how to create a standalone db app

[Hack]

If you never display/show the GUI of Access then the user does not need to have Access installed

This is very important. Even though you can create reports in Access and call them from VB, the person running your application would need to have Access installed as Access needs to be opened in order to run the report.

So, you will need to find a different reporting method if your customers do not have Access installed (and you should presume they will not).