FMS President Luke Chung was a presenter at the Microsoft Access DevCon 2017 in Vienna, Austria in early April.
Before giving two conference presentations, he was sat down and spoke with Philipp Stiefel of codekabinett.com of Germany. Philipp is creating a series of videos discussing VBA development.
How end-users migrate from Excel to Access, then learn how to code
Why people are hesitant to purchase third party products and how FMS overcomes that by showcasing the value we offer
Using tools like Total Access Analyzer to catch errors before shipping and learning best practices
Using the module code in Total Visual SourceBook to address problems we’ve already solved so you can focus on the unique issues in your applications
The value of creating consistent, quality code
How to improve code for developers of all backgrounds
Being in constant “growth” mode to look for ways to become a better developer
FMS Inc. is proud of the quality of products we have produced for the past 30 years. We are honored to continuously be regarded as a leading expert in the Access community. Thank you for supporting us and we hope you enjoy the 20 minute interview!
We are pleased to introduce new versions of Total Access Statistics for Microsoft Access 2007 and 2003; versions 12.9 and 11.9 respectively. They include the many features we introduced with the latest Access 2016 version.
Total Access Statistics is an add-in that is the most powerful data analysis program for Microsoft Access. It extends the power of Access queries to analyze the data in your local or linked tables. It generates results in tables you can view or include in other queries, forms, and reports. It offers a wide range of statistical functions such as:
Field Descriptives
Financial Cash Flow Calculations
Percentiles
Running Totals and Moving Averages
Field Comparison
Frequency Distributions
Regressions
Advanced Cross-Tabulations
Group Analysis (t-Tests and ANOVA)
Record Analysis and Rankings
Non-Parametric Analysis
Probability Calculator
New Features
Additional percentile types can be assigned to a field in your table
Enhanced data formatting
Improved financial calculations for IRR and XIRR
Updated user manual
Support for Windows 8 and 10
New Add-in and Runtime Library Files
Version 12.9 and 11.9 include new files for the Access add-in. It also has new runtime library files.
A digitally signed MDE library for MDB databases that support users of Access 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007 and 2003.
The Access 2007 version includes an ACCDE runtime library for ACCDB databases for Access 2016, 2013, 2010 and 2007 users
The Access 2003 version includes a runtime library for Access 2000 and 2002 users
We are excited to announce our release of Total Access Admin 2016! Total Access Admin is our administrator tool to help you monitor the users going in and out of your Microsoft Access databases (ACCDB and MDB formats) in real-time:
See who is currently connected to your Microsoft Access database (you can manage multiple databases from one screen)
Monitor up to 150 databases at one time
Keep a log of users entering and exiting each database
Identify workstations or users disconnecting in a suspect manner which may be the source of database corruption
Compact your database when all users exit it
Prevent new users from logging into your database
Log off idle users
Communicate with your users in real-time
New Features
Total Access Admin 2016 is an update from the 2013 version and includes these enhancements:
Monitors ACCDB and MDB format databases created by Microsoft Access 2016 (32 or 64-bit version) and earlier versions of Access
Works in environments where Access 32 or 64-bit versions is installed, including installations from Microsoft Office365
Does not require Microsoft Access to be installed on the machine
Up to 150 databases can be monitored at one time (up from 100)
Setup program supports Windows 8 and 10, Server 2012 and later, with an option to launch the program after its installed
Total Visual Agent is the world’s most popular maintenance scheduling tool for Microsoft Access/Office and Visual Basic 6 (VB6) is now available for Microsoft Access 2016 (and earlier). This is the ninth major release of Total Visual Agent and introduces many enhancements to automate maintenance chores easier than ever.
To keep your Microsoft Access databases healthy, you need to regularly compact them. For disaster recovery, you should also be making backup copies of your database regularly. You may also have regular tasks such as printing reports that are performed regularly. Total Visual Agent does this and much more on a schedule you specify. Run tasks hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or just one time. Perform database chores, run Access macros or Windows command lines. A complete audit trail is maintained, and you can even be notified by email if something goes wrong. Total Visual Agent can also be run as a Windows service to restart if the machine reboots and for added security since a user doesn’t need to be logged in.
