How to proceed really depends on your budget and IT-Support. Each presents it's own problems; however, a general approach might be:
1) Split your database in to front and back ends (
Working with Front and Back-Ends).
2)You either need to obtain the free Access 2013 Runtime or a full license for each user.
Obtain the runtime
directly from Microsoft (there is never a need to use a third party site for this executable (as if 2016-01-17))
(
Link to Microsoft's Access 2013 Runtime)
2a) I highly advise
local installation of either the full program or the runtime
on the client PC. You can attempt other methods; however, usually more hassle than it's worth
3) Make sure your front end works correctly on your development PC.
Including the relinking code for your tables. I usually test the relinking code by renaming the directory my backend is located in or by developing on the server and then copying the front-end to my desk-PC and opening from there; however, I link using the UNC style paths so in my environment the links tend not to break.
3a) Make sure that you have full error trapping in all of your procedures, functions, and (as of Acc2010) macros (VBA is
NOT the same as Access Macro script)
YOU MUST HAVE FULL ERROR TRAPPING ENABLED! When you convert to the executable or use the runtime there is no graceful error handling by the environment.
3b) IF you are using the runtime, then make sure either to build ribbons (Beyond the scope of this thread) or make sure that all of your forms have all of the controls needed for functionality.
4) MAKE A COPY OF THE FRONT END, actually you should always have backups too, for distribution.
4a)OPTIONALLY, Using the
copy, create the ACCDE. Just to stress this: Make sure that you have full error trapping in all of your procedures, functions, and (as of Acc2010) macros (VBA is
NOT the same as Access Macro script)
4b) Test the executable version of the front end.
5) If you are using the runtime on the clients then simulate the runtime environment on the development PC by:
a) Rename the extension on the COPY of your development file from ACCDB to ACCDR (easiest!); or
b) creating a shortcut on the desktop, giving it a name that is different from the standard Access Icon, and entering something like:
- "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15\MSACCESS.EXE" "C:\Users\UnameHere\Documents\MS_DatabaseMyDB.ACCDB" /runtime
NOTE THE QUOTES... if you have spaces or special characters in the filename (I advise against such) then the quotes are required
Note that there is a character limit in the shortcut for the program and file length... there's a workaround; however, I don't remember it right off.
and repeat step 3
+++
Of course the above makes sense to me on an early morning; however, if it seems a tad off, I'll try to clarify as the morning progresses (haven't had my coffee yet this morning :) )
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