>In January of 2006 I created the following files for a client with a
>standalone computer and sent them via CD with, from my perspective, proper
>instructions for the installation: The Client had Microsoft Office
>Professional installed which included Access. I am not including the
>instructions here because I would like someone else to briefly outline what
>they would have told this client to do to access the application.
>
>•    Foundations.mdb
>•    Development.mdw (This is the workgroup that governs the permissions and
>access to the Foundations database.)
>•    Shortcut to Foundations.mdb (The target brought together the location of
>Access, the location of the .mdb, the location of the Workgroup file. (It was
>stated in the instructions that the path to these would have to be modified
>to correspond to the location of these items on the Client’s computer and I
>did offer to talk the person through this process.)
>•    Shortcut Access.exe ( using System.mdw) (This shortcut would also have to
>be modified to correspond to the client’s location, but would be a desktop
>shortcut to open Access with its normal System.mdw file.
>•    Instructions.doc (the letter which outlined what was to be done to make
>the database available)
>•    Foundations Manual.doc – the Manual to outline how to use the application.
>
>
>Over the intervening period I have received on several occasions the
>following statement “Unfortunately I could not open the CD with my old
>computer. (I should add that the DB was done in an Access 2000 version), nor
>did the instructions ever indicate that one was to “open” the application via
>the CD. In each instance, I repeated the instructions and in each instance
>made it clear that if the instructions were not followed, the application
>would not open.
>
>What would you have told this client to do to access the .mdb? Since they
>are back in this area I would like to be able to cite an outsider’s view to
>see how it corresponds to the information I gave.
>
>Thank you so very much.
>
>Mary

"Tom van Stiphout" wrote:

> On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:08:00 -0800, sweeneysmsm
> <sweeneys***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> Your instructions likely asked the user to copy the files from the CD
> to various places on the computer.
> What you are forgetting is that not all people read instructions, and
> not all people can follow instructions. Your better course of action
> would have been to provide a setup program that handles these things
> for them.
> Or even a (paid, of course) service for you to install it for them,
> using a remote connection (there are wonderfully simple solutions
> nowadays).
>
> -Tom.
> Microsoft Access MVP
>
>
> >In January of 2006 I created the following files for a client with a
> >standalone computer and sent them via CD with, from my perspective, proper
> >instructions for the installation: The Client had Microsoft Office
> >Professional installed which included Access. I am not including the
> >instructions here because I would like someone else to briefly outline what
> >they would have told this client to do to access the application.
> >
> >•    Foundations.mdb
> >•    Development.mdw (This is the workgroup that governs the permissions and
> >access to the Foundations database.)
> >•    Shortcut to Foundations.mdb (The target brought together the location of
> >Access, the location of the .mdb, the location of the Workgroup file. (It was
> >stated in the instructions that the path to these would have to be modified
> >to correspond to the location of these items on the Client’s computer and I
> >did offer to talk the person through this process.)
> >•    Shortcut Access.exe ( using System.mdw) (This shortcut would also have to
> >be modified to correspond to the client’s location, but would be a desktop
> >shortcut to open Access with its normal System.mdw file.
> >•    Instructions.doc (the letter which outlined what was to be done to make
> >the database available)
> >•    Foundations Manual.doc – the Manual to outline how to use the application.
> >
> >
> >Over the intervening period I have received on several occasions the
> >following statement “Unfortunately I could not open the CD with my old
> >computer. (I should add that the DB was done in an Access 2000 version), nor
> >did the instructions ever indicate that one was to “open” the application via
> >the CD. In each instance, I repeated the instructions and in each instance
> >made it clear that if the instructions were not followed, the application
> >would not open.
> >
> >What would you have told this client to do to access the .mdb? Since they
> >are back in this area I would like to be able to cite an outsider’s view to
> >see how it corresponds to the information I gave.
> >
> >Thank you so very much.
> >
> >Mary
>

