open mdb file by free msaccess runtime.

[William Gaatjes]

I have a problem that i do not know how to solve.

I have installed cadence orcad CIS lite at my home pc.
This is a schematic and pcb suite that works by use of a database.
It is limited to 75 nets and 60 components but that is enough for me for a small project.
Also, i use the full featured version at work. So i am familiar with using it.

I have downloaded the MSACCESS 2010 free runtime to open the example MDB database file that was installed with orcad.

I want to open the *mdb, but it refuses to.
Before i installed the free access 2010runtime i tried to open it with base from libreoffice(which failed) but since i have done that, every time i want to use the MSaccess runtime, the mdb files gets opened by libreoffice writer.
I removed with regedit the link for libreoffice to the mdb file but it just keeps opening libre office instead of the msaccess runtime which i want. I do not have to create a new database, just add data to an existing one which according to what i have read is possible with the free runtime.

Anybody know what i can try to get the damn mdb file to be opened by msaccess ?

 

[William Gaatjes]

I added with regeditor this to the HKCR mdb:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\MSACCESS.EXE %1"
Now i have at least the the msaccess program opening the file by using the right mouse button and "open with".
But i still cannot access the database , the MSaccess runtime stays opened but nothing is displayed. Sigh... :'(

 

[William Gaatjes]

And with right mouse button properties, change filetype, "open with" i removed the link to libreoffice. But i think the mdb file is protected or something. Nothing is shown.

 

[RedFiveSW]

Do you have excel? You could query the database and return what you need that way, unless it is locked down with a password.

 

[William Gaatjes]

No sorry, i do not have excel. I use libre office for my home stuff. At work i have a complete office suite. But i read on the internet that the msaccess runtime allows one to open mdb files. But i cannot open any access file with that free runtime. Most annoying.

 

[William Gaatjes]

I must be one of those unlucky where some weird registry setting is set.
Maybe because it is windows 7 64 bit it does not work.
I am getting aggravated. I even installed the 64 bit runtime in the hope that would work. microsoft and their crap. Grrr.

 

[William Gaatjes]

I think this is my problem.

When you install word on your computer, you have two ways of opening a word document.

You can browse to the standard windows file system and when you find the document in question you can then double click on that file and it should launch word for you and open the document. Notice in this case we did not launch word and then open the document.

The access runtime is much the same as per above, you thus browse to the particular file in question and double click on it to launch it. So you don't launch the access runtime, you don't run the run access runtime first.

So as a first step, yes you have to install the runtime application.

Once you have installed the access runtime, then the process is the same as opening a word document as outlined above. So you browse to the particular document in question and then double click on it.

So a major difference with the access runtime is you do not first launch the runtime. You simply browse to the Access document in question and open it. Atteping to open excel docuemtns, word document or Access docuemnts will then cause windows to launch the appropriate program based on the file type or so called file extension.

A second important detail here is that as a general rule any access application that is to be used or executed by the Access runtime system has to be correctly designed and properly setup to run correctly with access runtime.

By correctly set up this usually means that the application in question has a startup form and has the general user interface and navigation of the application built in. The reason for this requirement is the Access runtime does not have design and user interface surfaces like the full edition (so for example you do not see the module section, the forms section, the reports section, the query section).

So as long as the application has been designed for use with Access runtime and that application has things like a startup form set etc. and provides most of the user interface options (say a form with buttons on it to launch reports), then you should be OK.

So you never "run" the runtime, but you simply launch the particular document or file in question and windows will then launch the correct program.

Assuming the application has been correctly set up to work with the runtime then as mentioned you can then browse to the particular access file on your hard drive.

So you do not launch the access application first. It's also quite common to see a shortcut created that points to the runtime and that runtime specifies the file to be opened.

Also keep in mind in theory if you did browse to the msaccess.exe program after it been installed, if you launch it, Access will say I have no document to open, and it shuts down automatic (so the runtime never can prompt you for what document/file to open).

It is just a database file without startscreen or hatever.

 

[RedFiveSW]

There are many mdb "viewers" if you search. Perhaps one will work, though I don't know how much interaction you want.

 

[William Gaatjes]

Sigh. I got the database file to open in base from libreoffice. Crashes libreoffice...

 

[William Gaatjes]

There are many mdb "viewers" if you search. Perhaps one will work, though I don't know how much interaction you want.

I need to edit the file by removing records. It is a component database for to use with orcad capture cis lite. Only the limitation is that the database may contain only a maximum of 1000 records ( components) for the lite version. The database i have is comprised of over 3000 components. But many of those components i will never use. It is just for to make small pcb's and to play around. I have an old schematic and pcb program but i use capture on my work. And i do not want to switch from one program to another. The lite version of orcad capture lite allows for 75 nets and 60 components for the pcb program but that is enough for me.
The problem is that i do not have the time to do it at work. That is why i came up with the idea to install the lite version here at home.

I tried a sort of legal version in the past but i hated that. Cracked programs always crash more often and right when you really need that program.

 

[cabri]

Write a little program that will display the records for you by use SQL.
Then have the program delete the records that you do not need by a SQL SELECT and DELETE statement.

Or find someone that has an ACCESS program and cleanup the MDB database that way

 

[William Gaatjes]

On my work at break time i modified the component database. I removed a lot of records. And it works, less than 1000 records is allowed by the lite version of orcad. Unfortunately, even after providing the path to the scematic libraries in the capture.ini file, the lite version refuses to search for the libraries and cannot find the components through the CIS component manager. If i just place parts by manually adding the library, that actually functions. But i wanted to make use of the database with components. Orcad capture lite is too castrated to function. Cannot even use it for home use. It really is just a demo version. Too bad. I have to figure out another way. Maybe i will run my sort of legal version on a vmware image. At least when it crashes, it cannot take windows down, just my vmware image. Sigh, i just wanted to make some small pcb's with less then 20 components on them.

 

[William Gaatjes]

Unfortunately orcad capture lite is useless. What i already noticed what not was happening... I found this on the cadence forum. Orcad capture lite is useless for home use. Too bad they do not make a home use version. It works very well. And i despise eagle. Especially after using Capture with the CIS component database.

That's correct. The Lite / Demo version has a restricted subset library configured and supported. You can try adding the other libraries manually through the simulation profile but the configuration is not guaranteed to be saved, since the Lite / Demo version has a restricted subset library......

 

[William Gaatjes]

I take it back, it is not useless. I got it partially running after copying all my library files to the install directory and making some changes in the CIS setup. Now for the next hurdle.

 

[William Gaatjes]

Bleh, libre office base keeps on crashing even after a small 950 record database from ms access. As soon as i sort, the program hangs.

 

[William Gaatjes]

I found this program. MDB viewer plus.
It is free for use but you can donate when you are happy with this program.

It allows to edit the component database. This will keep me happy until i have ms access.

http://www.alexnolan.net/software/mdb_viewer_plus.htm

 

[William Gaatjes]

Meh, i copied all the path settings to libraries and use a subst script to link folders to drive letters. But it just does not work. Orcad lite is too limited in function. The capture.ini script i have modified but to no prevail. It just does not work. Also , in the CIS component database, the link to open datasheets is disabled. I am going to uninstall the lite version. :'(