Taskkill and Access

[Espio]

Are there any Access database dudes that know if using taskkill.exe to close access (to close a database at night so it can compact) is a bad thing to do?

I need to have my database closed at night and I always forget, taskkill.exe works, but my colleague, who designed the database, says that force quitting access breaks the database.

I want to know if he is right./.

 

[richc46]

Not having used taskill I am not familiar with its effects. Have you tried right clicking on the task bar, bringup task manager and killing process from there?

 

[Espio]

Taskkill.exe is the same as ending the Access process from the Taskmanager, I'm not asking how to use it, Im asking how it affects the database. But thanks for your quick reply

 

[Ztruker]

Why use taskkill? Can't you communicate with Access from Command Line or a batch file? I use MySql and when I want to make changes I do a net stop mysql to gracefully shut it down, then net start mysql when done.

If not, what about using msaccess.exe /compact to compact the database if that's all that needs doing. That way you don't have to kill Acccess.

Some info here: How to use command-line switches in Microsoft Access

 

[Espio]

Im just one of the 5 clients accessing the single database stored on the server, I had a look into that KB article, seems more to do with opening the Database. Let me rephrase what I want:
I need my database, which is run in access, to close at 5:30pm. If you use taskkill on access to close it, does it ruin the database?

 

[Ztruker]

If the database is in the middle of an update you definitely risk corrupting it. What you need to come up with is a way to tell the server to shutdown the database, do what you need to do then have the server start it again.

I'm not an Access user so can't help with this but there has to be a way.

Hopefully one of the other folks here can help.

Edit: You should be able to setup a scheduled task on the server to have it do the compact at what ever time you want.