I am trying to automate the replacement of the frontend with a new version, but I am not sure how to replace it since I am currently working in it. This is for users of the system, so I want it as seamless as possible.
Thanks! --Eddi Rae
What I have used in the past is to create a short-cut on the user's desktop. This runs a DOS .BAT file that copies the front-end from the server. When you have a new version to be released, you copy your version (after compacting and repairing) into this location. When the user opens the application the next time, it will automatically copy over the latest version. As a slight bonus, each time they start the application it will be "fresh", so will not need compacting on close.
If it is urgent that all users switch over to the latest version, then you could send them an email to restart the application. You could also write some VBA to update the user's version number in a table in the back-end, so you can see who hasn't restarted.
When I place a new version on the server to be rolled out, I will place the old version into a sub-folder, renamed with the version number, so that it is easy to roll-back to the previous version if required.
Regards,