I am reading about options that will allow me to run a macro without locking down my session of Access until it is done running. I have some VBA macros for Access that execute SQL SELECT and UPDATE statements and can take almost an hour to run. This currently locks down Access for me until it is done running.
I am seeing what options there are so that I can the macro and and still use Access while it finishes running the report in the background. I came across DoEvents() as an option, but just about everything says not to us it. So what are some good alternatives?
DoEvents has its uses, e.g. if you have a long running loop and want to give the user a "Cancel" button that he can actually click.
But in your use case the best option is:
Make a copy of your frontend database
Run your VBA code in one instance of Access with the first frontend
Start a second instance of Access, open the second frontend, do whatever you want (well, you shouldn't do something that locks tables used by the first instance).
Related
I am using a MS Access 2013 light application that was developed by a third party. I did not do the coding/design/management of the project, but I am responsible for implementation for my team. I also do not have the option of switching to another solution, but I do have access to the vba code so I can make tweaks to clean up their mess.
My problem is this:
Set up application with my data (a-ok).
Run the built in, fairly complex third party macro.
For most cases, things are just fine... but when running it on a
larger dataset the filesize of the Access file exceeds 2GB and the
entire operation fails.
On fail, the process has to be restarted. For the same data set,
it fails each and every time it reaches approximately 55% complete.
I am unable to complete my work because of this. :|
Solutions tried:
Compact and repair - Fine when it fully executes, but the issue is that it reaches 2GB while the macro is running and cannot be interrupted.
Splitting the database - Splits OK, but doesn't fix issue.
Attempting to trigger a compact and repair inside the macro during the loop - Fails because Access cannot lock the database.
Desired solution:
A way to prevent the file growth/bloat while the macro is running. Either through a compartmentalization of the process or through some other wizardry I am unaware of at this time.
A solution that does not require extensive reconfiguration of the underlying code. I can deal with inefficient - so long as I can fix this issue for this one instance (1 critical error in 44 runs of different data in the database.
Any help?
I would recommend compact on close for easy dirty solution
On the File tab, click Options.
In the Access Options dialog box, click Current Database.
Under Application Options, select the Compact on Close check box.
ADVANCED SOLUTION
The other solution requires splitting the database.
After splitting you have another option.
Use the front with a sql server (check which version is suitable for you, I think the lite (free) version is enough to start with if you don't expect a hige amount of data)
Split the database
Install sql server (mysql or sql server express edition)
Create all tables in the sql server
Link the front to the sql server
I think davejal pretty much nailed this one.
If you have a handful of really large tables, you can put those into another Access DB, and make a link to those.
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Import-or-link-to-data-in-another-Access-database-095ab408-89c7-45b3-aac2-58036e45fcf6
The 2GB limit is per DB.
Or, upgrade to SQL Server Express for free, and use Access as a front end to that SQL Server backend.
SQL-Server Backend, MS Access Frontend: Connection
Here's a link to get SQL Server Express.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42299
I am trying to utilize windows task scheduler to distribute Access reports to End Users in my company.
All I am doing is triggering a macro that runs code from a module which exports a report to a PDF, prints it out, then exits access.
DoCmd.Quit acQuitSaveNone
That's what I've been using at the end of my code in VBA to close access after running a macro.
When I manually run the macro it works fine, but when scheduled on a task, it gets held up a lot and stuck.
I've checked event viewer to try and find any Microsoft Office alerts but do not see any.
It appears that Access is unable to quit many times when running through Task Scheduler. Would there be a VBS I can run, say, 5 minutes after the task to close down the .accdb file and MSACCESS.EXE or is there something I can do to make these Tasks actually work??
It seems maybe when running in the background through task scheduler.. the code is getting ahead of itself and trying to quit at the same instance that it is finishing the output to the printer, causing it to seem "busy" and unable to actually close?
I have an entire domino of code that shoots off after this but it stops dead in its tracks when it cannot finishing closing access.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Ian
Here is the gist of what I would do, I am just addressing the print on open and quit actions. You may need to tweak to ensure that you have validation etc in place.
First, make sure that your report has a default printer specified. (Report design-->Page Setup-->Page-->Use Specific Printer and then select your printer)
Create an Autoexec (auto execute) macro, this macro will be saved with the name Autoexec. Macros named Autoexec executes when Access is opened automatically. Note that once you have this macro, it will run each time you open Access, to prevent it from running, hold down the shift key and then open Access, this bypasses the Autoexec
First action in your Autoexec Macro is OpenReport and set the View to Print (report is printed when opened)
Next action in your Autoexec Macro is QuitAccess with options set to SaveAll.
When you run an application from the scheduler, it runs with different credentials. You want to make sure that you choose the appropriate options here.
Fixed it. Very glad as I've seen many with this issue and hope this gets to them.
If anyone has any issues regarding access macros and task scheduler and this doesn't work - I'll be happy to help as best as I can as the frustration of wanting to remove administrative tasks through automation that don't work out is just terrible.
Since I needed the task scheduler to wake the computer up, log me in, and open access databases on network drives that reference SQL servers.. there was a couple things I had to make sure were set up.
First is trusted locations. Any network drives you are access should probably be in the trusted locations.
Secondly, my last command on the macro is DoCmd.RunCommand.Close (I believe.. if im wrong Ill change tomorrow when I'm back in the office)
Third, use the root path to the network folder and not a mapped drive as they may not map when your logged off... so instead U:\file path... would have to be \computer1\filepath\ etc..
