Frequently Asked Questions 

Wise or MSI, which one is right for me?
What other software do I need besides a Sagekey solution?
Can SageKey help me build my installation?
What can I do with the MSI Wizard?
Which version of Access runtime should I use?
Do you still support Access 97 and 2000?
Should I upgrade to the latest version of Access?
What do I need in order to distribute a runtime installation?
What help can I get in building my installation?
Am I compatible with machines running Vista and/or Access 2007?
What are the version 2 products and what are the changes from version 1?

Need more information specific to your runtime version?
Access 2007 runtime
Access 2003 runtime
Access 2002 runtime
Access 2000 runtime
Access 97 runtime

Has your question not been answered? Email us at info@sagekey.com.

• Wise or MSI, which one is right for me?

  Wise is a very powerful install tool. As it's script based you will have the ability to completely control your install and tailor it to do exactly what you need. Our Wise scripts require you to have a copy of Wise Installation Studio. You can click the Wise Solutions logo to learn more about this product.

  MSI stands for Microsoft Installer and is a free technology that comes with Windows. Our Wizard will help you build an MSI based install and is a standalone product - no third party software needed. You can build an install in a few minutes and if it doesn't do exactly as you wish, you can edit the MSI using a free tool from Microsoft called Orca. As the product is a Wizard, it will enable you to build a boiler plate install with a front end, back end, help file, shortcuts and support files.

  Both products will build solid installs that work on all versions of Windows that they're designed to work on and coexist with all versions of Access.

• What other software do I need besides a Sagekey solution?

  If you choose to use our Wise scripts, you will also need a Wise compiler. The most recent release from Wise was the Wise Installation Studio 7. Our scripts have also been tested with Wise InstallMaster 7, Wise InstallBuilder 8 and Wise Installation System 9. Click the Wise logo to the left to read more on the Wise Installation Studio. You cannot build a Wise script install using Wise Installation Express.

  If you choose to use our MSI Wizard you won't need to purchase any other software to work alongside it. MSI technology is part of the Windows operating system.

  The Access 2007 runtime is free to download and redistribute.

  The other runtime versions (2003, 2002, 2000 and 97) require you to own a copy of the developer extensions (Office developer or Visual Studio tools for Office depending on the Access version). You may already have a copy of the runtime but owning the developer extensions is the license you need to redistribute the runtime. For Access 2003 see microsoft.com for more information.

• Can SageKey help me build my installation?

  We certainly can. Whether you're looking to have us build your installation from scratch, check it over or test it for you we will be happy to ensure that you're confident in distributing your application.

  Our team has 10 years experience of building and testing thousands of installs.

  If this is something you would like to pursue further then please contact info@sagekey.comor call 1-888-248-0055.

• What can I do with the MSI Wizard?

  MSI is a very complex technology which is why we developed a wizard to help create installations.

  The Wizard will take information about your application such as company name, product name etc. It uses that information in a few ways such as the installation location, user profile in the registry and shortcut names. It wraps up the runtime, together with your application and support files into one simple install. You also have the ability to add your own help file, custom icon and license file. The wizard will also scan your application for reference files you should include in the install.

  You have the choice of creating a single file (useful for download) or a breakdown of runtime, application and cab files (useful if you wish to edit the msi and for distribution on cd).

  When run, the install created using the Wizard will install the application using the usual default installation screens onto the target machine and, if selected during the build, will install shortcuts to the application on the desktop and the program group.

  The wizard uses a template msi file (an empty install) and adds data to it. As such this template can be edited so that the install can be tailored to suit your exact installation needs. If this is not possible then the msi built by the wizard can be edited after compilation.

• Which version of Access runtime should I use?

  The quick answer is - the same version as you've developed in.

  Unless you deliver with the runtime from the same version of Access that you developed in, you may run into problems. If you have several different versions of Access but only wish to distribute with one version of the runtime, only testing will show you any potential pitfalls.

• Do you still support Access 97 and 2000?

  We know that runtime solutions for Access 97 and 2000 installed using our tools work with operating systems up to and including Vista.  However, Microsoft stopped supporting Access 97 in 2002 and Access 2000 in 2004, so they will not be ensuring their compatibility with the next version of Windows or even service packs to the current versions of Windows.

  With this in mind, if you are still using Access 97 or 2000 you might want to consider upgrading at some point to ensure the longevity of your application.

• Should I upgrade to the latest version of Access?

  Not necessarily unless it provides you with some functionality that you specifically need. 

  Of course, as Microsoft stop supporting their older products, as it already has with Access 97 and Access 2000, it does mean that certain issues may arise. The longer the runtime has been out of Microsoft's support window, the harder it is to ensure compatibility on later operating systems or operating system service packs.

  Our products have been tested on each operating system that the runtime is documented to work on. That means that you can be confident that whether you're using Access 97, 2000, 2002, 2003 or 2007 it has been fully tested on each operating system available.

• What do I need in order to distribute a runtime installation?

  Using either of our installation products (for Wise or MSI) you need to have the Microsoft Access runtime. You can get this from the applicable developer extensions. It is those developer extensions (Office Developer for Access 97,2000,2002 or Visual Studio Tools for Office for Access 2003) that provide you with the license to distribute the runtime.

  The exception to this is the 2007 runtime which is available as a free download from the Microsoft website and is also free to distribute.

  If you use our Wise scripts, you would also need to purchase Wise Installation Studio. The MSI Wizard requires no further software purchase.

  You do not require anything else in order to distribute an install unless your application relies on it.

• What help can I get in building my installation?

  We provide a comprehensive help file which will walk you through from what to do now you've installed the product through building the install, compiling it and distributing it.

  You will also get 90 days of free support to ensure that you can quickly and easily understand our products and have your application distributed in the timeframe you're looking at. Our support hours are Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm PST (GMT-8) and we will endeavour to return your email or call within 24 hours of receiving it.

  If you would prefer to have the confidence from Sagekey building your installation for you, please contact us at info@sagekey.com or call on 1-888-248-0055.

• Am I compatible with machines running Vista and/or Access 2007?

  Version 2 of our products were released in March 2007. An install built using these products will ensure that you are not only compatible with machines running Vista and Access 2007 but the same install will work on all previously compatible versions of Windows and all versions of Access from 97 to 2007.

  If you would like to order these products, please click here.

• What are the version 2 products and what are the changes from version 1?

  Version 2 of our products are compatible with all Windows systems that each version of Access is designed to work with and provide coexistence with Access from 97 to 2007.

  They are a complete redevelopment of our previous products, we've made the upgrade a simple as possible for both our Wise script and MSI Wizard. Wizard users should uninstall their old product and reinstall the new. The project file from previous installs will work with the new version. For customers upgrading their Wise product, there is a knowledge base article on how to upgrade here.

  If you would like to order these products, please click here. If you are an existing customer then logging in will give you the option to upgrade.