MS Access 2003/2007 - Compiling 2003 version mdb on desktop with 2007 Office installed; will not retain 2003 mde?

Question

So I have an access mdb file that was originally create using Access 2003/Office 2003. Since I have recieved a new image at work that has 2007 Office installed. The file extension of the access database is still mdb., and the convert was done to 2002-2003 Access database previously.

Here is my question: I have users that still need to access the 2003 mdb because they have not been updated yet. However, I try to compile this version, and it shows up as a .mde file (not the .accdb, etc) so it looked as though it retained the version just fine.

However when they open it, they get the standard "Cannot open file. Check to ensure that the correct version of Access is installed"

I sthere something I am doing wrong here, or forgetting to do? Once I have 2007 on my desktop can I not compile a 2003/.mde file?

Thanks Justin

Answer 1

Unfortunately you can't. You have to find a 2003 machine to compile, or have a virtual machine installed with Office 2003.
You MAY however have 2 (or more) versions on a single pc, but -I think- you MUST install them in the proper order (older version first), and specify a different folder for each during the custom install.

Answer 2

It used to be that for the main file formats, if you compiled your MDE in the lowest version in use, it would run on the later versions. That is, for an A2000-format MDB, if you compile your MDE in A2000, it should run in A2000, A2002 (XP), A2003, and, presumably, A2007 and A2010.

If your lowest target version is A2003, then compile on A2003 and the MDE should work in A2007 and A2010 (assuming everything else is appropriately coded, e.g., late binding used wherever possible to avoid hardwired references to particular versions of Office apps, for instance).