Question

I have created a data base that comes in an installer that runs as an epos system.

On installing it on other computers, I get a large number of errors all saying that something is missing. the file runs perfectly on my computer, but the errors stop anything from working on other computers….

the errors are as follows. each has its own popup box.

broken reference to excel.exe version 1.7 or missing.
acwztool.accde missing
npctrl.dll v4.1 missing
contactpicker.dll v1.0 missing
cddbcontolwinamp.dll v1.0 missing
cddbmusicidwinamp.dll v1.0 missing
colleagueimport.dll v1.0 missing
srstsh64.dll missing

I feel like this may because I altered the module vba library referencing so that I could run a vba code that uses excel, unfortunatly i have forgotten which librarys i have added

if it helps, the code that I added which required new references is below

Public Sub SalesImage_Click()
Dim rst As ADODB.Recordset

' Excel object variables
Dim xlApp As Excel.Application
Dim xlBook As Excel.Workbook
Dim xlSheet As Excel.Worksheet
Dim xlChart As Excel.Chart

Dim i As Integer

On Error GoTo HandleErr

' excel aplication created
Set xlApp = New Excel.Application

' workbook created
Set xlBook = xlApp.Workbooks.Add

' set so only one worksheet exists
xlApp.DisplayAlerts = False
For i = xlBook.Worksheets.Count To 2 Step -1
    xlBook.Worksheets(i).Delete
Next i
xlApp.DisplayAlerts = True

' reference the first worksheet
Set xlSheet = xlBook.ActiveSheet

' naming the worksheet
xlSheet.name = conSheetName

' recordset creation
Set rst = New ADODB.Recordset
rst.Open _
 Source:=conQuery, _
 ActiveConnection:=CurrentProject.Connection

With xlSheet
    ' the field names are imported into excel and bolded
    With .Cells(1, 1)
        .Value = rst.Fields(0).name
        .Font.Bold = True
    End With
    With .Cells(1, 2)
        .Value = rst.Fields(1).name
        .Font.Bold = True
    End With

    ' Copy all the data from the recordset into the spreadsheet.
    .Range("A2").CopyFromRecordset rst

    ' Format the data the numbering system has been extended to encompas up to 9,999,999 sales to cover all posibilities of sales since the last stock take
    .Columns(1).AutoFit
    With .Columns(2)
        .NumberFormat = "#,###,###"
        .AutoFit
    End With
End With

' Create the chart.
Set xlChart = xlApp.Charts.Add
With xlChart
    .ChartType = xl3DBarClustered
    .SetSourceData xlSheet.Cells(1, 1).CurrentRegion
    .PlotBy = xlColumns
    .Location _
     Where:=xlLocationAsObject, _
     name:=conSheetName
End With

'the reference must be regotten as it is lost
With xlBook.ActiveChart
    .HasTitle = True
    .HasLegend = False
    With .ChartTitle
        .Characters.Text = conSheetName & " Chart"
        .Font.Size = 16
        .Shadow = True
        .Border.LineStyle = xlSolid
    End With
    With .ChartGroups(1)
        .GapWidth = 20
        .VaryByCategories = True
    End With
    .Axes(xlCategory).TickLabels.Font.Size = 8
    .Axes(xlCategoryScale).TickLabels.Font.Size = 8
 End With

 With xlBook.ActiveChart
.Axes(xlCategory, xlPrimary).HasTitle = True
.Axes(xlCategory, xlPrimary).AxisTitle.Characters.Text = "Product"
.Axes(xlValue, xlPrimary).HasTitle = True
.Axes(xlValue, xlPrimary).AxisTitle.Characters.Text = "Sales"
End With

 'format the size and possition of the chart
With xlBook.ActiveChart
    .Parent.Width = 800
    .Parent.Height = 550
    .Parent.Left = 0
    .Parent.Top = 0
End With

'this displays the chart in excel. excel must be closed by the user to return to the till system
xlApp.Visible = True

ExitHere:
On Error Resume Next
'this cleans the excel file
rst.Close
Set rst = Nothing
Set xlSheet = Nothing
Set xlBook = Nothing
Set xlApp = Nothing
Exit Sub

HandleErr:
MsgBox Err & ": " & Err.Description, , "There has been an error!"
Resume ExitHere

End Sub

Answer 1

Deployment should be less troublesome if you remove your project’s Excel reference and use late binding for Excel objects.

A downside is you lose the benefit of Intellisense during development with late binding. However it’s very easy to switch between early binding during development and late binding for production. Simply change the value of a compiler constant.

In the module’s Declarations section …

    #Const DevStatus = "PROD" 'PROD or DEV

Then within the body of a procedure …

    #If DevStatus = "DEV" Then
        Dim xlApp As Excel.Application
        Dim xlBook As Excel.Workbook
        Dim xlSheet As Excel.Worksheet
        Set xlApp = New Excel.Application
    #Else ' assume PROD (actually anything other than DEV)
        Dim xlApp As Object
        Dim xlBook As Object
        Dim xlSheet As Object
        Set xlApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
    #End If

With late binding your code will need to use the values of Excel constants rather than the constants names. Or you can define the named constants in the #Else block for production use then continue to use them by name in your code.

I don’t know what all those other reference are. Suggest you take a copy of your project, remove all those references and see what happens when you run Debug->Compile from the VB Editor’s main menu. Leave any unneeded references unchecked. And try late binding for the rest. I use only 3 references in production versions of Access applications: VBA; Access; and DAO.