Frequently Asked
Questions
Q:
how does the
utility know
that an update
has been made to
a file in the
server folder?
I use the file
date and time at
the time the
file was copied
down from the
file server. I
store that date
in a
AutoFEUpdater.INI
file in the
target folder.
The next time
the Auto FE
Updater is
executed I
compare the date
stored in that
file with the
date on the
server. If
different the
utility copies
down the updated
file(s)
Note that Access
can update the
local Access FE
file as the user
is working in
it. I think this
is usually minor
items such as
query plans or
form filters
that are set and
then cleared
once the form is
reopened. As
well the
developer might
have temp tables
in the Access FE
file or be
updating
queries.
You can see this
for yourself but
startng up the
utility on your
own system.
Choose a
configuration
file and, if you
haven't already
run that config
file. then Run
Config File.
This will copy the
files down to
your target
folder. Now run
the Validate Config File
command button
and click on
Open Target
Folder to open
Windows
Explorer. Open the
AutoFEUpdater.INI
file. You should
see file names
and date and
times. Now make
a change to a
file on the
server and Run Config File
again. Now
open the
AutoFEUpdater.INI
file in the
targer folder
again and you
will see the
changed file
date/time.
Note that
this logic only
copies down
changed files.
For example, DLL
files such as
Leban's PDF
printing DLLs,
which haven't
been changed in
years will only
ever be copied
down to the
target folder
once.
Q:
The users are
pinning the
Access FE
database file to
the task bar
thus bypassing
the Auto FE
Updater version
checking.
This is in
Windows 7 and
Windows 2008
Server R2.
See the
Settings - FE Started by User?
page.
Q:
I'm suddenly no
longer seeing
all the options:
(New, Update,
Validate, Run,
Lockout, etc).
It still works,
but it only has
“Run Config
File.”
Q: I moved the
Auto FE Updater
folder from
another system
and ....
You are now
seeing the same
screen the users
would see if
they clicked on
the exe file
directly.
Your work
station name is
stored in the
AutoFEUPdater.ini
configuration
settings file.
Only
workstations
present in that
file are allowed
access to all
the options.
1) The quickest
solution is to
delete the file
and click on the
exe file so it
will recreate
the file with
your current
workstation name
in it.
2) The best
solution is to
open the
AutoFEUpdater.ini
configuration
settings file
with Notepad and
replace the
workstation name
with your
current
workstation
name. This
will preserve
other settings
in the file such
as your license
key number.
Note: This
logic will be
changing shortly
so it will user
your user name.
I just haven't
quite got there
yet.
When that
happens you
still have this
problem should
you move the
files from your
home system to
work or from
office to
office.
Q: Do I
have to use the
Create User
Email Setup
command button
every time I
make a new
version of the
Access Front End
file available
to the users?
A: No, this is a
one time action
for each user
and is only
required for
users who are
new to your
application.
Once they've
clicked on the
shortcut in the
email the first
time the utility
will create a
desktop, quick
launch or
programs
shortcut.
From now on they
only click on
the shortcut(s)
you've
configured the
Auto FE Updater
to create.
Q: I
inserted some
blank lines in
the User Setup
Email HTML body
and they didn't
appear in the
email.
A: You're
looking at the
raw HTML so you
need to insert
the
html paragraph
code </p>.
Q:
Access is
crashing
whenever I use
your utility but
when I click on
the FE it works
fine.
A: Ensure
your command
line parameters
have spaces in
between the
arguments.
For example:
CommandLine=
/runtime/wrkgrp
"\\Server\Shared...."
Q: My corporate email
client isn't supported by the Auto FE Updater.
Q: My
users are
getting the
Access 2007
Security Warning
- Certain
content in this
database has
been disabled?
Is there
anything that
can be done.
A: In the
Auto FE Updater
program
Update the
configuration
file and select Trusted
Locations
screen.
Then
click the check
box appropriate
to your version
of Access.
Q: I'm getting a
"Open File -
Security
Warning: The
publisher could
not be
verified. Are
you sure you
want to run this
software?"
message.
A: This was
fixed in
version 2.13 as
you can now
specify the
Add Server to local Intranet Zone
option..Q: I would like the application to use an alternate .mdw file when
starting.
I've placed the /wrkgrp command switch in the CommandLine section, but for some
reason it's not picking the command line up at all.
A: Recent
updates to the
logic should
have fixed this
unless you are
using the Start
Method=Low Macro
Security.
For Low Macro
Security only due to how
Windows works I
have no way of
passing a
command line to
Access.
Q: Where does the shortcut, .LNK file, reside? The configuration file(s)?
And startmdb.exe?
A: These files should reside in a directory on the server, likely called Auto FE
Updater. They should be be in the same directory as the Auto FE Updater
utility but that's not a requirement. While you can have other files
in the Auto FE Updater folder I wouldn't recommend it.
Q:
Why are there
two shortcuts
being created on
the users
desktop?
A: You've
specified both
the Desktop
Shortcut and the
Common Desktop
Shortcut.
Remove the
Common Desktop
Shortcut option
as it no longer
works in Windows
Vista and newer.
Microsoft have
restricted
updates to the
common folders
to be by
administrators
only.
Q: Where do the FE file reside on the server that will be copied down
to the workstations?
A: The FE database files (MDB, MDE, ACCDB, ACCDE, ACCDR, ADP or ADE) must reside in it's own
folder on the server. Along
with any other files you want to copy down to the client in the same folder such
as add-in MDEs or the Leban's PDF DLLs.
