Mar 09

Microsoft Office 2010 Update KB3085515 Causes Access ACCDE and MDE Databases to Crash

Access2010-boxMajor Alert: Office Update KB3085515 Breaks Microsoft Access 2010 Databases in ACCDE and MDE Formats

On March 8, 2016, Microsoft released an update KB3085515 for Office 2010. It addressed some VBA issues for Excel.

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 updated file is:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\microsoft shared\VBA\VBA7\VBE7.DLL

Fix

Microsoft released an update that fixed this problem: Office 2010 Update KB3114989


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:

Microsoft Access ACCDE Libraries

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:

Microsoft’s Response

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:

You may encounter errors with your ACCDE/MDE files and/or wizards after installing the March update for Office 2010 (KB3085515)

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: WindowsUpdate In Windows 10, from the Windows Update screen, click on the Advanced options hyperlink: windows10-update then click on View your update history: windows10-update-historyChoose Uninstall updates to see the list of installed updates: windows10-update-uninstall For Windows 7, click on the View update history link on the left border: windows-update-history From the top section, click on the Installed Updates link: windows-update-installed

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): windows-update-uninstall Find the KB3085515 update, click on it to uninstall and confirm it.

Aug 24

Total Access Analyzer 2010, 2007 and 2003 Updates Ship

Total Access AnalyzerIn conjunction with the release of Total Access Analyzer for Microsoft Access 2013, FMS is pleased to release updates for earlier versions of MS Access:

Click on the links for detailed information on the new features.

Background

Total Access Analyzer is the most popular Microsoft Access add-in of all time. It provides detailed documentation and analysis of your MS Access databases to help you better understand how your objects work together, detect problems, improve your designs, and enhance performance.

This update is part of the 10th major release of Total Access Analyzer since its debut in 1993.

Free Demo

A demo is available for you to see the types of documentation it generates using the sample Northwind database. Look at the results, filter and search it, and see the reports it generates: Demo Download

Existing Customers

Customers on an annual support contract for Total Access Analyzer or the suites it’s in receive the new versions for free:

Other Total Access Analyzer customers can upgrade for a discounted price.

Nov 05

Total Visual SourceBook 2013 Ships

Total Visual SourceBook Total Visual SourceBook

We are delighted to announce the release of Total Visual SourceBook 2013. Total Visual SourceBook is our royalty-free source code library for Microsoft Access/Office VBA developers and Visual Basic 6 (VB6) developers.

code-explorer-web

The new 2013 version is an upgrade to our Total Visual SourceBook 2007 version. The new version is especially designed for the new features introduced in Microsoft Access/Office/VBA 2013 and 2010. It can also run in Access/Office 2007 and older versions through Access/Office 2000.

New Features

Total Visual SourceBook 2013 includes 35 new modules, 25,000+ more lines of code, enhancements to existing modules including VBA code that’s compatible with 32 and 64-bit versions of Office.

The user code database can now be upsized to SQL Server to simplify sharing code among your developer team. The new version also includes many enhancements to the code browser to simplify your experience in viewing, searching, adding, editing, and applying different error handlers to the source code.

For a complete list of enhancements, visit our New Features page.

Additional Resources

Aug 26

Free Update for Total Access Analyzer 2010 and 2007

Total Access AnalyzerTotal Access Analyzer is the most popular Microsoft Access add-in of all time. Analyzing all the objects and code in your database, Total Access Analyzer generates detailed documentation and detects 300+ ways to fix, improve, and speed up your Access applications.

We have released free updates of Total Access Analyzer 2007 and 2010 to existing customers:

The updates include the following fixes and enhancements:

  • Module Cross-Reference incorrectly listing procedures that didn’t exist when they existed
  • Improved SQL query parsing to better cross-reference table and field names passed as function parameters
  • For secure databases, document queries even when logged in without admin rights
  • Support documenting library references of long DLL file names and paths
  • Setup issues resolved for certain machines and motherboards
  • For Microsoft Access 2010’s 64-bit version, support for Windows 8

Existing customers were already notified with download instructions.

Mar 22

Total Visual Agent Ships for Microsoft Access 2013 and 2010

Microsoft Access Database SchedulerTotal Visual Agent for Microsoft Access DatabasesAutomate Microsoft Access Database Compact and Other Chores

We are very pleased to announce that Total Visual Agent 2013 is now shipping.

