'Why does MS Access not allow to copy a file when it is being used?
Generally you can copy a file even though it is being used and paste it into a different location.
However, I am unable to copy an MS Access file when it is being used, I get an error that the file is being used by another process. Is there any way to copy an MS Access file that is being used?
Solution 1:[1]
Access files are shared database files.
That means, multiple users can write to and read from the same file at the same time, and Access has locks to prevent users writing things that other users are actively writing to, to prevent conflicts.
When a user starts writing, for example, by adding a row, but hasn't finished writing yet, it might leave the database in an inconsistent state (with half a row). This is a bit of a simplification, but with users actively using a database, corruption is certainly possible. It especially happens when Access needs to move stuff around, which happens when files are substantially extended (by adding tables, for example).
Other applications generally don't have multiple users working on a single file together, so can just write the data when someone saves/closes a file.
See this for some code that copies an open database file while not risking inconsistency.
Shadow copies can of course be used too, but you may very well end up with a corrupt copy.
Solution 2:[2]
You certainly can copy an open database file right away, but it has to be opened as shared.
However, if you open it exclusively, it cannot be copied, because Access locks the file.
Solution 3:[3]
You can rather split the database into the back end and front end
Give each user a copy of the front end
Then you can always copy your own copy of the front end and back end anytime
Solution 4:[4]
If you have any forms open that have a record source linked to a table, this will not allow the copy/paste
Sources
This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Overflow and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Source: Stack Overflow
| Solution | Source |
|---|---|
| Solution 1 | Erik A |
| Solution 2 | Gustav |
| Solution 3 | Sola Oshinowo |
| Solution 4 | Steve |