Total Visual Agent 2016 leverages our vast expertise, and offers the best database management solution with many new features:
Supports Microsoft Access 2016
Supports Windows 8 and 10
Does Not Require Access to be Installed on your PC
Database Lock Error Identifies Offending Machines
Activity Log is Separated from Settings Database
Activity Log Shows Duration of Each Activity
Email Notifications Support TLS and Office365 SMTP
Tasks are Not Run at the End of an Event Interval
Enabled/Disabled Status Shown on the Event Form
More Robust Windows Service Feature
Improved Monitor Settings Tab
Default Location of Archive and Extract Folders Moved
Total Access Emailer is the most popular email blaster for Microsoft Access. Easily send personalized emails directly from your Access database. Quickly communicate with every email address in your table or query. Use fields from your data source to customize each subject and message. Attach files from disk and also attach reports as PDF files filtered for each recipient.
Total Access Emailer is now available for Microsoft Access 2016. Total Access Emailer 2016 includes many enhancements since the prior release for Access 2013:
Supports Access 2016
32 and 64-bit versions
Add-in and VBA Runtime libraries in the Professional Version
Email Validation to check the syntax of the values in your email field so you can flag invalid emails in your table before you send your blast
Save Attached Files to Disk. This lets you document the attached files sent to all your contacts without using blind cc (Bcc).
This can also be used independent of sending emails as a way to distribute files and PDF reports to disk. You can even create folder names based on field values.
Preview Saving Files to Disk
New VBA Function to Preview Email Blasts with Save Files
Code Generator Supports Preview Email with Save Folder
Enhanced setup for Windows 10 and 64-bit installations
Total Access Statistics is now available for Microsoft Access 2016 (32 and 64-bit versions). Running as an Access add-in Wizard, Total Access Statistics generates a wide range of numerical analysis beyond the power of queries. All results are in Access tables that you can add to your queries, forms and reports.
Total Access Statistics includes a VBA programmatic interface with a royalty-free runtime distribution library so you can add the advanced analysis into your Access applications for distribution to others.
Download the Free Trial to experience it yourself.
Owners of Total Access Statistics for earlier versions of Microsoft Access can upgrade at a discounted price.
Total Access Startup makes it easy to centrally manage all your Microsoft Access database deployments. Ensure that all your users run the latest version of your database application with the right version of MS Access. Easily deploy updates without having to manually change things on each user’s PC. Simply point your users to a shortcut and they never need to know the actual name of the database.
Total Access Startup 2016 is now shipping to let you:
For optimal performance, deploy a local copy of your master database on each user’s PC and keep it updated when you update the master
Run it with a specific Access version or a range of allowable Access versions. This makes it easy to support legacy versions of Access even if users install later versions of Office/Access.
Specify the bitness (32 and/or 64-bit) that are allowed for Access 2010, 2013, and 2016.
Display a professional splash screen graphic while your database loads
If your users can’t launch your database, a message appears with information you provide to contact you. You can customize our messages or translate them to your user’s language.
Unfortunately, the update of the VBE7.DLL file causes many Microsoft Access databases to fail. A heated thread on the Microsoft Community forum describes the problem: KB3085515 breaks MS Access 2010 reference
The information below is from the original diagnoses of the problem
Impact
We are still determining the full impact of this bug. We know this impacts wizards in Access and customers of our Microsoft Access add-ins. It also impacts the people you support with our runtime distribution libraries referenced from your MS Access databases. At the very least we know it prevents running:
Microsoft Access databases in ACCDE and MDE formats (defined below).
Databases (ACCDB or MDB) with library references to ACCDE and MDE files.
Built-in MS Access 2010 Wizards that are ACCDE files.
ACCDE and MDE Database Formats
ACCDE and MDE databases are “compiled” versions of ACCDB and MDB database formats where form and report design changes can’t be made and VBA modules can’t be viewed or edited. They are “locked” to referenced DLLs, libraries, and other dependencies that can change over time…provided those dependencies follow Windows protocol for binary compatibility to identify new versions.
