Upgrading to Access 2000

In some situations, users of a shared Microsoft Access database might not upgrade to Access 2000 at the same time. You can allow users of different versions of Access to share an Access database — without having to alter the original database. You can upgrade parts of the database to Access 2000 so that Access 2000 users can take advantage of many new features, and you can still use the original unchanged database for users of previous versions of Access. Users of all versions of Access can share the same data.

You can use this strategy whether your Access database is in one file or your database is a front-end/back-end application. To use an Access database that is one file in several versions of Access, convert it to a front-end/back-end application. The data in the back end remains in the oldest version of Access, and you use a front end that has been converted to Access 2000.

To use a front-end/back-end application with several versions of Access, convert the front end of the application.

Using a one-file database with multiple versions of Access

To use an Access database that consists of one file in several versions of Access, convert the database to a front-end/back-end application. The data remains in the oldest version of Access, and you use a front end that is converted to Access 2000.

After you convert the front end, you can enhance it to support new features for users of Access 2000. Users of previous versions of Access can continue to use the previous-version database. For example, if the back-end tables are in Access version 2.0 format, you can use up to four versions of Access as identified in the following list:

• Access 2.0 (using the original database)
• Access 95 and Access 97 (using an enabled version of the original database, or a converted front-end database)
• Access 2000 (using a converted front-end database)

To use a one-file Access database with several versions of Access

1. Convert the Access database to Access 2000, and specify a new name.
2. Use the Database Splitter Wizard (Tools menu, Database Utilities command) to split the converted database into a front-end/back-end application.
3. Delete the back-end database that the Database Splitter Wizard creates. You want your data to remain in the original database, so you are going to be using the original database as the back-end database. The back-end database must be in the oldest version of Access that you are using.
4. Run the Linked Table Manager (Tools menu, Database Utilities command) to link the new Access 2000 front-end database to the tables in the previous-version database.

Using a front-end/back-end application

If your Access database is already a front-end/back-end application, you need to convert only the front end to Access 2000.

After you convert the front end, you can enhance it to support new features for users of Access 2000.

To use a front-end/back-end application with several versions of Access

1. Convert the front-end database to Access 2000, but leave the back-end database unchanged.
2. Run the Linked Table Manager (Tools menu, Database Utilities command) to link the new Access 2000 front-end database to the tables in the previous-version back-end database.

See also

For information about optimizing linked tables, or more information about the Linked Table Manager, see Microsoft Access online Help.