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Splash Screen By Richard Rost 
5 years ago
Create a Startup Shortcut and Splash Screen In this video, I will show you how to create a startup shortcut with a different icon, and a splash screen for your Microsoft Access database that will display upon startup instead of the Access logo. We'll also change the application name, icon, startup form, turn off the navigation bar, status bar, and special keys. Davis from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (a Gold Member) asks: I'm designing an Access database that I want to set my clients up with, however I don't want them to know it was built in Access. You and I both know that Access is awesome, but a lot of people have this misconception that it's not a "real" database application. What can I do? MembersMembers will learn how to further hide traces of Access by turning off the Ribbon menus, maximize the startup form, and create an internal splash screen with a 5 second delay before the Main Menu loads, so you can emphasize your own branding.
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Keywordsmicrosoft access, ms access, #msaccess, #microsoftaccess, #help, #howto, #tutorial, #instruction, #learn, #lesson, #training, #database, loading screen, splash screen, startup screen, custom icon, hide access, shortcut, icon, application name, title bar, status bar, special keys, form icon, application icon, turn off ribbon menus, showtoolbar, maximize, logo, acToolbarNo
IntroIn this video, I will show you how to create a custom startup shortcut and splash screen to disguise the Microsoft Access branding on your databases. We will talk about changing the application title and icon, making a personal splash screen using tools like Paint, and adjusting key startup settings within Access to give your client databases a more professional, private look. If you want your users to see only your branding and not the Access logo or splash screen, this video will walk you through the steps.TranscriptWelcome to another TechHelp video brought to you by AccessLearningZone.com. I am your instructor Richard Rost. In today's video, I'm going to show you how to create a startup shortcut and a splash screen to hide the Microsoft Access branding from your databases.Today's question comes from Davis in Hamilton, Ontario, up in the Great White North, one of my gold members. Davis says, I'm designing an Access database that I want to set my clients up with. However, I don't want them to know it was built in Access. You and I both know that Access is awesome, but a lot of people have this misconception that it's not a real database application. What can I do? Well Davis, you are right, a lot of people, especially people who have been listening to their IT people who do not know stuff, will tell you that Access is not a real database application. That is nonsense. I have been building Access databases for almost 30 years. It is a fantastic application. The front end is wonderful. If you need super duper back end server type stuff, you can very easily connect your Access front end to SQL Server, but we are not going to try to convince them otherwise. We are just going to not let them see that your database was built in Access. Now, there are a couple things you can do. I am going to show you how to replace a few things like the application title and the application icon. We will make a custom startup screen so they do not see the Access welcome screen that flashes briefly when your database loads. Then we will create a shortcut for your database so that it looks like whatever you want it to look like. So here I have my TechHelp free template. This is a free download. You can grab a copy from my website. I will put a link down below. In that video where I build this, I show you how to do some things like change the application title and set up a startup form. Go watch that blank database template video first. I will show you a couple of things again here just to go over it again, but it will be helpful if you watch that first. If you are setting your clients up with this, I am going to assume you are going to have a database folder on their drive somewhere. So I am just going to cheat and create a folder here. New folder, we will call this MyDB. That is the DB folder. So the database is going because you are going to split this. You will have the back end in the database folder, then you can create a shortcut to their front end and put that on their desktop or wherever they run the database from. Let us move this into the database folder. Let us open that database folder up now. There is that. Now, the problem is anyone who really knows computers, they are going to see the ACCDB extension unless you turn file extensions off under Windows, but I would not go that far. If they find the original copy of the file, they are going to see that. If your goal is to lie to them and be like, no, I did not build it in Access, well, you really cannot get away with that. But I can make it so that they do not really see it unless they go digging for it. Someone who knows computers can figure it out. We cannot 100 percent hide this and lock it down from people. We can make them not see right in their face that it is Access. The first thing we are going to do is create a shortcut to this file and drop it on the desktop. Right-click, drag, drop, create shortcut here. Now, I am going to close this folder. We will slide this over here for now. This is a shortcut that is going to run that database. Everybody should know what a shortcut is; if not, go watch my Windows Basics video. You can rename this to Rix Database or whatever you want to call it. Still looks like an Access icon though. To change that, right-click, go to Properties, Change Icon is down here. There is a whole set of default icons that are built in here. Find