PRB: CompactDatabase Method Requires Locale to Convert 2.0 MDB

MORE INFORMATION

Both Microsoft Jet 3.0 and 3.5 use the same file format, which is a different file format than the format Jet 2.5 or earlier used. You can convert a .mdb database using the CompactDatabase method of the DAO DBEngine object.

Using DAO 3.0 and 3.5 (for Jet 3.0 and 3.5 respectively), you can convert the .mdb database as follows:

DBEngine.CompactDatabase "20.MDB", "30.MDB", dbLangGeneral, dbVersion30
				

However, if you leave out the locale argument (dbLangGeneral in this case), only DAO 3.0 converts the database:

DBEngine.CompactDatabase "20.MDB", "30.MDB", , dbVersion30
				

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. With Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 or 6.0, or with Microsoft Access 97 or other Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications 5.0 or Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications 6.0 applications, create a new project.
2. From the Project menu, choose References and add a reference to the Microsoft DAO 3.5 Object Library.
3. Add a form (Form1) with a command button (Command1) and place the following code in the form's module:

   Option Explicit
   
   Private Sub Command1_Click()
   
   Const dbPath = "C:\Program Files\ACCESS20\SAMPAPPS\NWIND"
   
   Dim db As Database
     Set db = DBEngine(0).OpenDatabase(dbPath)
     Debug.Print dbPath & " Version:", db.Version
     db.Close
   
     DBEngine.CompactDatabase dbPath & ".mdb", _
                              dbPath & "30.mdb", _
                              , _
                              dbVersion30
   
     Set db = DBEngine(0).OpenDatabase(dbPath & "30")
     Debug.Print dbPath & "30 Version:", db.Version
     db.Close
   
     Kill dbPath & "30.mdb"
   
   End Sub
   						

NOTE: You must change the dbPath variable to point to a Jet 2.x database.

1. Run the project, open the form, and click the command button. You should get the following output: C:\Program Files\ACCESS20\SAMPAPPS\NWIND Version: 2.0 C:\Program Files\ACCESS20\SAMPAPPS\NWIND30 Version: 2.0
2. Replace the CompactDatabase line with the following and run the project again:
   
   

   DBEngine.CompactDatabase dbPath & ".mdb", _
                            dbPath & "30.mdb", _
                            dbLangGeneral, _
                            dbVersion30
   						

   The second time you run the project, the output will be as follows: Program Files\ACCESS20\SAMPAPPS\NWIND Version: 2.0 Program Files\ACCESS20\SAMPAPPS\NWIND30 Version: 3.0