32 bit Access vs 64 bit Access - HELLLLLP!!!!

[Libre]

Hello everyone and TIA. I'm an independent developer (retired). For 6 months, I've been developing a very extensive Access db for a client. I've worked hard all these months and I finally sent them the first release yesterday - an accde compiled Access database.
They can't run it. They tell me they have 64 bit Access installed. I have a 64 bit PC but my Access is 32 Bit. Now I'm stuck. I've never run into this or heard about it, and I sure don't know how to address it. The program is DOA. Works like a charm here.
ANY HELP would be greatly appreciated. I used to sit at a desk and developed Access for the employer and it just worked. Now I have to get across the system's differences - theirs and mine. Please - I need some kind of way to make this run.

 

[pbaldy]

The only way to get an accde to run on 64bit Access is to create it with 64bit Access. Do you have a computer available with that?

 

[GPGeorge]

Hello everyone and TIA. I'm an independent developer (retired). For 6 months, I've been developing a very extensive Access db for a client. I've worked hard all these months and I finally sent them the first release yesterday - an accde compiled Access database.
They can't run it. They tell me they have 64 bit Access installed. I have a 64 bit PC but my Access is 32 Bit. Now I'm stuck. I've never run into this or heard about it, and I sure don't know how to address it. The program is DOA. Works like a charm here.
ANY HELP would be greatly appreciated. I used to sit at a desk and developed Access for the employer and it just worked. Now I have to get across the system'To s differences - theirs and mine. Please - I need some kind of way to make this run.

The most significant cause of problems when running an accde with 64 bit Access is the use of APIs. They have to be converted to run in the 64 bit environment. Other possible problems might arise from use of 32 bit ActiveX controls.

Here are some videos that will help you with the API conversions.

Ultimately, however, you will still need to create the accde with the 64 bit version of Access for them to run the accde in their 64 bit Access installations.

 

[Libre]

The only way to get an accde to run on 64bit Access is to create it with 64bit Access. Do you have a computer available with that?

I have 1 PC. It's a 64 bit PC. I have no idea why my Access is 32 bit. So I don't have a computer available with that.

 

[Libre]

The most significant cause of problems when running an accde with 64 bit Access is the use of APIs. They have to be converted to run in the 64 bit environment. Other possible problems might arise from use of 32 bit ActiveX controls.

Here are some videos that will help you with the API conversions.

Ultimately, however, you will still need to create the accde with the 64 bit version of Access for them to run the accde in their 64 bit Access installations.

Before I start to watch these - Do you think the accdb would run on their system? Ok so they get the full blown version. Otherwise I wasted 6 months of development and I can't start all over with it. I just can't.

 

[GPGeorge]

Before I start to watch these - Do you think the accdb would run on their system? Ok so they get the full blown version. Otherwise I wasted 6 months of development and I can't start all over with it. I just can't.

No, if the problem is APIs, they won't run under 64 bit Access until they are converted to run correctly in the 64 bit environment.

That said, it's not a huge task to convert them. And the method is pretty straightforward. It shouldn't take more than an hour or two.

How many, and which APIs did you use, by the way? If any. We shouldn't get too far down that path until we know for sure that's the problem in this accdb.

 

[theDBguy]

Do you think the accdb would run on their system?

I was actually going to ask about this. Are they paying clients? Just curious why you were giving them a ACCDE product, if they paid for a custom application. If you can give them a ACCDB version, they can easily find out if it will work as-is for them or not.

 

[isladogs]

Your Office license should allow you to install either 32-bit or 64-bit Access
In fact, for most versions of Access, you can install more than one copy so you could run a virtual machine with 64-bit Office and keep the main machine as 32-bit (or vice versa)

There are several articles that may be of use on my website including:

32 to 64-bit Conversion

This article provides links to various web pages & utilities to assist with converting VBA code for use in 64-bit applications.

www.isladogs.co.uk

Installing Multiple Office Versions

This article explains how you can successfully install more than one version of Office on the same workstation including Access runtime and mixed bitness installations

www.isladogs.co.uk

 

[arnelgp]

you can upload your db and i will try to convert it for you, so it will run on both x32 and x64 office.

 

[Pat Hartman]

As @theDBguy suggested, it is only compiled versions that REQUIRE a specific environment. If you distribute the .accdb, as long as you have no API code, you have no problem running in either bit-version. If you have API code, you must include code to identify the bit-version and run one piece of code for 32-bit Access installations and the other piece of code for 64-bit Access installations. George and Colin provided the links you need to fix up the code.

Keep in mind, if you update your primary system with a new bit-version, you will have to fix up any db you need to run there to work with the new bit-version if the app includes API code.

I avoid API code like the plague having had issues for years but sometimes you don't have options so you have to fix up the code to handle both even though that still leaves you to the issue of distributing .accde's for the installed bit-version.

 

[isladogs]

There can also be issues with certain ActiveX items as not all were ported to 64-bit e.g. Flexgrid is 32-bit only

 

[gemma-the-husky]

Seriously as a developer you most likely need to offer both environments.

It's one thing having a 32bit database. Converting it to 64bit may be relatively trivial, but it may also lead you to real problems, if you've used tools that haven't been ported to 64bit. I'm pretty sure there's more to it than just adding pointersafe and assuming everything is now fixed.

 

[gemma-the-husky]

It became harder because initially MS Office was installed as 32bit by default. Now it's installed as 64bit by default although 64bit is rarely necessary.

The easiest solution might be to get your client to re-install 32bit office.

If they need your solution badly enough they might do that.