one of these or you can create your own if you want to. You can look in icon files, EXE files, DLLs, whatever you want. I am not going to go over creating icon files. It is basically a little bitmap, but if you do a Google search for converting any image to an icon file, there are lots of apps out there that will do it for you. I am just going to pick one of the standard ones. Let us go with something that looks like a database. I do not know. How about - we will do this one. It looks like a key. I know Access used to have that key icon. But there you go. That is now the icon for Rix Database. It does not look very much like Access, does it. Let us put it over there. Now, let us start the database up. Watch very closely. It is going to go by really quick because I have got a fast computer. You will see the Access startup screen appear right about here. Watch this. Double-click. See right there. For a split second, it showed up. Let me try that again. Let me close this. The more you open it, the faster it loads. Right there. Come on. Sometimes, if you close Access and then wait a second. There it goes. That was the Access splash screen. Now, we can create our own splash screen. If you have a graphic, if you are graphically inclined, and you have got a pretty logo, you can make whatever you want. And you can replace that splash screen with your logo. How do we do that? Load up your favorite graphic editor. I am just going to use Windows Paint because it comes with Windows and it is simple to use. There is Paint. Just go to your Start menu and look for Paint. I will scroll down to the bottom here, drag this up. If you have never used Paint before, go watch my Windows classes. I have got some really basic Windows classes that show you how to use Paint. So, size this about the size you would want your splash screen to be, like right about there. Maybe drop some text on here: Rix DB, Rix Database. Let us do - oh, I do not know. Let us put a circle on here, like that. Let us put a rectangle. It is blue, whatever. So here is my startup screen. It looks kind of silly, but you get the point. Usually, to be honest, when I am doing stuff like my overlay slides like this, I just use PowerPoint to make my logos and stuff. Something like this. I just put a bunch of icons on here and some text and some pictures or screenshots. Just throw it together in PowerPoint. Or you can use Microsoft Word, whatever you want. If you like Photoshop, use Photoshop. But Paint works just fine for simple stuff. Now, we have got to save this. So Control S, save it. You have to save it as a Bitmap. 24-bit Bitmap, 256-color, does not matter. Let us go to 24-bit Bitmap. We have to save this in the folder that your database is located in. So that is on my desktop. Right there, the DB folder that I made. Now, you have to name it the exact same thing as whatever this database is named. Let us see what the database file name is. Let us redo this here. So let us rename the database. We will just call it RixDB. That is the name of my database file. Now, I am going to break the shortcut. That is OK. We will go fix that in a second. RixDB. So save this as RixDB.bmp. Close it. Yes, I broke the shortcut, did I not? Oh, no, it still worked. I renamed the shortcut. Did you see the pop-up? I forgot, newer versions of Windows automatically readjust the shortcut for you. Yes, it did that. Normally, in older versions of Windows, if you broke the shortcut, then you would have to go back and rename the shortcut. But watch. Open it up. There is RixDB. Did you see it? I will do it again in case you did not see it. Ready? Go. Now, instead of looking like Access there, it looks like RixDB. So that is called a custom splash screen. Again, the rules are: it has got to be a BMP file, a bitmap file. Cannot use a JPEG, cannot use a GIF or GIF (how ever you pronounce it). It has got to be named the same as the database itself. And it has got to be in the same folder. Normally up here, you will see Access as well, so we have a couple of other things we have to hide. Go into File, Options. I show you a bunch of this stuff in that blank database video that I told you to go watch already. Under Current Database, here is the Application Title. Put something in here. It will show up as whatever you want up top here. Application icon. You can use an icon if you want to, or hit Browse. You can change this to Bitmaps. Then again, go to wherever your desktop is, your DB folder. There is your RixDB bitmap. Hit OK. Now, let me just show you what that looks like. Hit OK. Hit OK. Close it. Now, reopen it. There is your splash screen. Now, down here on the title bar, you do not see the Access logo anymore. That is the database icon. It does not really look like that. They really want an ICO file. So go find a bitmap to icon converter. Otherwise, it looks kind of like that if you use a regular bitmap. But it is better than the Access logo if you are trying to hide the fact that it is Access. Back into here, File, Options. What else have we got in here? Current Database. Display Form, set up your display form, whatever that is. I show you that in the blank template: how to set up your main menu. Make sure you do that. Turn off Display Status Bar. That is the thing down at the bottom of the window, because sometimes it will show Access-related stuff. Make sure you are in Overlapping Windows. I hate the Tab Document Interface. Get rid of that. Turn off the special Access Keys. Here is a little I that explains it. Otherwise, they can turn back on the navigation pane, the immediate window, and the VB window and stuff. So make sure you turn that off. Finally, come down here and turn off the Navigation Pane. That is this guy. You do not want them having that. Hit OK. Hit OK. Shut that down. Let us open it again. It is looking a lot better. So already, we have pretty much got to