ACC97: DB Contains Incorrect Objects After Upgrade to Access 97

After you convert a Microsoft Access 7.0 database to Microsoft Access 97, you see incorrect objects in the database when you open it, such as Wizard tables or objects from the Northwind sample database.

A shortcut to your database was modified by the operating system and may be pointing to a different file on your hard disk.

If you create a shortcut on your computer that includes the Microsoft Access 7.0 executable file (Msaccess.exe), and then you elect to remove earlier versions when you run Setup for Microsoft Access 97, then the shortcut becomes invalid because the earlier version Msaccess.exe file was removed. This occurs whether the shortcut's target is just Msaccess.exe, or Msaccess.exe plus a database file. For example, both of these shortcuts become invalid after Microsoft Access 97 Setup removes the earlier version:

Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0 automatically modify the invalid shortcut to point to another registered file in the same folder as the shortcut's original target: perhaps a Wizard database, Northwind.mdb, or another file associated with Microsoft Access 7.0.

When you double-click the shortcut, the first thing you see is the Convert/Open Database dialog box as the earlier version database file in the modified shortcut opens in Microsoft Access 97. If you choose to convert the database, and you convert the database into the same file name as an existing database file, the original file is overwritten. When Microsoft Access prompts if you want to replace the existing file, you may think you are replacing the earlier version database file with its converted Microsoft Access 97 equivalent; however, you may be overwriting the original database with the converted Wizard or sample database that your shortcut now refers to.

NOTE: This only happens in operating systems that use shortcuts: Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0. Microsoft Windows NT version 3.51 does not exhibit this behavior.

If you replace your earlier version database with a converted version of the wrong database file, you must restore the original database from a backup.

Also, be sure you remove, update, or recreate any old shortcuts that include the Microsoft Access 7.0 executable file, Msaccess.exe.

NOTE: This also applies to shortcuts for run-time applications created with the Microsoft Access Developer's Toolkit version 7.0.

This behavior does not occur in Microsoft Access 97 Service Release 1.

NOTE: Stand-alone Microsoft Access 97 Service Release 1 is not currently available, but you can update your copy of Microsoft Access 97 to Service Release 1 by downloading Microsoft Office Service Release 1 from Microsoft's Web site at:

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

WARNING: The following steps will replace your Microsoft Access 7.0 Northwind sample database. Create a backup of Northwind.mdb before continuing.

1. Run Setup for Microsoft Access 7.0. Select a Custom installation, and install all components.
2. Create a shortcut on your desktop that points to the Microsoft Access 7.0 Msaccess.exe file.
3. Run Setup for Microsoft Access 97. Select a Custom installation, and install all components.
4. When Setup prompts you that previous Microsoft Access components were detected, click Yes to remove the old components.
5. After Setup is finished, double-click the Microsoft Access 7.0 shortcut you created on your desktop.
6. The Convert/Open Database dialog box in Microsoft Access 97 appears. Click Convert Database, and then click OK.
7. In the Convert Database Into dialog box, browse for the Microsoft Access 7.0 Northwind sample database and use that file name. By default it is located in \MSOffice\Access\Samples.
8. When prompted to replace the existing file, click Yes.
9. During conversion, you may receive the error "Requested type library or wizard is not a VBA project." Click OK, and use Windows Explorer to note that the Northwind.mdb file no longer exists. This happens because you chose to overwrite the file, but an error during conversion stopped Microsoft Access 97 from creating a new file.
   
   NOTE: You may not receive an error message during conversion if your shortcut defaults to a path and file other than a wizard database; however, when you open Northwind.mdb after conversion, the database no longer contains its original objects.
10. Using the right mouse button, click the shortcut to Microsoft Access 7.0 on your desktop. Click Properties on the menu that appears.
11. Click the Shortcut tab in the Properties dialog box. Note that the Target box reads C:\MSOffice\Access\WZMAIN70.MDA or some file other than the original target of Msaccess.exe.