ACC2000: How to Open the Visual Basic Editor in an MDE or ADE Database When Special Keys and Menu Item Are Both Disabled

This article demonstrates how to open the Visual Basic Editor in an Access MDE or ADE database when full menus and special keys are both disabled.

In an MDE or ADE database in Microsoft Access 2000, all editable code is removed, and the Visual Basic project is saved in a compiled state. Consequently, you cannot open any existing modules and you cannot create new ones. If you have also cleared the Allow full menus and Use special keys properties in the Startup dialog box, the menu item for the Visual Basic Editor is not available and the ALT+F11 key combination does not work.

The following steps demonstrate how set up this scenario:

1. Open a new Access database.
2. On the Tools menu, click Startup.
3. Click to clear the Allow Full Menus check box.
4. Click the Advanced button.
5. Click to clear the Use Access Special Keys check box.
6. On the Tools menu, point to Database Utilities, and then click Make MDE File.
7. In the Save MDE As dialog box, change the file name to TestMDE, and then click Save.
8. Close the original database, and then open the TestMDE database.

Note that now you cannot open the Visual Basic Editor by using the menu, by using the New button, or by pressing ALT+F11.

The following steps demonstrate how to open the Visual Basic Editor in this scenario:

1. If Access is open, close it.
2. Open Access without opening a database.
3. Press ALT+F11 to switch to the Visual Basic Editor.
4. Press ALT+F11 again to switch to Access
5. On the File menu, click Open
6. Open the MDE or ADE database.
7. Press ALT+TAB until Microsoft Visual Basic - database name is selected, to return to the Visual Basic Editor.

NOTE: If you plan to package the MDE or ADE database for deployment, you can run the Package and Deployment Wizard from the Add-ins menu. If the Package and Deployment Wizard is not listed on the Add-ins menu, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

For more information about the Package and Deployment Wizard, see "Using the Package and Deployment Wizard to Package Access Runtime Solutions" white paper. The file name for this white paper is PackagingAccessRT.doc, and it is located in the Wpapers folder of the Office 2000 Developer compact disc.