>Hi, Tom,
>
>Thank yu for replying.
>
>I had been more than confident that the person would read the instructions
>and be able to follow them. You are correct regarding the copying piece. Your
>suggestions are good. My problem was that they are on another continent. I
>would have been happy to use remote access but doubt that their firewall or
>mindset would have made this possible. I did offer to talk them, or any
>consultant they would designate provided the consultant spoke English as they
>do, through the process on the phone. My fear with the setup program was that
>they would have had to answer questions and, not knowing how to answer them,
>would have got into further issues. My disappointment is their unshakeable
>conclusion that the problem was their software or hardware.
>
>Mary
>
>"Tom van Stiphout" wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:08:00 -0800, sweeneysmsm
>> <sweeneys***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>>
>> Your instructions likely asked the user to copy the files from the CD
>> to various places on the computer.
>> What you are forgetting is that not all people read instructions, and
>> not all people can follow instructions. Your better course of action
>> would have been to provide a setup program that handles these things
>> for them.
>> Or even a (paid, of course) service for you to install it for them,
>> using a remote connection (there are wonderfully simple solutions
>> nowadays).
>>
>> -Tom.
>> Microsoft Access MVP
>>
>>
>> >In January of 2006 I created the following files for a client with a
>> >standalone computer and sent them via CD with, from my perspective, proper
>> >instructions for the installation: The Client had Microsoft Office
>> >Professional installed which included Access. I am not including the
>> >instructions here because I would like someone else to briefly outline what
>> >they would have told this client to do to access the application.
>> >
>> >•    Foundations.mdb
>> >•    Development.mdw (This is the workgroup that governs the permissions and
>> >access to the Foundations database.)
>> >•    Shortcut to Foundations.mdb (The target brought together the location of
>> >Access, the location of the .mdb, the location of the Workgroup file. (It was
>> >stated in the instructions that the path to these would have to be modified
>> >to correspond to the location of these items on the Client’s computer and I
>> >did offer to talk the person through this process.)
>> >•    Shortcut Access.exe ( using System.mdw) (This shortcut would also have to
>> >be modified to correspond to the client’s location, but would be a desktop
>> >shortcut to open Access with its normal System.mdw file.
>> >•    Instructions.doc (the letter which outlined what was to be done to make
>> >the database available)
>> >•    Foundations Manual.doc – the Manual to outline how to use the application.
>> >
>> >
>> >Over the intervening period I have received on several occasions the
>> >following statement “Unfortunately I could not open the CD with my old
>> >computer. (I should add that the DB was done in an Access 2000 version), nor
>> >did the instructions ever indicate that one was to “open” the application via
>> >the CD. In each instance, I repeated the instructions and in each instance
>> >made it clear that if the instructions were not followed, the application
>> >would not open.
>> >
>> >What would you have told this client to do to access the .mdb? Since they
>> >are back in this area I would like to be able to cite an outsider’s view to
>> >see how it corresponds to the information I gave.
>> >
>> >Thank you so very much.
>> >
>> >Mary
>>

"Tom van Stiphout" wrote:

> On Fri, 14 Nov 2008 03:54:10 -0800, sweeneysmsm
> <sweeneys***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> The setup program would have been simpler than instructions.doc. It
> could have offered a "simple install" option that mostly takes
> defaults, and an "advanced install" for people needing more control
> (and having more smarts).
>
> You can't win them all. Give this customer a refund.
>
> -Tom.
>
>
> >Hi, Tom,
> >
> >Thank yu for replying.
> >
> >I had been more than confident that the person would read the instructions
> >and be able to follow them. You are correct regarding the copying piece. Your
> >suggestions are good. My problem was that they are on another continent. I
> >would have been happy to use remote access but doubt that their firewall or
> >mindset would have made this possible. I did offer to talk them, or any
> >consultant they would designate provided the consultant spoke English as they
> >do, through the process on the phone. My fear with the setup program was that
> >they would have had to answer questions and, not knowing how to answer them,
> >would have got into further issues. My disappointment is their unshakeable
> >conclusion that the problem was their software or hardware.
> >
> >Mary
> >
> >"Tom van Stiphout" wrote:
> >
> >> On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:08:00 -0800, sweeneysmsm
> >> <sweeneys***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> Your instructions likely asked the user to copy the files from the CD
> >> to various places on the computer.
> >> What you are forgetting is that not all people read instructions, and
> >> not all people can follow instructions. Your better course of action
> >> would have been to provide a setup program that handles these things
> >> for them.
> >> Or even a (paid, of course) service for you to install it for them,
> >> using a remote connection (there are wonderfully simple solutions
> >> nowadays).
> >>
> >> -Tom.
> >> Microsoft Access MVP
> >>
> >>
> >> >In January of 2006 I created the following files for a client with a
> >> >standalone computer and sent them via CD with, from my perspective, proper
> >> >instructions for the installation: The Client had Microsoft Office
> >> >Professional installed which included Access. I am not including the
> >> >instructions here because I would like someone else to briefly outline what
> >> >they would have told this client to do to access the application.
> >> >
> >> >•    Foundations.mdb
> >> >•    Development.mdw (This is the workgroup that governs the permissions and
> >> >access to the Foundations database.)
> >> >•    Shortcut to Foundations.mdb (The target brought together the location of
> >> >Access, the location of the .mdb, the location of the Workgroup file. (It was
> >> >stated in the instructions that the path to these would have to be modified
> >> >to correspond to the location of these items on the Client’s computer and I
> >> >did offer to talk the person through this process.)
> >> >•    Shortcut Access.exe ( using System.mdw) (This shortcut would also have to
> >> >be modified to correspond to the client’s location, but would be a desktop
> >> >shortcut to open Access with its normal System.mdw file.
> >> >•    Instructions.doc (the letter which outlined what was to be done to make
> >> >the database available)
> >> >•    Foundations Manual.doc – the Manual to outline how to use the application.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Over the intervening period I have received on several occasions the
> >> >following statement “Unfortunately I could not open the CD with my old
> >> >computer. (I should add that the DB was done in an Access 2000 version), nor
> >> >did the instructions ever indicate that one was to “open” the application via
> >> >the CD. In each instance, I repeated the instructions and in each instance
> >> >made it clear that if the instructions were not followed, the application
> >> >would not open.
> >> >
> >> >What would you have told this client to do to access the .mdb? Since they
> >> >are back in this area I would like to be able to cite an outsider’s view to
> >> >see how it corresponds to the information I gave.
> >> >
> >> >Thank you so very much.
> >> >
> >> >Mary
> >>
>