How To Find The Microsoft Freestuff
    by Garry Robinson from GR-FX

Many people spend lots of time combing the web looking for that elusive tool or resource to help them produce a better Access program or simply to learn more about.   If you are one of these sorts of people, the first place you need to look is the Microsoft web site because that's where the most useful download tools exist and most of them are free (except that you bought their software in the first place).  But the Microsoft Web site is a big site and downloads take a long time, especially if you count the time taken to test the software in the first place.  Even more some tools seem interesting and then get downloaded and left on the shelf (and in the registry).  This page should clarify some of those issues by describing my Access download tips. 

Access 97 and 2000 

There is only one page on the Microsoft site where you can easily pickup all the Access 97 & 2000 downloads and that is 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp

Once you get there, choose Access as the Product/Technology

This page is illusively hard to find on the Microsoft Site since October 2000.  Here is the old download site and this is worth visiting quickly in case some of these gems disappear. I suggest using the term 97 as your search phrase or sort results by date and you will find most of these at the end of the list of 130 odd items.

**** Relationship Print Wizard for Access 97
If you have setup a relationship diagram for your database that is bigger than your monitor, you are going to have a lot of trouble printing out a clean copy. This easy to install Add-In will generate an Access Report that will solve this problem. 

**** Microsoft SQL Server Upsizing Tools for Access 97
Useful tool but it will take more than a wizard to make this little exercise work.   Prepare and practise first. 

*** Import and Link Exchange/Outlook Wizards for Access 97
This wizard allows you to link and Import from Exchange and Outlook 97 and 98 email clients.  Once setup, you can look at both your Address book and all your email folders as though they are Access tables.  Its only drawback is that it doesn't actually reveal the email address.   I wrote an article for Smart Access on this very topic that turned up in MSDN at the following address.  After you go to this address, click on the Show TOC image at the top of the page and you will see heaps of free Smart Access articles.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/periodic/period99/sa99c1.htm 

**** Report Snapshots and Snapshot Viewer for Access 97
If you have a need for saving a report "as is" so that it can be viewed at a later date or sent as an email, this is a very useful tool.  An alternative is to use Adobe PDF writer to save as a PDF file.  You can also save a report to Word format but this doesn't always work very well.
http://www.microsoft.com/accessdev/articles/snapshot.htm

*** Partial Replica Wizard for Access 97
For those of you into replication, this is probably very important.  For those of you who aren't, read the notes and leave it on the web site.

** Central Accounts Manager (c:JAM) for Access 97
3rd party tool for people having trouble managing distributed Access workgroup files.  

* ActiveCalendar 2000 for Office 97 (3rd party tool).
Goto  http://www.gr-fx.com/wizards and download the Calendar form there instead.  If that doesn't work, the give this one a go

* Office Email Merge (OEMerge) for Office 97
No need to bother with this one yet, read Nirmala's Edition One Tips and it is not free anyway.  

1/2*  Web Tracker Database for Access
This database sounded good when I downloaded it 2 years ago but it was pretty useless.

?? Weblinks Help File for Access 97
Adds internet links to the Access 97 help file.  Sounded useful except it didn't work on two of my machines.

Repeating that download link for good measure ...

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp

and choose Access 97 for Windows 95

***** Neat Code For Access 97
Probably the most useful programmers download is a database with some very useful subroutines that you can review and add to your application. Topics include complex math, statistics, OLE Automation, data access objects (DAO), class modules, longitude and latitude, string manipulation, string parsing, and more.  I have used this library many many times.  For this enter the term Neatcode as the search phrase. You will need to convert the Access 7.0 version as the 97 version has disapeared now. Otherwise we have a copy of the official 97 version in The Toolbox

**** Microsoft Access Security FAQ
This is the document that tells you all about Access security including information on protecting source code

**** Access 97 Graph Sample Database
This is where I learnt all about the Access Graph object.  When you have finished that, try this article that I wrote which made it into MSDN.
../99docs/accessgraphs.htm

*** Microsoft Office 97 Automation Help File
Automation isn't easy and this help file has lots of examples of all the Office Objects.  

*** Wizard Building Wizard
If you are ever thinking of building Wizards, then this is a really good tool to start with.  It doesn't get the arguments write for some of the combo and list boxes but it sure beats starting from scratch.  To follow up, read this article
../00_Docs/buildwizards.htm

*** Microsoft Access Replication FAQ
I haven't reviewed this download but it has been written by some celebrated Access Authors.

*** Function Template Wizard
This wizard will write a function or a module and fill it in with DAO record handling and error code.  

*** Microsoft Access 97 Knowledge Base Help File
If you do not have MSDN and looking for a bug or some code that you cannot find, this is a great resource. 

*** Treeview Control Wizard for Microsoft Access 97
If you are going to use the TreeView control, this is really useful.  Setting up data for a TreeView control is not so easy and this wizard will let you build to a number of levels.

*** Sample Databases

For Queries there is a database with 20 different types including using a sub-query as criteria, referring to a field in the previous or next record, creating a union query, ranking records, creating a SQL pass-through query in code, grouping column headings in a crosstab query, and many more.   Also there is description on how to setup a programmable form for Query By Example.

There are other databases with numerous examples on Forms and Reports and Active X Controls and how to Manipulate MS Graph using Visual Basic

** Other Things

Microsoft doesn't always get it right so there are a number of patches for things like   Jet 3.5, Web Wizard and Access Developer Edition.

* Viewable Wizard Code  - You can download the wizards that you use in Access and view the code.  Good luck on that one if you do because it is really complex.  Useful for startup arguments for Wizards.

And finally try this other download page where you get links to some free FMS utilities plus repeats of some of the above downloads.  

http://www.microsoft.com/accessdev/a-free.htm

So in summary visit

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp 

as quickly as you can and download what you need as Microsoft may drop a few utilities.  After all, aren't we all using Access 2000 now !!!

or if you want to stuff around try the recommended page at  

http://support.microsoft.com/support/downloads/   

or maybe even the Microsoft Access page

http://www.microsoft.com/office/access/default.htm

Extra:  Source Code For Access Wizards from Microsoft

Download links on this page

Related Pages on The VB123

Microsoft Solutions Database - Lots Of Free Help
Building Your Own Wizard User Interface
Consolidation Queries
Microsoft Access Time Control Form
The Workbench now makes Access startup property management easier

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Garry Robinson - Software Consultant

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