Unresponsive File Icons

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I have a weird issue with my file and shortcut icons assoiciated with MS Access.

I will try to deliniate my issue by using a numbered list so as to be the least confusing as possible. Believe me I have confused even the Microsoft Help Chat people with this.

1. I post multiuser front ends on a shared drive inside my intranet.
2. I encourage users to navigate to the folder and file using the windows navigatior. Some continue to use shortcuts (lnk files) . I have seen those do some weird things when trying to get a file up. Especially when the network is down.
3. Recently (since Office 2010 and Windows 7 upgrades) if the file is already in useMS Access file icons become “unresponsive” to clicking. This includes the shortcut icons.
4. This didn’t happen prior to the upgrades, 15 years working in this enviroment.
5. The icons do not give an error message and are not grayed out, they are just “unresponsive”.
6. The files are multiuser files. The files are easily opened inside of access even when they are open by another user.
7. All file proporties are the same as they have always been and all of the shortcuts are “targeted” correctly.
8. I have witnessed this on other users Desk Tops under their log ons.

Any clues out there?

I am stumped. My network people have no clue either

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How unresponsive? Do they give a context menu if you right-click? If not, I have no ideas. If they do, here are some avenues to explore.

I suggest it is the Access application that is unresponsive – i.e. on clicking the file icon, Windows tries to launch Access but Access doesn’t launch, or at least doesn’t get as far as a client window. Try running Task Manager before clicking and see if an MSACCESS.EXE task opens and closes. If it does, then there might be an issue with the file permissions on the server. The first user to open the database creates a .laccdb or.ldb file, which will get default folder permissions, and the subsequent users must be able to open and write to it. Also maybe something with the Windows 7 client firewall settings.

I assume from point 6 that everything works if you run Access and use file->open. What happens if you try to open the files from Windows Explorer while you have Access open? That circumvents the Access launch.

I also assume you’ve checked the obvious – that people are opening the .accdb/.mdb files not the .laccdb/.ldb files.

While checking what the lock file for a .accdb database was called I tried to open a .accdb database while I had a .mdb database open and Access locked up completely. Though both databases open fine individually. Don’t understand that one myself, but it illustrates the point that the file icon might appear unresponsive because Access itself is unresponsive. The .mdb eventually responded but the other had to be restarted after closing the .mdb.

Ian.

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1. It appears you are correct about Access being the unresponsive element.
2. Watching Task Manager I did not see MS Access try to open.
3. Even with MS Access open the icon is still unresponsive.
4. LOL yes I made sure the PC was plugged in. (.laccdb/.ldb )
5. Thanks for your input I am going to take your response to my network guys and see if they can isolate the issue.

Bill

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I only included the ldb bit because that has been the cause of more than one support issue – it’s bad that MS defaults Windows to hiding the file extensions and then naming .ldb so it appears above .mdb in alpha order!

Ian.

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I agree 100%, while we are slaming MS is there a way in Access 2010 to get the retro look back in macro design? The defauly view is very cumberson to work with.

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