Don’t Forget System Administration for Microsoft Access Database Solutions

A professional Microsoft Access database application needs ongoing system administration. It’s an area that many MS Access developers neglect and causes problems when things go wrong (database corruption, missing backups, disaster recovery, etc.):

Enterprise Quality System Administration with Audit Logs and Email Alerts

Total Visual Agent has provided an Enterprise Quality solution for almost 20 years by giving organizations a reliable way to perform their critical tasks on a 24/7, 365 days a year basis. A detailed audit log documents each action that is performed, and sends emails if errors are encountered.

Schedule Events, Databases, and Actions to Perform

Total Visual Agent automates and schedules Microsoft Access tasks. It ensures repetitive tasks are completed reliably. Tasks such as database compact and repair, zipped backups, rolling backups (e.g. 7 copies for each day of the week), running macros, running Windows command lines, making copies of table data, collecting database statistics such as size and record counts, etc. Easily schedule tasks for the middle of the night and know they’ll be completed.

Events can be scheduled every X minutes, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or just one time. You can specify the days of week and time periods that it runs to limit processing to off-hours. Select the databases and directories (including subdirectories) to manage with support for workgroup security and database passwords.

Includes a Windows Service for Secure Processing and Reliability

Once defined, the events and tasks can be run by our Monitor program that is a standard Windows program.

Alternatively, Total Visual Agent includes a Windows Service, so you can run your tasks without having anyone logged on the machine. The Windows service is a more secure, robust solution since it can automatically restart if the machine reboots.

New Features in the 2013 Version

A huge number of new features were added in this 2013 release from the previous 2007 version:

  • Microsoft Access 2013Support for Microsoft Access 2013 and 2010, plus 2007
  • Support for 64 bit Operating Systems
  • Simplified Startup and Easier Management of Multiple Microsoft Access Versions
  • Import Settings from Multiple Versions of Total Visual Agent
  • Test All Actions for an Event, Database, Directory or Task Group
  • Create Events that Run Every X Minutes
  • Create Events that are Limited to Periods Spanning Midnight
  • Process Directories with Managed Databases
  • Data Extract Tables are Keyed
  • Run Macros for Database Password Protected Databases
  • Pause for a Fractional Minute
  • Compressed Archive File Names Support Multiple Extensions
  • More Detailed Activity History Log with Deletions
  • More Detailed Database Statistics with Deletions
  • Add Your Comments to Events, Directories, and Actions
  • Simplified Addition of New Actions
  • More Modern and Improved User Interface
  • New User Manual and Help File

For complete list, visit New Features in Total Visual Agent 2013.

Download a Free Trial Version

A fully functional trial version is available for download so you can run it on your system with your databases.

Contact Us

  • Visit our Support Site if you would like to submit any questions to our technical support team.
  • Place an order online. Existing customers can upgrade at a discounted price.
Jun 07

Comparison of Microsoft Access, LightSwitch and Visual Studio Platforms for Database Developers

Last month I spoke at the Portland Access Users Group Conference at Silver Falls State Park. I gave a presentation introducing Visual Studio LightSwitch and how it could be used for SQL Server applications deployed on a variety of platforms. As a follow-up, I’ve created a summary matrix and discussion that highlights the features and limitations of the variety of platforms from Microsoft Access, Visual Studio LightSwitch, and Visual Studio.


Microsoft Access started at the beginning of the Windows revolution 20+ years ago and became the most popular database of all time. More recently, additional technologies have become significant, so it behooves the Microsoft Access community to be aware of the trends and options.

Database Platform Matrix

Ultimately, it’s about being able to create solutions that help you and/or your users accomplish their mission. Sometimes the user’s platform is critical, sometimes, it’s the data source, and other times it’s the permissions you have to deploy a solution. A variety of platforms and options are available with benefits and limitations with each. Meanwhile, Microsoft Access is also evolving with their latest Access 2013 version offering new web based solutions.

We’ve written a new paper, Comparison of Microsoft Access, LightSwitch and Visual Studio Platforms for Database Developers  that summarizes what we’re seeing and experiencing.

