Make 32-bit Access large address aware (LAA)
Now that the 32-bit version of Outlook 2016 becomes large address aware (see https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Large-Address-Aware-in-Outlook-2016-ea0913e4-2917-4456-b0ea-935dbd57ef02), it would be great to get that for MS Access as well.
(We hit the 2GB barrier every now and then when batch-exporting MS Access reports as PDF. Having 4GB support would be great. Upgrading to Office 64-bit is usually not an option in corporate environments depending on third-party add-ins.)
Anonymous
shared this idea
Thank you for your feedback. This work is in scope to be completed within the next few months. The Access team appreciates your patience in advance.
17 comments
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Peter Fors
commented
Will this solve the issue "Cannot open more databases"?
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Josef Schasching
commented
PLEASE change this, I have very often this problem
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Anonymous
commented
https://accessusergroups.org/et/event/access-et-2-2019-12-20/ (Video by Karl Donaubauer + Files)
https://www.insidesql.org/blogs/2019/12/20/minimize-access-32-bit-memory-problems-on-64 (First half is german, second the english translation) -
Bob Alston
commented
Yes Please add it.
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Thomas Becker
commented
I first heard about it on DonKarl.com I had extreme trouble in the past due to the memory problem in my applications.
If I now hear that Excel and Outlook have had this for a long time, I can't understand it anymore.
Please listen to the developers!!! It is urgently necessary that this is implemented in the standard! -
Ben Sacheri
commented
Here's a video by Karl Donaubauer where he demonstrates the issue and shows ways to work around this problem. Our plea is for Microsoft to make this feature built-in to Access so no hack is needed.
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Brian
commented
Long overdue. Such an easy fix for otherwise extremely complex workarounds.
Agree "This has to be done!!!"
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Adrian Bell (MVP)
commented
What can I say that hasn't been said already?
I can't say how hard a change it might be to make, but as far as benefits go it seems a no-brainer. Access is an environment where many many applications have been around for years and often they've grown far beyond original designs. This frequently leads to problems with this 'artificial' 2GB limit. Doubling that would add years to the viability of some projects.
Thos would really make a difference. -
Dale Fye
commented
Strongly support the idea of making all versions of Access, which are still in support, Large Address Aware. This seems like it would be such a simple adjustment to the Access executable, which has already been done for Excel and Outlook.
There are third party tools available to do this, but they generally require administrator permissions to run, and which may be overwritten by future updates to the MSAccess.exe file. Let's just make it happen for all versions of Access which are still under Microsoft support!
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Karen Dean
commented
Please make this setting for Access - it makes perfect sense and will keep a lot of users from moving away from Access to avoid this memory issue.
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George Hepworth
commented
I just saw Karl's presentation regarding the problems of Memory and Resource shortages. Setting the Large Address Aware flag for Access seems like it will go a long way towards solving one of the most frustrating problems facing Access Relational Database Applicaton Developers.
This has to be done.
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Philipp Stiefel
commented
Access Applications that show multiple forms, each containing several subforms, side by side run into out-of-memory-errors very quickly. This is a completely reproducible issue. Currently the only mitigation is to limit the number of open forms. To reliably prevent the issue a max limit of no more than 5(!) forms may be required.
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Klaus Oberdalhoff commented
Excellent idea, that would minimze my crashes because out of memory ... mfg Klaus Oberdalhoff
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Stephan Kraft
commented
Some complex MS Access Applications don´t run with Access 2019, because there is not enough free virtual memory.
The only way is to transform the 32 bit version into 64 bit.
A lot of work for nothing.
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B. Clothier
commented
When you consider that there are Access applications that has worked in previous versions, and the only difference is that they upgraded to a new version of Access, it becomes a HUGE disincentive for them to consider upgrading the application, which is also bad in terms of supporting because that broadens the scope of support. If you want them to upgrade, you need to be able to provide same experience they had with the previous versions -- not running out of memory just because they only have 20 forms open. Access has long ago published a specification of hard limits and that has not been changed since. Enabling the LAA would be a simple way to enable those complex application continue to run well on newer versions of Access.
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Karl Donaubauer
commented
I've often read it as a problem in forums and e-mails I get from desperate Access users and developers. Access and its objects (especially forms) need more virtual memory with almost every version. A lot of existing, working applications with complex forms etc. break because of this increase when people try to use them in newer versions. So far there's no real solution for the problem. This could do the trick for many people.
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Juan Soto
commented
I endorse this idea whole heartedly! Excel has joined Outlook as mentioned here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3160741/large-address-aware-capability-change-for-excel
My clients are constantly getting error messages with complex Access applications that require code to minimize the memory footprint. If you agree, please vote for this improvement AND LEAVE a comment for the Access team explaining WHY this is needed.