SYMPTOMS
Setting up a Microsoft Access data source to point to an .MDB file on the
network that is already being accessed by another application causes a
sharing violation. The sharing violation does not occur if the application
using the .MDB file is on the same machine as the .MDB file and the data
source setup is also being run on the same machine.
For the purposes of this description, WS1 and WS2 are two workstations and
FS is a file server. Suppose an .MDB file is on FS, and WS1 has a data
source setup to point to this .MDB file. App1 running on WS1 is connected
to the .MDB file and is using it in non-exclusive mode. Now, a user on WS2
tried to setup a data source and points the data source to the .MDB file on
FS. When the user clicks OK on the ODBC Microsoft Access 2.0 Setup dialog
box, the following error occurs,
Sharing Violation on Driver <x>
where <x> is the driver letter on WS2 connected to FS.
The problem also occurs when WS1 and FS are the same machine. For example,
App1 is accessing a local .MDB file, and WS2 is trying to set up a data
source to point to it.
The problem does not occur if the data source setup is being run on the
same machine that App1 is being run on. That is, if App1 and the setup are
running on WS1, then no problems occur, regardless of whether the data
source is local or on the network.