Load ACE.OLEDB.12.0 (Access 2007) drivers dinamically in VB6

[Peterkr]

Hello,

I'm a Visual Basic 6 programmer. I’m developing an application that is provided to users by an USB-stick. The users only have to plug-in the stick and are able to use the application. They do not have to install anything to use our tool. The application has to work on Windows 2000, XP, Vista, …. Also when Office is not installed on the PC!

Recently we have decided to change the database we use from Access 2003 to Access 2007. To make a connection with access 2007 one needs a Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 connection string (http://www.connectionstrings.com/access-2007). To be able to use this connection string to connect to access you need to have some drivers installed. When you have Office 2007 or 2007 Office System Driver: Data Connectivity Components (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en), these drivers are available on your PC. However, when this software is not installed, these drivers are not available.

We want our users to be able to use our application on USB-stick, such that they do not have to install anything. Therefore we want to include the Microsfot.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 drivers on our stick. Could you please help which drivers/components are needed to store on the stick. Furthermore, could you please help how I should load these drivers dynamically into Visual Basic 6, such that each PC is able to connect to our Access 2007 database.

Thank you very much!!!!

Kind regards, Peter

[vb5prgrmr]

Welcome Peter,

To begin with, I'm not sure you have the right to distribute these drivers since they are bound to Microsoft office, which makes any answer by any of us accomplices in illegal activities.

Perhaps you may want to make having office installed as part of you system requirements to resolve the situation or use another database technology (maybe an older version of access that the drivers come with the OS).

Good Luck

[si_the_geek]

Welcome to VBForums

What is the reason for using an Access 2007 format database? As far as I can tell there is no difference (for usage from a VB program) between it and earlier versions - which would only need Jet, and thus not require any extra installation.

If you stick with ACE you will need to run the installation for it - there is no safe way to avoid that.

Note that for Windows 2000 you are likely to need to install your program too. Depending on which components and references you use, you may need to have some kind of installation for your program anyway.


vb5prgrmr, the drivers are separate to Office, and can almost certainly be distributed - they are freely available via the link Peterkr provided. It would be foolish of Microsoft to do anything else, as it would stop many people from using recent versions of Office (they wouldn't be able to give the files they created to other people).

[vb5prgrmr]

Well that's what I get for just reading...
>However, when this software is not installed, these drivers are not available.
and not following the link before opening my mouth err..fingers

Well in that case. Then take a snapshot of your system and I mean know which dll's you have and what versions. Do the install and see what changes (do a backup of reg while your at it.). Then compare what has changed. Next you will need to do some snooping on your system to see what is called. After that you will need to make a manifest for your exe... see... http://mmm4vb6.atom5.com/mmm-next-generation-1166.html or to delve into this black art (authors quote) ...

When Windows XP was released it contained a new feature meant to amplify upon the use of ".local" files for DLL Redirection in Windows 2000. The kinds of terminology you'll want to look up include side-by-side (SxS) isolation and Registration-Free COM.

Good Luck