Microsoft Access tutorial
Access 2000, 2002-2003: Splitting the database for sharing - 1
Background
If you are working in an office with more than one user sharing the same database, you often open your database to discover that someone else is using it. You can only use the database in Read Only mode, and will not be able to make changes and enter new data. You could avoid this by each user having their own copy of the database, but then you have to ensure that you synchronise all additions carefully to avoid losing the work you have done.
You can share an Access database across a network, where only one set of database tables will be updated, yet each user has the appropriate forms and queries for their own use. Steps you take to enable Access database sharing across a network are described in following pages.
This tutorial describes how to use Access in a peer-to-peer network. This is a network in which a computer can share files in designated folders with any other PC connected to the network. How your network is set up depends on your workplace rules. You will probably need to involve your network specialist in this setup.
Before you start this tutorial, you should know
- The computer name for the computer that will store the database tables
- How to use My Network Places to navigate to a computer on your network
To run your Access database in a networked environment as a multiuser application,
- Your systems administrator must set up a workgroup for users who are sharing the database you created.
- Each user must have a copy of Microsoft Access or an Access runtime application installed on their computer.