Simulating the Access Runtime during Microsoft Access Development
Provided by: Molly Pell, Program Analyst
The Microsoft Access runtime version allows you to distribute your
Access applications to users who do not have a full license of Access. For
Access 2007, Microsoft offers the runtime version for free. Just click
here to get it:
Microsoft Access 2007 Runtime Version. For earlier versions of Access,
you need the Office Developer Tools or Developer Extensions for Office 2003.
The runtime is similar to the full version of Access, but several of the
features that exist in the full version are not available in the runtime.
For example, the database window is not accessible, built-in toolbars are
not supported, and the Visual Basic IDE is not available.
Because of the differences, it is important to ensure that your application
works properly in the runtime environment prior to deployment. Microsoft
Access makes it easy to simulate the runtime environment using the
/runtime command line.
Follow these steps to create a shortcut that runs your application
simulating the runtime environment:
- In Windows Explorer, select File > New > Shortcut.
- When prompted to enter the location of the shortcut, enter the
location of Access, followed by the location of your database, followed by
the /runtime switch.
For example:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\MSACCESS.EXE" "C:\MyDB.mdb" /runtime
- When prompted for the shortcut name, type
a descriptive such as:
MyDB Runtime
By testing your application in this environment, you can find
runtime-specific problems before deploying your application.
For more information, see
Developing Access Runtime Applications.
Important Note about Testing Environments
Before releasing an application, you should test it thoroughly on a computer
that only contains the lowest operating system supported by the application
(with no updates), the Access runtime environment (if applicable), and any
programs, controls, and DLLs that are installed by your application. If your
application is distributed to public, you cannot be certain of the
environment in which users will run your application.
For example, you may have developed your application in an environment with
Office installed and expect products like Word, Excel or other Office
components to be available. Since these parts of Office are not installed
with the Access runtime, your users without Office products will encounter
errors when they come across functionality that depends on them.
By testing in a minimal configuration, you can determine if there are
dependencies that you did not address, and adjust your application or your
dependencies accordingly.
Additional Resources for Testing
 An
important feature of
Total Access Analyzer when it documents your database is the
detection of problems that may cause your Access
application to crash. Maybe you have a query
referencing a field that was renamed or deleted,
a form's ComboBox that depends on a deleted
table, a procedure call with the wrong number of
parameters, or a report not set to the default
printer. These and hundreds of other errors,
suggestions, and performance tips are detected
by Total Access Analyzer to help you develop and
delivery better Access solutions. If it doesn't
pass Total Access Analyzer's review, you're not
ready to ship.
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