x:\<Database> is not a valid path

[tpsbrus]

Hi all,
I've seen other posts similar in nature to mine, but not quite the same situation. I've split a db into back-end on a server, and front-end running on users' local C drive. It works perfectly for me and one other user. For two users, when they shut off their laptops at night and try to open the system the next day, they get the message "x:\<Database Name> is not a valid path. Make sure the path name is spelled correctly and that you are connected to the server on which....."

If the users exit the application but leave their laptop powered on and connected to the network overnight, when they open the app, all is well.

I have been re-linking them via the Linked Table Manager, and it works fine thereafter - until they shut down their laptops once again.

I don't understand why it works perfectly for some users and not for others. Could it be related at all to rights/permissions the users have on their C drive (I believe they may not have full admin rights, i.e., can't copy a file onto the root of their c drive, but can create directories in c and copy files into that). I have full rights on my c drive. So does the other user who has not had this issue.

My fallback may be to write code to re-link on startup, executed via the autoexec, but that will slow down the startup process and irritate the users.

I'm using Access 2010 under Windows 7.

Any suggestions welcomed. Thanks.
Joe

 

[gemma-the-husky]

maybe they are (inadvertently) re-loading a non-linked version each day somehow, and have to relink because of that.

also sometimes windows seems to "forget" linked drives. get them to click the X: folder in my computer first, to make sure the connection is active. See if that makes a difference

 

[tpsbrus]

Hi Dave,
Thanks for replying. I don't think it is as you suggest regarding another version, however. I made sure the users have no versions of the app database, or any other database, other than the one they should have.

I know Microsoft products in general can be unpredictable, but there is a predictable pattern here where only 2 users are having this problem. There is something they have in common that I, and another user do not, that is causing the disconnection from the linked tables.
Joe

 

[apr pillai]

I would like to quote a section of my Article on external linking of tables below for your information:

If you are linking an external table from a Network Location, use the UNC (Universal Naming Conventions) type location reference (like \\hosfs03\accounts\myDatabase\. . .) rather than using a mapped drive location reference like H:\MyDatabase. You can even use your Local Drive's share name in this manner \\yourPCName\C$\Databases\myDatabase.mdb.

\\hosfs03 is Server Name.

This method ensures that even if the drive mapping changes from H:\ to K:\ or anything else, MS-Access will have no difficulty in finding the linked Table. Otherwise you have to go for the Option Tools – ->Database Utilities – ->Linked Table Manager for refreshing the changed location reference of the table.

You can find the article here: Link External Tables with VBA

Check and re-confirm access rights of problem-users to the Network Server Location are same as others, with the Network Administrator.

 

[tpsbrus]

Thanks Apprillai, I'll take a look at this.
Joe

 

[MarkK]

If you've mapped a drive to x:\, make sure the set the check box that says "reconnect at logon", otherwise the mapped drive is not preserved across reboots.