MDB Database in Access 365 - forms deleting/corrupting

[Richard Horne]

We have an Access database we have been using fine for years without any issues. The database is an MDB front-end connected to a MySQL database backend.

We recently moved to Office 365 with the database running on an Azure server and users connecting in using Microsoft Remote Desktop.

Quite frequently we encounter an issue where a form/report will just randomly delete/corrupt and the user gets an error saying:

"The form name 'FORM_NAME' is misspelled or refers to a form that doesn't exist"

This happens frequently and I have to kick all my users out of the database, copy over my decompiled master copy and set them going again. This morning I have had to repeat this issue 5 times already. It started happening about 6 weeks ago, too, then after a week stopped happening, but has started happening again.

Is this something people have come across?

Are Microsoft patches causing this?

What on earth can I do to prevent this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[gemma-the-husky]

Are users changing forms themselves?
Are you issuing an mde rather than a mdb?

I assume you are all sharing the same database that may not even be split. Generally we recommend users split databases, and give each user a separate front end.

 

[isladogs]

Realistically, that can only happen if your users are sharing the same copy of the database. Doing that WILL cause corruption. If one person deletes a form/report, it will affect everyone.

As stated above, shared databases must always be split with each user having their own copy of the front end on their own workstation.
The tables need to be in a shared backend on the server

 

[Richard Horne]

Nobody is editing any forms or reports, they just enter data. Only I do any form of editing. The database is split as I mentioned above, MDB Front-end connected to MySQL back-end. Forms are just randomly disappearing mid session. The users open the database in a locked state so couldn't even delete forms if they wanted to. It genuinely seems as though they are just somehow being deleted/corruped by Access. It's only happened since we switched to Access 365 and the database always worked the same way it does now.

 

[isladogs]

Yes but are your users sharing the same copy of the FE? You said they are remoting in.
If all have their own copy then any issues would only affect that user's FE and there would be no reason to disrupt any other user.

What does 'users open the database in a locked state' mean?

 

[Richard Horne]

Each user logs into their own instance of a virtual machine/remote connection and opens the same front-end. This issue can affect one user but not another.

I say locked stated because if they actually tried to edit or delete a form manually they would recieve an error saying they don't have exclusive access to the database.

 

[gemma-the-husky]

Well your forms are getting deleted (or maybe renamed or corrupted) somehow.

Are the forms getting corrupted? Can you still see them if you examine the bad copy, but you can't open them, especially in design view?
Maybe the error message the user gets isn't quite accurate. Is it a message you have programmed into the switchboard?

Maybe it is an issue to do with the way Access in O365 allows shares. Which version of Access did you use before?

 

[isladogs]

Each user logs into their own instance of a virtual machine/remote connection and opens the same front-end. This issue can affect one user but not another.

I say locked stated because if they actually tried to edit or delete a form manually they would recieve an error saying they don't have exclusive access to the database.

So they are sharing a front end. That is almost certainly the cause of your problems rather than any user deliberately or accidentally deleting database objects

 

[Richard Horne]

The forms/reports are definitely getting deleted as they're no longer in the forms/reports list when I try to view them. But another user connected to the same front-end can still see them.

The error message is a generic Access message - see image below.

main_menu_login is our main menu form which is always open. If the user tries to close this, there's an OnClose event that closes the whole database so somehow it's being closed, while overriding the OnClose event and then being deleted. It honestly makes zero sense because it never happened previously.

We used to use Access 2016.

 

[Richard Horne]

So they are sharing a front end. That is almost certainly the cause of your problems rather than any user deliberately or accidentally deleting database objects

That was my initial suspicion but in between this happening the last time and recurring today we've gone about 4 weeks with 5-10 people using it simultaenously daily for about 4 weeks.

 

[isladogs]

Count that as luck rather than anything meaningful.
The only way to prevent this is to have each remote login to a separate front end.
Could users log in remotely to their own workstation instead?

 

[gemma-the-husky]

I don't know if hiding a form makes it non accessible.

I know sometimes commands don't do quite what you think or expect. So for instance close is supposed to close a file, but maybe it can also close a form depending on the context.

It's very difficult if you can't examine the non working database closely, in case the "missing" form is actually there.

Maybe there is a strange circumstance happening. Do all users get the problem, or just selected users? Is it just the menu form?

 

[Pat Hartman]

How are you distributing new copies of the FE? The user with the problem should just be able to close his copy and get a new one. The problem shouldn't affect other users if they are not sharing the FE.

Have you identified what the user was doing when the form disappeared?

 

[Minty]

I'm reading the OP's responses as they are all using one shared FE - hence the issue.

As per @isladogs comments, they need to get separate FE per user, if it has been working ok it has been luck more than judgement.

 

[CJ_London]

Just speculation- mdb’s are 32bit. What is the bitness of your office 365? Have you tried decompiling/recompiling your code?

 

[arnelgp]

7 months ago?!