the point where, unless they know Access, they are not going to see any clues this was Access. However, the ribbon will still open up. You can disable the ribbon. It takes a little bit of VB programming, and I will show that in the extended cut for the members. Here is what the application looks like after the extended cut for the members. Double-click. You get the splash screen there. The database loads up. You get the splash screen inside of here for a minute. You can center this if you want to. I just left it there. After five seconds or whatever interval you specify, the main menu appears, and look across the top. There is no ribbon anymore. Your end user has no clue that this is a Microsoft Access database. That is covered in the extended cut for members. Silver members and up get access to all of my extended cut videos. How do you become a member? Click the Join button below the video. After you click the Join button, you will see a list of all the different types of membership levels that are available. Silver members and up will get access to all of the extended cut TechHelp videos, live video and chat sessions, and more. Gold members get access to a download folder containing all the sample databases that I build in my TechHelp videos, plus my Code Vault where I keep tons of different functions that I use. Platinum members get all the previous perks, plus access to my full beginner courses and some of my expert courses. These are the full-length courses found on my website and not just for Access. I also teach Word, Excel, Visual Basic, ASP, and lots more. But do not worry, these free TechHelp videos are going to keep coming. As long as you keep watching them, I will keep making more. If you like this video, please give me a thumbs up and feel free to post any comments that you have. I do read them all. Make sure you subscribe to my channel, which is completely free, and click the bell icon and select All to receive notifications when new videos are posted. Click on the Show More link below the video to find additional resources and links. You will see a list of other videos, additional information related to the current topic, free lessons, and lots more. YouTube no longer sends out email notifications when new videos are posted. So if you would like to get an email every time I post a new video, click on the link to join my mailing list. If you have not yet tried my free Access Level 1 course, check it out now. It covers all the basics of building databases with Access. It is over three hours long. You can find it on my website or on my YouTube channel. If you like Level 1, Level 2 is just 1 dollar and it is also free for all members of my YouTube channel at any level. Want to have your question answered in a video just like this one? Visit my TechHelp page and you can send me your question there. Click here to watch my free Access Beginner Level 1 course, more of my TechHelp videos, or to subscribe to my channel. Thanks for watching this video from AccessLearningZone.com. QuizQ1. What is one main reason for creating a custom startup shortcut and splash screen in Access?A. To hide that the database was built in Access from end users B. To increase the speed of the database C. To improve database security against hacking D. To make the database portable across platforms Q2. What is required for the custom splash screen bitmap file to display correctly in Access? A. The bitmap must be in the same folder as the database and named exactly the same as the database file B. The bitmap can be in any folder as long as it is referenced C. The bitmap must be in JPG format and named "splash" D. The bitmap must be uploaded to Microsoft Access cloud services Q3. If you want to change the icon that appears for your desktop shortcut to the database, how do you do it? A. Right-click on the shortcut, go to Properties, and click Change Icon B. Rename the shortcut to a different name C. Move the shortcut to a different folder D. Encrypt the shortcut with a password Q4. Which file format must you use for your custom splash screen in Access? A. BMP (Bitmap) file B. JPG file C. GIF file D. PNG file Q5. Which requirement is NOT necessary for the splash screen to work in Access? A. The bitmap must be saved as a BMP file B. The bitmap must be named exactly the same as the database C. The bitmap must be stored in the same folder as the database D. The bitmap must be smaller than 100 KB Q6. What does turning off the Display Status Bar in Access settings help with? A. Hides Access-related clues from the user B. Increases the size of the main form C. Enables users to see more data at once D. Prevents the database from crashing Q7. What additional customization can you perform from Access Options under the Current Database tab? A. Change the Application Title and Icon B. Increase database storage capacity C. Create relationships between tables D. Set password protection Q8. Why is it recommended to turn off special Access keys and the Navigation Pane for users? A. To prevent users from accessing developer features and navigation controls B. To slow down the database performance C. To increase the font size in forms D. To automatically enable macros Q9. What must you do to fully remove the ribbon interface from user view, as shown in the members' extended cut? A. Use some VB programming to disable it B. Remove all forms from the database C. Install a plugin from Microsoft's website D. Convert the database to another format Q10. If you rename your database file, what should you remember to do with the splash screen file? A. Rename the BMP file to match the new database name B. Convert the BMP file to ICO format C. Move the BMP file to a system folder D. Change the database extension to .bmp Answers: 1-A; 2-A; 3-A; 4-A; 5-D; 6-A; 7-A; 8-A; 9-A; 10-A DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks. SummaryToday's