The time has come to migrate that great Microsoft Access (MSA) 97, 2000, XP or 2003 database to MSA 2007 or 2010. There are many questions that can arise. Is it easy? Do I need a consultant? Better to rewrite or migrate? I hope to answer at least one question in this article.
The Good:
The migration process is rather easy if you are looking at a simple database or if it is nothing more than a data container. Just open the mdb with MSA 07/10 and click Upgrade. There is a table, MSysACEs, in the old access databases that will not convert as Access 07 and higher doesn’t use it. You will get an error that some objects did not migrate. Once the database opens, go to Tables, then the Conversion Errors table. This table displays all the objects that 07/10 could not migrate. If the only object is MSysACEs then life is GOOD!
The Bad:
If you have a Front-end (FE) to Back-end (BE) mdb, then the migration can take a bit longer. I convert the BE first, then the FE. Be sure and open the FE with the Shift key pressed so the application doesn’t try to run any macros or code. I spend some time on my knees HOPING there is not a ton of VBA Code otherwise I will be spending some time, hours sometimes, walking the code looking for the old MSA defaults (like A_Form) and converting them to the MSA 07/10 equivalent. Depending on the intricacy of the Application, your best bet may be hiring a professional.
The UGLY:
MSA 07/10 security is completely dissimilar to previous versions of Access. You will notice a Security Warning bar just under the ribbon. As a default, the only directory MSA allows auto execution of code and macros is the %Programs%\Microsoft Office\Office12\ACCWIZ. If you have an application running in any other directory, you will need to open the trust center and add that directory to the list of paths that MSA trusts.
These are some of the problems I have encountered when doing a migration. I have no doubt that others have hit other issues.
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