Open an MS Access 2013 database to a selected form?

[tkopari]

Hi Everyone!

I'm a biologist, not an IT person, so please have mercy on me. I tried searching for an answer to this question on this site, but wasn't able to find one. If there is one that you know about, please accept my apologies, and please direct me to it.

My question is - how do you set up a database to open to a particular form? I want my users to be able to double-click on the database file name in the network drive folder, and have it open to a certain form, and not have access to any other parts of the database.

Thanks!

Tony

 

[Joe4]

What version of Access are you using?

If 2007 or newer, from the File tab, click Options (under Help).
Then go to the Current Database tab, and under the Display Form setting, select the Form you want to open to upon start-up.

 

[tkopari]

Awesome! Thanks! It worked.

Now, how do I keep everyone but me out of every other object and menu other than the form that it opens to?

Tony

 

[Joe4]

Access is not really known for its security, but there are some things you can do.

First, if you are sharing this database with multiple users, it is always a good idea to split your database. It drastically reduces the chances of corruption.
In a split database, their is one "back-end", which hold all the data tables and nothing else. Then each user gets their own copy of the front-end, which contains all the Queries, Forms, and Reports that they need. The nice thing is you can have different versions of the front-end. So if you want to "restrict" what certain users see, you only give them the Queries, Forms, and Reports that they need.
The are numerous articles on the internet about splitting an Access database, including this one: https://support.office.com/en-us/ar...database-3015ad18-a3a1-4e9c-a7f3-51b1d73498cc
It is pretty easy. The have functionality that pretty much does it all for you.

Also, in addition to having your Start-Up Form, you can also hide the Navigation Pane, which shows all the Objects. Its in the Navigation Pane section of the same place where you went out to select the Start-Up form. You can still get to the Navigation Pane by clicking F11, but the casual user won't know that.

You can also lock some things down be turning the front-end into an ACCDE. See: Why Convert Your Database Into an MDE or ACCDE? | DEVelopers HUT

Hope that helps!

 

[tkopari]

Thanks for your help!!

 

[Joe4]

You are welcome!