Microsoft KB Archive/282343

= ACC2002: Unable to Open Database from Windows Explorer If Access Dialog Box Is Open =

Article ID: 282343

Article Last Modified on 11/6/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 2002 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q282343



Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

This article applies to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb) and to a Microsoft Access project (.adp).



SYMPTOMS
When you double-click a Microsoft Access database or project file (MDB or ADP) in Microsoft Windows Explorer, the file does not open as expected. Instead, the focus returns to an existing instance of Access.



CAUSE
This behavior occurs if the first instance of Access has a dialog box open.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, close the dialog box in the first instance of Access, either by canceling or by completing the action for the dialog box. The second instance of Access will then start and open the database.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.



Steps To Reproduce the Problem

 * 1) Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the Northwind sample database.

Northwind is usually installed in the default location of C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\Samples.
 * 1) Create a copy of Northwind in the same folder, naming it NewNorthwind.mdb.
 * 2) Open the Northwind sample database.
 * 3) On the Tools menu, click Startup.
 * 4) Leaving the Startup dialog box active, open Windows Explorer. Navigate to the folder where the copy of Northwind was created.
 * 5) Double-click the copy of Northwind and note that the focus returns to the Access Startup dialog box.
 * 6) In the Startup dialog box, click Cancel. Note that a second instance of Access opens and loads the database that you selected in Windows Explorer.

Additional query words: pra

Keywords: kbbug kbpending KB282343

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