Dec 31

Total Visual CodeTools 2010 Updated for Microsoft Access Office VBA and Visual Basic 6

Microsoft Access 2010 VBATotal Visual CodeToolsMicrosoft Access VBA, VB6 Module Coding ToolsModule Code Cleanup and Builders

Visual Basic 6An update of Total Visual CodeTools 2010 is released with support for Microsoft Office/Access 2010, 2007, 2003 and Visual Basic 6.0. Several enhancements were made to improve the New Procedure Builder, VBE color scheme builder, icons for the toolbars, setup program and IDE integration, etc. Here are the details on the latest enhancements of Total Visual CodeTools.

Total Visual CodeTools is an add-in to your Office/Access/VBA and VB6 integrated development environment (IDE) that helps you write, clean-up and deliver better solutions. Available from the IDE menu or a toolbar, a variety of tools help increase your efficiency and consistency when writing code and taking over someone else’s work. Features include:

  • Code Builders to create new procedures, properties, ADO and DAO recordsets, message boxes, select case statements; convert SQL strings, copy control event procedures, use the Format and DateDiff functions, comment blocks of text, etc.
  • Cleanup Existing Module Code by adding Option Explicit, standardizing formatting, adding error handling to procedures that lack it, rename variable names to your convention, etc.
  • Deliver Modules with Line Numbers plus obfuscation
  • Find Unused Variables to pinpoint unnecessary code
  • Macro Recorder for playing back keystrokes while editing

Registered customers should have received email notification with download instructions of the update.

Dec 26

Total Access Statistics Update for Microsoft Access 2010, 2007, and 2003

Microsoft Access 2010

We are very pleased to release an update to Total Access Statistics for Microsoft Access 2010, 2007, and 2003. If you are an owner of version 14.0, 12.8, and 11.8 respectively, you can download the update at no charge.

Total Access Statistics is the most popular data analysis program for Microsoft Access. It extends the data analysis capabilities of Access queries to let you perform advanced numerical analysis on your data. Use any Access table, linked table, or query to perform calculations such as percentiles, regressions, frequency distributions, t-Tests, correlations, non-parametrics, rankings, moving averages, etc. It can also perform data normalization and let you select random records. As you would expect in a query, you can specify Group By fields so analysis is performed on each set of records with identical group fields. Total Access Statistics runs within Access with all output in Access tables. It supports MDB, ACCDB, and ADP databases.

The update includes these enhancements:

  • Significant performance improvements when processing large numbers of records
  • While analyzing records, a new status form appears with an option to cancel the process
  • Setup program offers machine or current user installation options
  • Resolves all known issues

For additional information, visit the Total Access Statistics Update page.

Aug 22

Microsoft Windows Common Control Library (MSCOMCTL.OCX) Security Update Requires Fixing

ActiveX ControlOn August 14, 2012, Microsoft released a security update for Microsoft Office that includes an update to the Windows Common Control MSCOMCTL.OCX.

Unfortunately, this update causes problems with existing Microsoft Access, Visual Basic 6, and other applications that use the common control such as the Treeview and ListBox controls. For us, this impacts our Total Access Analyzer program which uses the Treeview control in its database explorer feature. It triggers this error:

Error 459 – Object or class does not support the set of events,
Procedure clsFrmExplorer_TAA.InitForm

Microsoft provides a workaround for this problem in a Knowledgebase article, but it doesn't always work. We've come up with a solution that addresses this problem reliably.

Read our article Fixing the Microsoft Windows Common Control Library (MSCOMCTL.OCX) Security Update for more details.

Jul 17

Total Access Analyzer for Microsoft Access 2010 Update and Demo Version

Microsoft Access 2010Microsoft Access Database DocumentationMicrosoft Access Database DocumentationMicrosoft Access Documenter

Total Access Analyzer is the most popular Microsoft Access product of all-time! Documenting and analyzing your database objects, macros and VBA module code, Total Access Analyzer helps you understand what's going on. Take control of your MS Access applications and find errors and ways to improve their design and performance. Over 300 issues are pinpointed with 380 presentation quality reports for comprehensive documentation and cross-referencing of your application. Winner of every Best Microsoft Access Add-in award with great reviews, Total Access Analyzer remains the "Must Have" tool for serious Microsoft Access developers and people who inherit existing Access solutions.

What's New

Thank you for your support in making Total Access Analyzer such a great success!