Upgrade advice for a retired DB programmer (1 Viewer)

Hi
About 5 years ago I had a bit of an I.T. breakdown and gave up I.T. following a 27 year career as a database programmer. I changed career to become an ecologist, which is where my passions really lie. In the past 5 years I have done all I can to actively avoid anything I.T. related, because it actually makes me ill to even think about it. However.....

I have an Access data base which I developed years ago to hold all of my ecology records (NOT business records, personal records). I enter data into it on a daily basis and even occasionally develop it further by creating or modifying forms / tables / queries etc. I'm completely happy with it as it is.

The problem is my database is stuck in time. It's in Access 2007 and on a Windows 7 laptop. I could live with it being on Access 2007 forever, it does what I want it to do and I have no desire to upgrade, except that my laptop needs upgrading. Next year I'm off traveling for 12 months and I need a new, lightweight laptop. I'm guessing that I will be forced down the Windows 10 route, but I've completely lost touch with I.T. and, for example, don't know what Office 365 is or how it works.

Can anybody suggest what I need to do with Access given that I'll probably end up with a laptop which runs Windows 10? What are my options? I don't really want to upgrade Access but it seems that I might as well take the opportunity. I'm happy to buy the latest edition of Office, however I'm not a business user and don't feel that I want or need to by a business edition. Also if you can advise on the minimum spec of a laptop to run Access that would also be great.

Any suggestions?

Thanks a lot

Colin

If you own the copy of Access 2007 on your current machine, and you plan on replacing that machine with a newer laptop and windows 10, you could install access 2007 on the new machine.(if you still have the disk(s))

I say that because you said you don't want to update Access and you're quite happy with the database as it is.

As I see things there is nothing new in Access that is critical to a 2007 database you built and are happy with. ,

Good luck and welcome back to IT.

jdraw said:

If you own the copy of Access 2007 on your current machine, and you plan on replacing that machine with a newer laptop and windows 10, you could install access 2007 on the new machine.(if you still have the disk(s))

I say that because you said you don't want to update Access and you're quite happy with the database s it is.

Good luck and welcome back to IT.

Click to expand...

Thanks. If I decide to upgrade Access, what's the latest version suitable for my requirements?

I don't see any requirements that would make me update. Your Access 2007 can work with mdb and accdb as far as I know.

jdraw said:

I don't see any requirements that would make me update. Your Access 2007 can work with mdb and accdb as far as I know.

Click to expand...

It maybe that I can't find the Access disks so I might be forced to buy the latest edition.

Even if you do have to buy the "Latest and Greatest" you shouldn't have much issue. I'd keep the old lap top, copy your DB to a flash, and fire up on the new. If it has problems we can help, but I am hopeful you won't.

P.S. I understand your feelings. I left custom software when I realized I was working 100+ hour weeks and had no "Life" outside of work. Didn't do any coding for a few years then found I could do little bits again so long as I wasn't the "IT" guy.

O365 is O2016 currently. There may be a new version next year. Look at the various plans available. There is a family plan for $99 per year that includes 5 copies of Office plus some other stuff so if you have family, you can install the software on up to 5 computers. You can also use Word and Excel web versions from your phone and maybe Outlook also. Not all plans come with Access so read carefully but this is the most popular offering and the best deal.

There are probably no "got to have" features in A2016 but I like it better than A2007 except that the object designers have such sensitive outlines that it is difficult to grab objects to move or resize.

Hi Colin from another one ....

I'd also agree that unless you need to update, I wouldn't bother.
As Pat has already said, there are few new features in 2010/2013 or 2016.

AFAIK the requirements for Office re processor speed, RAM etc haven't increased much if at all over the past 10 years

There are a few new datatypes but several of them should be avoided like the plague e.g. attachment fields / multivalue fields

If there's ever a possibility that you will design databases for other users again, I would suggest 2010 as its still very widely in use by many.
Its also likely that you can pick it up more cheaply than 2013 or 2016.
On the other hand, it too will become unsupported in 3 years time.

Another thing to consider is that you can now choose a subscription package called Office 365 as Pat has already mentioned which is for Office 2016

Finally Office is available in both 32-bit & 64-bit.
DON'T BUY 64-bit - lots of disadvantages, very few advantages (mainly for Excel)

The O365 download includes both bit versions. You choose which one to install. 32-bit should be the default but it is best to pay attention.

I forgot to mention that O365 is a subscription so once you sign up, you have to pay again every year. If you don't renew, you get a short grace period and then you can no longer update anything.

Even though I like A2010 better than A2016, I wouldn't suggest actually buying it. Office pro is around $500 and you technically can't buy old versions so you are always at jeopardy when you buy something old. You have to depend on the vendor being honest and you should insist on a shrink wrapped package with the hologram intact.

Thanks for all of the advice. Much appreciated.

Colin,
I am happily using 2007 with win 10 home. I was on 2003

I have had a few problems with some apps developed in a newer version, but nothing I could not live without.

Even if you could not find the disks, I dare say with Belarc Advisor you could get the key and then try here?

https://products.office.com/en-gb/download-office-2007

Office 365 does seem to be increasingly better value and with Access now included in more versions more appealing. I do like my hard copy CD as to a certain extent it gives me the choice of when the software becomes obsolete.

2003 runs great with Windows 10 - its not really a cost issue for me - I do have VS studio and I have azure cloud pay as you go. A2016 support for big int does tempt me as it would allow more conntection to SQL Server tables. At the end of the day 2003 continues to be rock solid for me (it also connects to SQL Azure)

Under the hood it appears as if Access hasn't changed a great deal which I suspect means that its really quite future compatible.

and in theory DIGITAL should be immortal.