You compact and repair the back-end from the back-end file, not from the front-end. Unless you write code in the front-end that will come back and repair the back-end, which could be a problem if some of those tables are open by the front-end.

Compact & Repair
Compact Cmd Line
Compact VBA
Access Compactor Template

Thanks but a part of my issue with the back-end doing the C&R, "but if the user doesn't have access, and I  customized the ribbon, do they still have access to compact and repair the data tables?" I'm not sure which ribbon the end-user will see if they don't have Access.

Is there an admin that can run it instead?
Could you setup a schedule like the Access Compactor Template and have it run out of hours?

Well, this is just a database app I plan to sell to end users, nothing sophisticated at all.

Part of what's adding to my confusion is the front end is an accde file while the back end is an accdb. Where I'm befuddled is with the accde file I can get into Options where it looks like it be pretty simple for someone to turn it back into an accdb again. Or at least give them access to form/reports. I thought with an accde the Optons would not be accessible. It does look like they can turn on Design. But, as Rich said, if they don't have Access, they wouldn't see it. But I'm confused mostly because I haven't taken the time to try installing the database on a computer without Access and see what the end user is likely to see. Writing the manual for this is up to over 60 pages and quite time consuming.

They would need Access Runtime

I just remembered, I tried that way but all a user had to do was rename the extension to accdb and they was right back in business. I thought I created a foolproof fix for that by having the first form to check the extension of the database but that wouldn't stop somebody who doesn't run the base changing the extension. Eventually they would've found out about my "foolproofing" and just got rid of it. Well, I'm not trying to lock proof the database as much as I'm trying to keep folks from getting into places and goofing things up. I did note that with the accde extension they can get into places but they can't save. Maybe that's enough?

accde -> accdb
accdr -> accdb

How did you create the .accde?

You might want to review the outline of the Access Security Seminar

I think I know what you're asking, I have a source accdb I save as a accde. The accdr was probably a month ago and I think I talked about it with Rich on here.

I didn't realize this but because I had MS Office 2007 installed previously, I had a 32 bit version of Access running. I saw where the mistake came from. When I originally installed Access it did warn me of it needing to be a 32 bit version but I was in a hurry and glossed over the warning. That 2007 MS office didn't come off easy. It had been uninstalled for quite a while but Access (standalone version) was still seeing it in the registry. I used a 3rd party software removal tool to get it off completely and now I got Access x64 bit running. Runs a lot better!

Back to thread topic... from what I can see the accde does not include File: Options in a pc with Access not installed. I put my database (after converting it to x64) on a laptop and Options is grayed out. With that said, I'm getting some stuff happening that's not so bad but I didn't expect this. For one thing, starting up the database on the laptop some messages about a 365 account? And the ribbon is reddish instead of black. Other than some sizing issues everything else seems the same.

Found out that I had the wrong runtime installed or MS has two different runtimes using the same name. Either way, watching Rich's Runtime video got me straightened out on most of it. Well, except why the ribbon is red instead of black but that's no biggie.

Richard You kinda had me spooked there for a second. I went to my eval file and changed it from .accde to .accdb. Thanks goodness it doesn't allow the user to use design features. If that's what you meant.

I think you may have been talking about simulating runtime with a .accdr. which indeed will revert back to a .accdb with just the renaming.

That was my issue too. If someone mentioned runtime, I thought they was talking about accdr. For the longest time I thought any of the accd... extensions constituted an EXE. Wasn't until, I think it was, that I watched Rich's Runtime video that I realized there was another component to all of this I didn't even know was out there. That video and Rich's Distribution video straightened me out on how to distribute a file. And dang if there wasn't something else with Compacting and Trusted Locations that added even more things to know about when trying to distribute an app.