Knowledge Base

ADT/ODE: Function to Determine Retail or Run-Time Version

Article ID: 103182

Article Last Modified on 5/6/2003

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q103182
Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

SUMMARY

This article demonstrates how to use a function to determine if your Microsoft Access application is running in the run-time or the retail version of Microsoft Access. This function can be used to prevent your application from being used in the retail version of Microsoft Access.

The SysCmd() function, added in Microsoft Access 1.1, enables you to display a meter in the Microsoft Access status bar. Although SysCmd() was designed to display a meter, the number 6 was added to return whether the application is running in the run-time or the retail version of Microsoft Access.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for Applications and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to your version of the "Building Applications with Microsoft Access" manual.

NOTE: Visual Basic for Applications is called Access Basic in Microsoft Access versions 1.x and 2.0. For more information about Access Basic, please refer to the "Introduction to Programming" manual in Microsoft Access version 1.x or the "Building Applications" manual in Microsoft Access version 2.0

MORE INFORMATION

The following example demonstrates how to create a function called IsRunTime() that you can use to prevent an application from being run in the retail version of Microsoft Access.
  1. Add the following function called IsRuntime() to a new or existing module in your application: 
          Function IsRuntime ()
         On Error GoTo ErrIsRuntime
         IsRuntime = SysCmd(6)

      ByeIsRuntime:
         Exit Function

      ErrIsRuntime:
         If (Err = 5) Then
            IsRuntime = False
         Else
            Error Err
         End If
         Resume ByeIsRuntime
      End Function

   Note that it is necessary to trap for Err = 5, Illegal Function Call,
   in case your application is being run in Microsoft Access version 1.0,
   which does not support the SysCmd(6) call.
  2. Create the following macro and save it with the name AutoExec: 
          Macro Name   Condition   Action
      -------------------------------------------------
      AutoExec                 Not IsRuntime()   MsgBox
                   ...         Quit

      AutoExec Actions
      --------------------------------------------------------------
      MsgBox
         Message: Invalid setup, run YourAppName setup and try again.
         Beep: Yes
         Type: Critical
         Title: YourAppName
      Quit

Keywords: kbhowto kbusage KB103182


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