This path should be made with all linked tables or databases among the network especially if you have code calling for those files.
Fourth, I ended up having to do it the less preferred way and have a folder called "accessjobs" where I put shortcuts to Access Macros which triggered code and simply ran that path in task scheduler with "start in:" the folder the macro shortcut is in.
Fifth I had to run with highest privileges, and selected "run whether user is logged on or not"
A couple of these things may be coincidental that they work, but I am not about to spend even more time with trial and error to see which settings are benine as I spent TOOO long figuring this all out. But now it is solved and the sky is the limit now!
Thanks for the help!
Ian
Right now I'm working on an application in access 2010 that generates letters based of data taken from a share point site. The user inputs some parameters from some combo boxes on a form. After the selection is made the user selects the type of letter they want by pressing a button.
This works fine but I'm experiencing an odd issue when I close access and reopen it later.
When I open the form after starting access again I'll attempt to create a letter but instead of working like it did before the criteria prompt window appears asking for a parameter instead of taking the form values.
This happens every-time I restart access and the way I've been fixing it is by changing the names of the combo-boxes and then adjusting the queries accordingly.
This is what i was using to get the form values in the query
Like [Forms]![Main Menu]![A] & "*" (A is the name of the combo box, I got tired of renaming it)
Any Idea whats going on because I'm at a loss.
Thanks in advance!
If you are 100% positive that Access is finding your parameters just fine, and when Access closes they are lost, then:
Do you have any backup copies of this database before the error
occurred? Can you use one of them?
Do you Compact & Repair the database every time you close it? This
can be used somewhat as "damage control," because MS Access does
have a tendency to become corrupt.
Make sure the Main Menu form is open as long as the query is
running. Does it close right away (aka the query isn't finding the
parameter because the form is closed)?
From searching around, it seems that you aren't the only person with this problem. A known fix for people seems to have been copying all objects into a new database (which to me, sounds like the database is corrupt.) This could also mean maybe only your form is corrupt. Perhaps try to create a new form that does all of the same things that your Main Menu form does.
I'm sorry there doesn't seem to be a 'clear-cut' definitive solution for your situation.
If any VBA is involved, see below:
If you use the "Database Documenter" feature and check "yes" to all the options, you will obtain an exhaustive report that should let you trap your problem parameter. Export this report as an .rtf or .pdf document, so it is searchable. Identify a keyword from the dialog prompt, and search on that.
Once you check the query objects using the Documenter, check your VBA code. You'll do this by stepping through code in the IDE. If the main form has subforms, they are opened with (within) the main form. And they load before the main form.
Identify those subforms.
Sprinkle breakpoints in their code modules (if you find a Load function, that is highly relevant).
If the main form has a code module, do the same there.
From this thread
I have a Microsoft Access MDB file on a website to which an ASP classic code adds rows.
How do I create a query/module that will run every time I add a row or automatically once a day?
If you're looking for something to run when a row is added, you're looking for "triggers" - which is not available in Access*. You find that sort of thing in proper RDBMSs like SQL Server, MySQL, etc.
If you're looking for something to run once a day, you could create a small VBS/PowerShell/etc. script and set up a scheduled task on the server to run it at an appropriate time.
You could also run the query in response to a page. If this is something that you want done after insert, then you can append the appropriate code to the end of the page or have it run as a part of the "success" page (if you have one).
* Unless you are using a .accdb (Access 2010 and later) file and the appropriate drivers. Then it appears you can use Event-Driven Data Macros to get the same effect. Thank you Gord Thompson.
Running Access 2010 on Citrix against a SQL Server 2008R2 backend. Occasionally my users will get an error reading:
The expression On Change you entered as the event property setting produced the following error: Overflow.
* The expression may not result in the name of a macro, the name of a user-defined function, or [Event Procedure].
* There may have been an error evaluating the function, event, or macro.
Once a user gets this error during a session, he will continue to get it until he logs out of the database front end. He can then immediately relaunch the Access front end and go do whatever it was he was attempting to do. The On Change portion will vary in event type (sometimes On Click, sometimes After Update, etc), and it will happen on different forms, but the fix is always to exit the DB then get back in and everything just works fine.
The more I learn, the more I'm starting to believe that it's got something to do with the Citrix enviornment that we're in, but I haven't been able to pin anything down.
I've seen the suggestions to copy the form, and to start with a new DB and import everything. I've done these and it hasn't really helped - i.e. this is random enough that I don't know if the frequency of issues decreased significantly after the change.
Does anyone have any additional suggestions of what I can do in my Access code?
Does anyone have any experience with this setup and have some Citrix or SQL Server tweaks that I might be able to pass along? (I don't know if our IT people will listen or try to work with me on it, but it's worth a shot.)
I'm frustrated with the randomness of this, and I hate telling my users there's nothing I can do about it, but at the moment, I'm completely stumped.
Thanks,
FreeMan
Edit - Additional details...
the users are running a compiled .accde
they are all running from a common .accde file
this is still happening for a few users to whom I have given their own personal copy to run
The goto fix for random weird stuff happening in Citrix is to disable hooking. Hooks get injected into every process running in a Citrix session, so they could be screwing up something in Access. You can configure registry entries to exclude Access from being hooked:
http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX107825