video from Access Learning Zone focuses on how to disguise the fact that your database was built in Microsoft Access by creating a custom startup shortcut and personalized splash screen.The inspiration for this topic came from a question by Davis in Hamilton, Ontario. Davis is developing an Access database for clients but wants to avoid the negative perceptions some users have about Access. While I have been using Access for almost three decades and can vouch for its power and flexibility, I understand that some people might judge the product just by seeing the Access branding. The goal here is not to mislead anyone about your database's true nature, but rather to keep Access branding from being front and center for your users. Let me walk you through several steps you can take. First, you can change the application title and icon, then add a custom splash screen that appears when your database launches, instead of the typical Access welcome screen. Creating a shortcut for your database that uses your custom icon makes it look far less like a standard Access file and helps keep things more professional for your end users. To get started, suppose you have a folder on your client's computer containing the database files. It is best practice to split the database, storing the back-end file with tables in this folder, and giving the client a shortcut to the front-end, which they will use to access the system. While anyone who really understands computers might notice the ACCDB extension, we are not trying to completely obscure the fact that it is an Access database. The idea is to avoid drawing attention to it. You should create a shortcut to the front-end database and place that on the desktop. After naming the shortcut however you like, you will notice the default Access icon. You can easily change this by accessing the shortcut's properties, choosing a different icon from the set built into Windows, or by creating your own icon. Since icon files are standard little graphics, you can use free converters online to turn any image into an ICO file. Simply pick a new icon, and your shortcut takes on whatever look you prefer, such as a key or a generic database image. Next, even if your shortcut does not show the Access logo, launching the database itself will quickly display the Access splash screen before the application opens. To replace this, you can make your own graphic in any image editor. Even a simple tool like Windows Paint will work. Open your image editor, size your canvas to fit a typical splash screen, and add your logo or any visuals you want. Save this customized splash screen in the database folder, making sure to use the exact same file name as your database, but with the BMP extension. For example, if your database is called RixDB.accdb, the image must be named RixDB.bmp. This ensures Access recognizes your splash screen and uses it during startup. Remember, it must be a bitmap file and located in the same folder as the database file. You can further reduce the presence of Access branding by going into the File menu, then Options, and modifying the settings under Current Database. Here, you can set a custom Application Title, which appears at the top of the window. You can also choose a custom application icon, using either an ICO file or your BMP image. If you provide a bitmap, Access might still display a default icon in some cases, but anything is better than the standard Access logo if your goal is to keep things generic. Other useful settings in this Options area include specifying a startup form (so the main menu or dashboard loads automatically), turning off the status bar, and changing window settings to Overlapping Windows, which makes your application look less like standard Access. You can disable special Access keys to prevent users from opening development panels or code windows, and hide the navigation pane so users cannot easily browse the underlying tables or queries. These changes collectively make your database look much more polished and less recognizably Access to most users. After these adjustments, when you launch the application, you will notice a cleaner look. However, the ribbon at the top may still give away that you are in Access. Hiding the ribbon completely does require some VBA code, which I include and explain in the Extended Cut video for members. The finished result after all these steps, including those covered in the Extended Cut, is a more tightly locked-down user interface. The splash screen displays when the database launches, your main form appears automatically, and the Access ribbon is gone. This leaves no obvious indicators that your application is built in Access, unless someone is deliberately trying to find out. If you want to see all the details for these options, including step-by-step demonstrations, you will find a complete video tutorial on my website at the link below. Live long and prosper, my friends. Topic ListCreating a desktop shortcut for an Access databaseChanging the shortcut icon to a custom icon Creating a custom splash screen bitmap Saving the splash screen with correct name and location Setting the application title in Access Options Setting the application icon in Access Options Hiding the Access logo in the title bar Configuring the display form to show on startup Turning off the status bar in Access Switching to overlapping windows mode Disabling special Access keys Hiding the navigation pane from users Basic rules for custom splash screen files |
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| Keywords: TechHelp Access loading screen, splash screen, startup screen, custom icon, hide access, shortcut, icon, application name, title bar, status bar, special keys, form icon, application icon, turn off ribbon menus, showtoolbar, maximize, logo, acToolbarNo PermaLink Splash Screen in Microsoft Access |
