MS Access 2000 Runtime Instructions - Art2kmin.exe

Step 1 - Click on the "Microsoft Access Download" command bar

Click on the "Microsoft Access Download" command bar.  This will prompt you to open the MS Runtime installation program.  Select "Open" in the File Download message screen to start the installation process.

Step 2 - Install MS Access Runtime

Once the MS Access Runtime files are copied to your computer, you will be presented with the MS Access Runtime installation screen.  Select the standard (NOT CUSTOM) installation button.  This will install MS Access Runtime in the default windows location.  Once this installation step is completed, you will be prompted to restart your computer.  You must restart your computer to insure the Runtime program will operate correctly.

MS Access Runtime - Known Limitations

The MS Access Runtime allows you to run most MS Access applications without having to purchase and install the full version of MS Access 2000, 2002 or XP.  However, the Runtime does have certain limitations.  Some of these limitations have been documented by Microsoft, others have been identified by our development efforts.  Unfortunately, there is no way to circumvent these issues other than to purchase the full version of MS Access or accept the limitations.  Note: the core Bid4Build construction related functions are not affected  by the limitations of the Runtime.  The following are known limitations:

• The ability to load digital images into the Bid4Build application.  If you have an issue trying to load an image into your company information or project database, contact Bid4Build support for suggestions on how to do this with your specific computer and software applications installed.

  We have included a PDF document which provides a work-around to bypass this limitation.  Click on the following link to view this document:  <Logo Installation Document>
   

• Context sensitive help by screen is not available (although the overall help file is available, we are working with Microsoft on a programming work-around for this limitation).

Using MS Access Runtime concurrent with older installed versions of MS Access

If you have installed the MS Access Runtime on a computer which already has an older, full version of MS Access installed (such as MS Access 97), you will need to re-point the Bid4Build application to use the MS Access Runtime.  If you do not make the following changes, your computer will try to run the Bid4Build application using the older MS Access program and fail since the code is not downward compatible.  The following are the steps required to correctly configure this re-pointing:

1. Using your computer mouse, click on the system "Start" button at the bottom of your windows desktop screen, then click on "Programs".

2. Inside the Programs list, look for "Bid4Build Construction Estimating System", then click on that line

3. Highlight "Bid4Build Construction Estimating System" and then right click that line with your mouse to show a list where you should see "Properties"

4. Click on the "Properties" line 5. Now you will see a box with General and Shortcut tabs on the top of the box. Click on the Shortcut tab and you will see a field called "Target"

5. Replace the contents of current target with the following command line using your computer's cut and paste features:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\ART\Office\MSACCESS.EXE" /excl /runtime "c:\program files\Bid4Build\Bid4Build.mde"

6. Save the new command line by clicking on the "Ok" button in the properties box for the Bid4Build application.