Microsoft KB Archive/93139

= ACC: Error Message When Opening Second Instance of .MDB File =

Article ID: 93139

Article Last Modified on 1/18/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 1.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Access 1.1 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Access 2.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Access 95 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Access 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q93139



Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.



SYMPTOMS
When you open a database exclusively and then attempt to open the same database as shared in another instance of Microsoft Access, you receive the following error message.

In Microsoft Access 97:

You can't open ' \' for exclusive use because another user has the database open.

In Microsoft Access 7.0:

Couldn't use ' \'; file already in use.

In Microsoft Access version 2.0:

The Database is opened by user ' ' on machine ' '. You can't open this database exclusively.

In Microsoft Access version 1.x, when you open a database as shared and then attempt to open the same database exclusively in another instance of Microsoft Access, you receive the error message:

Couldn't open file ' '.

This message is not very helpful because it does not state why the file could not be opened.



RESOLUTION
Open the database as Shared in all instances of Microsoft Access or close the Exclusive instance of the database, so that Shared instances of the database can be opened.



STATUS
This behavior is by design.