Q:
I'm a bit
confused about
the directory
structure
required.
A: You require a
directory on the
server which is
exclusively for
the use of the
MDB/MDE FE which
is to be copied
to the client
directory
whenever it's
updated.
As well as any
other files
required such as
MDE add-ins or
DLL files.
All files in
this directory
will be copied
to the client
workstation.
This is the
MDB/MDE which
you update on
your own system
and then copy up
to the server
when you
complete a
feature or bug
fix.
The shortcut
(which is a .LNK
file),
configuration files
and startmdb.exe
as well as the
backend can be
placed in any
other directory
you desire.
This directory
can contain any
other files you
want to place in
there was well.
However I'd
suggest you
dedicate a
directory to the
Auto FE Updater
and it's
associated
files.
Q: Can the Auto FE Updater also be used on a front end.mdb (instead
of mde)?
A: It can be used with any files. ADPs, ADEs, Word or Excel files, VB or
C++ .exes, etc. All that matters is if a file(s) is placed in the FE
directory on the server with a different date, or a new file, then it gets
copied down automatically the next time the user runs the shortcut.
Q: The workstations are frequently used by multiple users. I don't want
other users' to be able to see this application or have it be accidentally
deleted when the workstation is imaged.
A: The FE should be installed in the users Application Data directory on the
workstation. In the Target screen use the %appdata% environment
variable.
Q: On the server that I use the variable called %username% instead.
Is that version related or a choice of the administrator?
A: I get the user name using an API call. I chose to use variable names
surrounded by %s in the INI that were the same as the command prompt variables
just for some consistency.
Q: It's not creating shortcuts.
or
I'm getting the message "1030 - Shortcut creation was not successful for unknown
reasons.:"
A: 1) Can you create shortcuts on your or the users desktop manually by right
clicking? Some IT departments
restrict this capability.
2) You can now create shortcuts in the users My Documents folder. Not the
best option but if the IT department has restricted this what choice do you
have?
Q: Where do I indicate the location of my security file?
You need to specify the location of the workgroup file in the Command Line entry just as you would when creating a shortcut.
For example /wrkgrp \\server\share\workgroup.mdw
If you are using the StartMethod=Autoselect you will also want to use the
MDWFile option as well so the Auto FE Updater knows which version of Access to
use to open the client FE MDB/MDE. You can avoid this by using a different StartMethod
other than Low Macro Security.
Q: I have to do some preprocessing in VBScript and then have
different FEs on different servers called depending on where the computer is
located in the WAN.
A: Create a configuration file with the appropriate settings for each of the servers
along with StartMDB.exe. Once you've determined the local server then call
StartMDB.exe using command line parameters such as
"\\server1\share1\StartMDB\StartMDB.exe" /cmd
/inifile"\\server1\share1\Auto FE Updater\<name of configuration file>.ini"
Q: I'd like to add comment lines to the AutoFEUpdater.INI file to
annotate which computer name belongs to whom.
1) The only work station names in the AutoFEUpdater.INI file should be those of
the developers as these entries give those workstation users the AutoFEUpdater
GUI to work with the INI files
2) You can't do it on the individual lines Master1-5 as INI files don't work
that way without extra logic on my part. However you can add additional
lines in the INI file as you wish. These will be ignored by the Auto FE
Updater.
Q: Is there any way to insert a command into the Auto FE Updater .ini
file to tell it to run either a batch file or .exe file before it does anything
else?
Yes, although you can only start a .bat, .cmd or exe file. You can't
then start an MDB/MDE running using the Auto FE Updater. The bat, cmd or
exe file will then have to start the MDB/MDE/etc You can use the
Executable Start Method option.
Q: I'm moving the files from one server to another server.
How do I easily use the Auto FE Updater to get the users to use the FE from a
folder on the new server?
Q: I want to move the BE MDB to a different folder on the same server.
There are two parts to this. One is to replace the FE MDE so it's
linked to the new server path and folder structure and the other to change the
target of the shortcut to use the new Auto FE Updater INI file.
On the day of the switchover delete/rename the BE MDB file from the old server
so just in case something gets missed they can't work with the old MDB file.
You're moving it to a new server anyhow so don't leave it easily available on
the old server.
Copy the new FE MDE which is linked to the new BE server and folder to the FE
path on the old server. This way when the users run the old shortcut for the
first time they will get switched over to the new FE MDE.
Update the AutoFEUpdater INI file on the old server to be the same as the INI
file on the new server. When the users run the new INI for the first time they
will get a warning message saying the shortcut on their system is different. Use
the Shortcut Error Message Handling option set to "Correct problem with no
message to user" on the configuration file on the old server to ignore that
message so the shortcut gets updated transparently to the user.
Use the New INI Path And File entry in the old
INI file. This line is only used
when moving servers or such as this will rewrite
the path and name of the StartMDB exe and INI
file in the target of the shortcut.
This can all be tested ahead of time.
Q: Why
does using the
Auto FE Updater
strip the menu
bar from the
Access program
the users see?
And what about
the right click
menus while in
forms?
A: That's caused
by the runtime
switch present
in the
Command Line
entry in the sample
INI files
published with versions prior to 2.0. Remove
that line from
the INI file.
If you are
distributing a
runtime you must
create your own
menu bar.
Distributing the
file in this
fashion is
slightly more
secure thus I've
chosen this as
being the
default in the
past.
Alternatives to the Auto FE Updater
|
Auto FE Updater 
Granite Fleet Manager
- the best designed fleet maintenance tracking and
management system available
