do users have to have access installed?

I developed a program which used Access database. If I distribute the program, do the users have to have ACCESS installed on their machine? Or, as long as I include the related dll in the setup, it should be ok.


thanks

I'm interested in this also.. can you just embed microsoft office dll's into your app?? Is this "legal"? I would think that it would breaking the license agreement or what not for the office app...

Microsoft says:

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Deploying Access Solutions

In a typical multiuser or client/server database solution, the data is stored in a database on a network server, and the front-end application for entering and viewing data is deployed to each client workstation. If you build an Access database (.mdb) as the front-end application, you can deploy the database to users who don't have Access on their workstations by distributing it together with the run-time version of Access. The run-time version of Access is a version of Access for which certain features have been disabled, including the ability to create and modify databases.

The run-time version of Access is available in Microsoft Office 2000 Developer. When you purchase Office 2000 Developer, you are licensed to distribute the run-time version of Access to as many workstations as you need to.

To distribute your database with the run-time version of Access, use the Package and Deployment Wizard add-in that's included in Office 2000 Developer to create an installation program for your solution. On the Included Files page of the wizard, select the Include Access Runtime check box to include the run-time version of Access in your installation program.

Note You can distribute only Access databases (.mdb files) with the run-time version of Access. The run-time version of Access does not support Access projects (.adp files).

For more information about distributing the run-time version of Access, see Getting Results with Office 2000 Developer.

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If your app only uses Access as a backend and it does not display any feature/object of Acceess then you can distribute the db and only need to make sure you include MDAC in the setup package. Basically you can use ADO, DAO, ADO.NET, etc. to connect to your db and read/write data to it without needing Access on the users system.

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

If your app only uses Access as a backend and it does not display any feature/object of Acceess then you can distribute the db and only need to make sure you include MDAC in the setup package. Basically you can use ADO, DAO, ADO.NET, etc. to connect to your db and read/write data to it without needing Access on the users system.

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thanks for every1. yes, this is what I mean. the users do not need to manipulate the mdb. the program just uses mdb file to store some data. so, it looks it will not be problem as long as include MDAC in the setup.

thanks again, really appreciate the help.

if you are using vb.net, i don't think you need to install mdac explicitly, the .net framework will be more than enough ( i think )

True, but what if your using legacy code like ADO (non-.net)? Then I would assume you need to include MDAC.

caught me again :)