Access .laccdb file not clean until last user logs out

Question

I have an Access data base (.accdb) on the local network server that is used by multiple users, via the local network OR by using Remote Desktop via VPN to a terminal services computer connected to the www and the local network.

three issues:

1: The .laccdb file contains the users (local and remote) even after they log out until the file is deleted when the last user logs out. Access doesn't seem to clean up after itself regardless of the mode of connection. Are there any options, settings or anything I can add to the db to cleanup the .laccdb file?

The remote users are not listed by login id or computername or username in the .laccdb file, just by terminal-services-computer-name and "Admin". I'd like to know which remote user(s) are actively logged in.

Rarely, the last user logs out but the .laccdb file is not deleted. Restarting that user's computer seems to be the easiest fix but it can take some time to get that done. Meanwhile there are some database operations that can't be done without exclusive access.

Answer 1

This is normal behavior of the .laccdb file.

It contains the machine names of those connected to the database in the form "Machine Name Admin" and it's only adding connected machines to the list, not deleting. Therefore if you have 50 users connected at some stage but only one remains active, the .laccdb file will still list 50 machine names. You cannot change that.

You cannot also change the machine name to the user login id. If you want that, you'll have to handle it manually through VBA.

As for the file not getting deleted as soon as the last user exits, this seems to be a network issue.

Answer 2

try to check the "Compact on Close" option in the database settings. Also you may want to check if all the users have rights to delete files on that location - this may be the cause you cannot get rid of that temp *laccdb file

Answer 3

Thanks.

1: normal behavior? Okay.

2: I added the vba Environ$("username") function in the starting form load event to grab the username (and date/time) and write that to a file. That does show the remote users login id, not the remote computer name. Now I'll know which user to contact if there is a problem.

3: orphaned .laccdb file. 7 users, 2 years of daily use and that file got left behind just twice ever. Good luck trying to track that problem down.

I make weekly updates (via vba modules) to the .accdb from other data sources and I run the compact action then. (after making a backup copy)