Unfortunately, the Microsoft Excel update of the VBE7.DLL file broke the VBA dependency by not creating the new version correctly. That causes previously developed ACCDE and MDE databases to stop working. This was not an issue for the Excel community since they don’t have an equivalent “compiled” version of Excel spreadsheets (the VBA code is always exposed behind spreadsheets), but it kills Access Wizards and the ACCDE and MDE databases people create.
Microsoft Access 2010 Add-ins Won’t Run
In addition to causing some Microsoft wizards in Access to fail, our Microsoft Access 2010 add-ins won’t run since they are Access databases in ACCDE format. You may see messages like this when you try to launch them:
Microsoft Access can’t start the wizard, builder, or add-in.
This feature isn’t installed, or has been disabled.
There may be suggestions to reinstall the add-in but that won’t help. This impacts these of our products:
Some of our products include ACCDE runtime distribution libraries that let you incorporate our product’s features in your application for distribution to your users. You and your users are impacted by this problem and may experience messages like these:
The code contains a syntax error, or a Microsoft Access function you need is not available.
File format no longer supported.
Customers using our redistributable runtime libraries in databases distributed to their users are impacted:
The Microsoft Access development team is aware of this problem and is working on a solution as we speak. Microsoft has already stopped people from downloading the update and thankfully didn’t release a similar update for Office 2013 and 2016. They’ve also published this blog post:
The hope is for a new update that fixes this problem. Timing of when that will be available is unknown, but we’ll keep you informed as we learn it.
Current Solution: Uninstall the Update
The only solution is to uninstall the update. You can uninstall it from:
Command line, or
Control Panel.
Run a Command Line
You can run this line from the command prompt or put it in a BAT file if you want to share it with others: Note that we have reports that this may not work for everyone since it requires certain permissions:
wusa /uninstall /kb:3085515 /quiet /norestart
Uninstall from the Control Panel
The patch can be uninstalled from the Control Panel, Windows Update program: In Windows 10, from the Windows Update screen, click on the Advanced options hyperlink: then click on View your update history: Choose Uninstall updates to see the list of installed updates: For Windows 7, click on the View update history link on the left border: From the top section, click on the Installed Updates link:
List of Installed Updates
View the list of Windows updates installed on your PC, grouped by product which are collapsible. Go to the section Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 (or equivalent): Find the KB3085515 update, click on it to uninstall and confirm it.
Total Access Analyzer, the most popular Microsoft Access add-in, is now shipping for Microsoft Access 2016.
Total Access Analyzer offers comprehensive documentation and analysis of your MS Access databases so you can better understand individual objects, cross-references between objects, procedure and data flow diagrams, VBA module analysis, and much more. Detecting over 300 ways to fix and improve your databases, Total Access Analyzer improves the quality of your work, teaches you best practices for Access application development, and increases your productivity.
New Features
Support for Microsoft Access 2016, 32 and 64 bit versions
New Suggestion: Incorrect Link to Subforms
New Suggestion: Relationship Field Cross-Reference and Field Type Comparison
Enhanced Cross-Reference of Aliased Tables in Queries
We are delighted to announce the release of Total Access Detective for Microsoft Access 2013 and 2016. Total Access Detective lets you quickly find differences between any two databases or two objects in your current database, know exactly what changed at the table, field, property, control, macro line and VBA module code level. You can even compare tables for data differences.
Main Menu for Comparing Two Databases
Add-in Menu to Launch Total Access Detective to Compare Two Objects in the Current Database
The Object Comparison Wizard:
Enhancements
The latest version offers many enhancements from the previous versions:
Support for the 32 and 64-bit versions of Access 2016 and 2013
Module and Text Comparison Option to Ignore Line Numbers
Search Bar to Filter Objects and Properties by Name
See and Filter Tables based on Whether it’s Linked
Email Validation to check the syntax of the values in your email field so you can flag invalid emails in your table before you send your blast
More Resources
Major Alert: Office Update KB3085515 Breaks Microsoft Access 2010 Databases in ACCDE and MDE Formats
In Windows 10, from the Windows Update screen, click on the Advanced options hyperlink: 
For Windows 7, click on the View update history link on the left border: 
From the top section, click on the Installed Updates link: 
Find the KB3085515 update, click on it to uninstall and confirm it.
