Shared Access Database Launched From Teams

[PassRusher]

I am always looking for was to start using Teams for more than a messenger program. Now after Ignite, I am determined more than ever to start now. 

One of our engineers found this Access Program that someone developed for inspections on our welding equipment. Only two people need to use it and I wanted to make it available in Teams via OneDrive or SharePoint for them both to use. They both have Access on their local PC's. 

I tried copying the accde file to the FILES section of the Engineering TEAM and then clicked on it but it just wants to DOWNLOAD and open locally. I'm assuming this is by design but I was wondering if anyone has successfully launched and written data to an Access DB in Teams/OneDrive. 

[#2 · Accepted solution]

I know this is not what you want to hear but Access DB will never work very well over WAN or internet. It was barely usable on a LAN with high speed ethernet on mapped drives. Access DB is very susceptible to corruption and row locking problems when in multi-user scenario. You may get it to work by mapping drives using WEBDAV to the Teams location or by copying to a single users OneDrive and creating shares but trust me it will never be stable and offer the performance you desire. You may be better served to spend the time using the New Lists App in a Team tab or migrating the DB to a SQL server instance in a small Azure subscription and maybe use the Access DB for Forms and Query front end from each workstation and link to the Azure SQL.

[#3]

@Forrest Hoffman 

Nope, this was a good reply and perhaps a bad "first project." That said, I have a project where I can utalized SharePoint Lists and PowerApps. That said, being in a SOLO IT shop, got to find the time. 

[#4]

@PassRusher  I use access successfully with teams. You need to replicate all the tables in your database as SharePoint Lists (With the same name as the tables. then you remove the original tables and connect to the SharePoint lists in stead. You still need to have the access file on your local pc but the data now resides in the Teams SharePoint site. The only limitation is that you cannot access the db in teams itself or on a mobile device. If you want to access the app on mobile, you will have to redevelop it using PowerApps. Hope it helps!

[#5]

@LouisSwanepoel

Hi, I have the similar issue for accessing the MS access file from Teams. Every time my team tries to access it, that starts to download on PC. I see you were able to resolve it.

Could you please elaborate the steps with some more details on  replicating all the tables in your database as SharePoint Lists ??? . I'm not an expert in MS access :(

Thanks, 

RJ

[#6]

I have same issue. Have split Microsoft Access DB. Want to share with a couple people. I have setup teams but am not sure how to proceed to change the tables to SharePoint lists.

[#7]

I am not condoning this but, if you really wanted to try and use Access within Teams.
All the users must be members of the Team and Channel that you want to use. Unless you are going to break permissions of the SP Library (which is not recommended).
Upload the Access DB into one of the Channel Files area.
Then use the Sync feature of the Files tab to sync.

Open the Access DB from the Synced location on the local computer.
Cross your fingers and hope that a WAN or LAN issue doesn't lock or corrupt the DB.

[#8]

I am also interested in this. I want to create a database and share the content of tables with colleagues. Downloading which in the case of Access happens, is not what I want.

Does anyone have a workable scenario? Maybe something setup with one of the new "Powerapps"?

Tips and suggestions are greatly appreciated