ACC2000: Browser Link Opens Multiple Instances of Microsoft Access

In a Microsoft Access database, if you have a built-in Switchboard or a custom form that contains a class module as a Startup form, and you open the database through a link from a Web page, it may open multiple instances of Access.

NOTE: This can occur in both MDB and MDE files.

This problem may occur if the following conditions are true:

• The Web page is being accessed from Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.x or later.
• The Startup form has its HasModule property set to True or the form is calling a function referencing VBA332.DLL.
• The hyperlink is a file reference.

To work around this problem, change the link from a file reference to a URL as described in the following example.

Example

1. Close all instances of Access.
2. Move or copy the sample database Northwind.mdb to a folder on the Web server or make the current folder a virtual directory.
3. Edit the Web page, changing the file reference to a URL. For example, change the following
   <a href="file:///C:/Samples/Northwind.mdb">Northwind</a>
   
   to:
   
   <a href="/?scid=%2fnorthwind.mdb">Northwind</a>
4. View the Web page with Microsoft Internet Explorer and click the Northwind hyperlink.
   
   Note that one only one instance of Access is opened.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb.
2. On the Tools menu, click Startup.
3. In the Startup dialog box, click the Display Form arrow and select the Employees form.
4. Close all instances of Access.
5. Edit a Web page, adding a file reference to the Northwind database. For example:
   <a href="file:///C:/Samples/Northwind.mdb">Northwind</a>
   
   -or-
   
   <a href="file://<webserver>/<virtual directory>/Northwind.mdb">Northwind</a>
6. View the Web page with Internet Explorer 3.0, 4.0, or 5.0 and click the Northwind hyperlink.
   
   Note that multiple instances of Access are opened.

For more information about hyperlinks, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type hyperlinks in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

For more information about creating virtual directories, refer to the documentation for the relevant Web Server software.