About ADE files (ADP)

Be sure to save a copy of your original Access project file. If you need to modify the design of forms, reports, or modules in an Access project file that you have saved as an .ade file, you must modify the original Access project, and then resave it as an .ade file.

You won't be able to open, convert, or run code in an Access 2002 or later .ade file in future versions of Access. The only way to convert an Access 2002 or later .ade file to a future version will be to open the original Access project that the .ade file was created from, convert it to the later version of Access, and then save the converted Access project file as an .ade file.

Some restrictions may prevent you from saving your Access project file as an .ade file:

• You must have password access to the VBA code if a password is defined.
• If your Access project references another Access project or add-in, you must save all Access projects and add-ins in the chain of references as .ade or .mde files.

If you try to create an .ade file from an Access project file or an add-in that references another Access project or add-in, Access displays an error message and doesn't let you complete the operation. To save an Access project that references another Access project as an .ade file, you must save all projects in the chain of references as .ade or .mde files, starting from the first project referenced. After saving the first project as an .ade or .mde file, you must then update the reference in the next project to point to the new file before saving it as an .ade file, and so on.

For example, if Project1.adp references Project2.adp, which references Project3.mda, you would proceed as follows:

1. Save Project3.mda as Project3.mde.
2. Open Project 2.adp and change its reference to point to the new Project3.mde.
3. Save Project2.adp as Project2.ade.
4. Open Project1.adp and change its reference to point to the new Project2.ade.
5. Save Project1.adp as Project1.ade.