ACC2: "Unexpected Error from External Database Driver [7]"

ID: Q116383

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

When you are working with an attached Btrieve table, you may receive the following error message:

Unexpected error from external database driver [7]

Or, a query based on an attached Btrieve table does not return any records in Microsoft Access version 2.0. This same query does return records correctly in Microsoft Access version 1.x.


CAUSE

The problems stated above are caused by an error in the BTRV200.DLL Btrieve ISAM driver that is installed by Microsoft Access 2.0.


RESOLUTION

An updated Btrieve ISAM driver is available in the Microsoft Software Library (MSL). This driver is for use by registered owners of Microsoft Access version 2.0 and Microsoft Visual Basic version 3.0 for Windows - Professional Edition only. By downloading this driver, you are indicating that you are a registered owner of one of these products. For downloading instructions, please see the "INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOWNLOADING" section later in this article.


STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Access version 2.0. This problem no longer occurs with the Microsoft Jet database engine version 2.5, which is available with the Microsoft Access version 2.0 Service Pack. For information about how to obtain the Service Pack, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q122927 WX1124: Microsoft Access Version 2.0 Service Pack


MORE INFORMATION

You can differentiate between the original and updated drivers by checking the file sizes. The original BTRV200.DLL file has a file size of 110,592 bytes. The updated file has a file size of 110,624 bytes. For a network installation of Microsoft Access, install the updated file in the ACCESS\SYSTEM directory. For a stand-alone installation of Microsoft Access, install the updated file in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.

NOTE: Do not install the updated file before installing Microsoft Access. You should install Microsoft Access first, then install the updated driver.

How to Install the Updated Driver After Downloading

Stand-Alone Installation:
  1. Make a backup copy of the original BTRV200.DLL file by renaming it, or by copying it to another location. The BTRV200.DLL file is in the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.


  2. Copy the updated BTRV200.DLL file to the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory.


Network Installation:
  1. The network administrator should make a backup copy of the original BTRV200.DLL file by renaming it, or by copying it to another location. The BTRV200.DLL file is in the ACCESS\SYSTEM directory on the network server.


  2. The network administrator should copy the updated BTRV200.DLL file to the ACCESS\SYSTEM directory on the network server.


  3. The network administrator should make a backup copy of the SETUP.INF file by renaming it, or by copying it to another location. The SETUP.INF file is located in the ACCESS installation directory on the network server.


  4. The network administrator should open the SETUP.INF file in any text editor (such as Windows Notepad), and change the line that reads 
    
     "DLL"= 1,SYSTEM\BTRV200.DLL,,,,,,1033,,,,,,,SHARED,110592,,,,2.0.0.13,

    to read: 
    
     "DLL"= 1,SYSTEM\BTRV200.DLL,,,,,,1033,,,,,,,SHARED,110592,,,,2.0.0.15,



  5. After making this change, the network administrator should save and then close the SETUP.INF file.

    This modification changes the internal version from 2.0.0.13 to 2.0.0.15. Changing the internal version number in the SETUP.INF file will cause future workstation installations of Microsoft Access to install the updated Btrieve driver on workstations that have a copy of the original Btrieve driver.


  6. The network administrator should make the updated BTRV200.DLL file available to those who have installed Microsoft Access to their local workstation hard disks. These users should copy the updated file to their WINDOWS\SYSTEM directories.


INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOWNLOADING


~ BTR200.EXE

   is available for download from the Microsoft Software Library.

For more information about downloading files from the Microsoft Software Library, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services



Btrieve is manufactured by Pervasive Software, a vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding this product's performance or reliability. 


Keywords          : kb3rdparty kberrmsg kbfile Softlib 
Version           : 2.0
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: April 3, 1999