Access 2007 "3734" database lock error...

I've built a reasonably complex database system that maintains bookings, attendances, timetables, payments etc for a music tuition school, using Access as both the front and back end. (sigh, only because that's all I have to work with...)

Apart from all of the little annoying bugs and restrictive designs, I've come across an error "the database has been placed in a state by user 'admin'..." commonly referred to as error 3734. I've scoured the net for similar issues and every one of the problems I've found discussed refers to either multi-user databases or opening and closing the mdb repeatedly.

My problem is this is a single user database, only one PC is connected to the database in any way, and it only occurs when I try to run any of the design wizards; either chart wizard or combo box wizard etc...
I've tried restarting the PC, opening the database without running ANY macros or forms and designing a new form, chart wizard, BAM error pops up, can't create any charts.

Could this be because the database is corrupted? I would have thought I'd get other errors if this was so, and so far I haven't except the odd debug due to coding errors...

Now even more strange, after doing NOTHING different, sometimes, maybe 1 out of 20 times it works as per normal, no locking errors...

Any thoughts or ideas would be hugely appreciated!!

As an afterthought, I'd like to re-design the db/interface on a more stable platform, anyone have any suggestions on what database back-end is easy to maintain and import access data into, and what front end is relatively easy to work with and stable?? I was thinking MySQL and VB...

 

I stay away from Access these days specifically because of problems like this. I can't offer you much help with the problem other than to say that I think your project probably is corrupted, but at least your data probably isn't. You may be able to re-create it in Access by attaching the mdb file to a new db project and then copying and pasting a lot of your forms and functions over, one at a time, testing after each step so that you will hopefully catch the problem and not transfer it to the new project.

I would definitely recommend getting out of Access. MySql and VB is not a bad idea. I think, however, that, since you are used to Access, you might have an easier time transitioning to SQLServer (Microsoft SQL varies in some key areas from the pure SQL you'd use with MySQL). Also, the free version of SQLServer is probably easier to install and configure (on a local machine) than MySQL.

Depending on your needs, I'd steer you more toward ASP.net than just straight VB.net. I've developed several of these types of applications, on both platforms and I always feel handicapped when working just in VB.Net. ASP.net brings in other elements that you'd need to learn, but also provides a lot of very easy methods for displaying data that are more or less absent from VB. Plus, the web browser eases a lot of the formatting burdens that can drive you insane in VB.net. Either way, I'd recommend downloading the Express version of Visual Studio and running through some of the "Getting Started" walkthroughs; they are very helpful and will help you get a better idea of what your options are.

Good luck!