time. Check the read only
attribute for the system32 folder and turn it off. I know you can
change files in system32, but humour me 8) and check the folder attribute.

There's a work around if this doesnt work, but you won't like it.
--
Tim http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~tmarshal/
^o<
/#) "Burp-beep, burp-beep, burp-beep?" - Quaker Jake
/^^ "Whatcha doin?" - Ditto "TIM-MAY!!" - Me

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Thu, 3 Mar 2005 09:23:00 +0100, "Robert Lacoste"
<see-www-alciom-com-for-email@spam> wrote:

You must still have virus or other problems. I have done this
procedure many times without this problem.
Perhaps you're installing from an infected source?

-Tom.

Dear Access gurus,

I was using since years Access 97, now under XP SP2, without any problem.
However I've just reformatted my HD (viruses...), reinstalled XP SP2, and
then I am no longer able to install Access 97 :

When executing the install, I got successively two error messages (sorry,
it's probable not exactly the same text than in the english version of
access as I've just translated what my french access says) :

- "Error while changing workgroup"
- "Impossible to create SYSTEM.MDW (-1011)"

Then when trying to launch access I get of course an error like "missing
c:\windows\system32\system.mdw". I tried to copy system.mdw from another PC
but then access crashes with an "out of memory" error !

What's happening ? Any help welcome...

PS : As an urgent workaround, is there any open source database front-end
that that "read" acces DB and forms ?

Many thanks,
Robert

[Robert Lacoste]

"Tom van Stiphout" <no*************@cox.net> a écrit dans le message de
news: 9o********************************@4ax.com...

On Thu, 3 Mar 2005 09:23:00 +0100, "Robert Lacoste"
<see-www-alciom-com-for-email@spam> wrote:

You must still have virus or other problems. I have done this
procedure many times without this problem.
Perhaps you're installing from an infected source?

Be sure I'm installing from a very official Microsoft CD...

The "readonly" floag for system32 is effectively turned on, but this doesn't
seems to prevent me to write files in this folder. Moreover I can't turn it
on (basically it is back to "on" after I've switched it off. Strange...

[Robert Lacoste]

"Tim Marshall" <TI****@PurplePandaChasers.Moertherium> a écrit dans le
message de news: d0**********@coranto.ucs.mun.ca...

Robert Lacoste wrote:
I can't see the original post. I ran into this when I had components of
Office 97 and 2003 on my PC at the same time. Check the read only
attribute for the system32 folder and turn it off. I know you can change
files in system32, but humour me 8) and check the folder attribute.

Thanks Tim ! Effectively the readonly attribute is on (but this doesn't
prevent me to write in it as an administrator). HOwever I'm not able to turn
it off (It accepts, but is still on if I recheck). Any idea ?

Cheers,
Robert

[Rog]

You get a read-only check on a folder (at least in XP, not sure about
other OS) if at least one of the files in the folder is read-only. So
it's normal that it wouldn't prevent you from writing files. If you
select all the files instead of just the folder you should be able to
remove the read-only check.

[Robert Lacoste]

PROBLEM SOLVED !!! Many thanks Geoff for the wonderfull tip regarding the
RAM bug ! Effectively the issue came from the "more than 1GB of RAM" error
existing in the older versions of Access. In fact this bug seems to have two
consequences :
- When you try to install Access 97 from original CD on a PC with more than
1GB of ram (XP SP2), the install fails ("can't create system.mdb")
- If you try to manually copy the system.mdb file from another PC then the
launch of access fails, still when having more than 1GB of RAM ("out of
memory" error).

As this can be useful to other, here is what I've done :

- Starting with a PC under XP SP2
- REMORE RAM from the computer, to go under 1GB (I've went down to 256MB to
be sure..)
- Install access 97 (no longer problem during the installation, but
execution still fails)
- REINSTALL RAM
- Download the MS Jet Database engine version 3.51 SP3 from microsoft.com
- Then Access is working again !

Many thanks again, without this newsgroup and without Geoff I am 99,99% sure
that I would still be locked with that issue, the Internet support is
greaaaaat !

Friendly yours,
Robert

[Robert Lacoste]

"Rog" <de********@state.gov> a écrit dans le message de news:
11**********************@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups. com...

You get a read-only check on a folder (at least in XP, not sure about
other OS) if at least one of the files in the folder is read-only. So
it's normal that it wouldn't prevent you from writing files. If you
select all the files instead of just the folder you should be able to
remove the read-only check.

Thanks for the tip, as indicated if was not the cause of my problem but
that's good to know !

[Tim Marshall]

Fascinating solution. Explains why I had the problem - I have a machine
with 2 Gigs of RAM. Though I think, after reading his post, my solution
was the one described by Rog - I had tried to turn System32 read only
property off, but it was only after going in and doing this for all
files, that I was finally able to overcome the problem.

HOWEVER,

I don't see "Greg's" post here on comp.databases.ms-access. IS it on
the MS Public gorups? If so, could I please ask someone, with greg's
permission, to repost it here? If it is on cdma, I'm guessing our \news
server trashed his post for some over reactive reason...

Robert Lacoste wrote:

PROBLEM SOLVED !!! Many thanks Geoff for the wonderfull tip regarding the
RAM bug ! Effectively the issue came from the "more than 1GB of RAM" error
existing in the older versions of Access. In fact this bug seems to have two
consequences :
- When you try to install Access 97 from original CD on a PC with more than
1GB of ram (XP SP2), the install fails ("can't create system.mdb")
- If you try to manually copy the system.mdb file from another PC then the
launch of access fails, still when having more than 1GB of RAM ("out of
memory" error).

As this can be useful to other, here is what I've done :

- Starting with a PC under XP SP2
- REMORE RAM from the computer, to go under 1GB (I've went down to 256MB to
be sure..)
- Install access 97 (no longer problem during the installation, but
execution still fails)
- REINSTALL RAM
- Download the MS Jet Database engine version 3.51 SP3 from microsoft.com
- Then Access is working again !

Many thanks again, without this newsgroup and without Geoff I am 99,99% sure
that I would still be locked with that issue, the Internet support is
greaaaaat !

Friendly yours,
Robert

--
Tim http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~tmarshal/
^o<
/#) "Burp-beep, burp-beep, burp-beep?" - Quaker Jake
/^^ "Whatcha doin?" - Ditto "TIM-MAY!!" - Me

[Robert Lacoste]

"Tim Marshall" <TI****@PurplePandaChasers.Moertherium> a écrit dans le
message de news: d0**********@coranto.ucs.mun.ca...

I don't see "Greg's" post here on comp.databases.ms-access. IS it on the
MS Public gorups?
See here under Greg's answer, sorry for that but I've posted the request
separatly here and in microsoft.public.access.gettingstarted &
microsoft.public.access.security

Friendly,
Robert

"Geoffs" <Ge****@discussions.microsoft.com> a écrit dans le message de news:
6B**********************************@microsoft.com... Hi Robert,
Just 2 points that may be causing the problem.
1 - Are you logged on as Administrator when performing the install??
2 - Does your computer have 1 gigabyte (GB) or more of random access
memory
(RAM). ? If it does and you have the MS Jet Database Engine Version less
than 3.51 then you ned to upgrade to to that version.
If none of that helps I would suggest starting again. But Install Access
before you install XP sp2.