MS Access Database Engine 2016 not located

[Jshantz8211]

I am using AutoCad Electrical 2021 x64 on Windows 10. On startup I get an error saying that "Microsoft  Access Database Engine 2016 (64-bit) driver cannot be located."  I know the driver is installed and working. I originally had the same error when I first installed the program and i resolved it by switching all my Office products to x64.   It worked for about 3 days then quit again. I have rebooted, uninstalled, reinstalled, deleted, and updated to no avail.  Any suggestions?

I know this is a common issue when you have 32bit microsoft products but I got IT to help me with a manual removal of Office and upgraded to x64. We went through the registry and everything. I also deleted the 32bit access engine and associated C++ and the x64 version successfully installed when I reinstalled AutoCAD. I don't think thats the issue anymore because it worked fine for a bit. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

[dougmcalexander]

My Custom Symbols folder is a separate folder (see screenshot).  It is also defined in the Wiring Diagram Environment file (see screenshot).  I can open a project, go to Project Properties, select the Schematic Libraries category, and click Default (see screenshot) to instantly assign the library path(s) for schematic symbols, including the Custom Symbols folder. 

The Custom Symbols folder should normally be first in the list.  Why?  If you wish to modify one of the stock symbols from Autodesk, copy its file to your Custom Symbols folder.  Modify the version of the symbol file that you copied to your Custom Symbols folder.  Let's say you modified a push-button.  When you click to insert that push-button from the Icon Menu, AutoCAD Electrical searches for the filename for that push-button symbol in the order that the folders appear in Project Properties.  With the Custom Symbols folder listed first, it will find your modified version of the push-button symbol you chose to insert.  Caution: If an older version of the symbol already exists in the drawing, AutoCAD Electrical will use it instead.  You can use the Update Block utility to update the existing symbol blocks on the drawing.  Be sure to select the version from your Custom Symbols folder as the version to update with.

I keep a backup of my Custom Symbols folder.  I never modify the stock symbols in their original folder.  They could be inadvertently overwritten.  I also know that the Custom Symbols folder contains all the symbols I have ever modified.  I tell my Admin+Workflow Class attendees that I call this "good housekeeping".

[jallenDBQ7U]

I tried, but was unable to use the migration utility.  My ACADE 2022 would crash and no longer be able to read the WD.env file.  I would then have to reset to defaults which lost everything. This occurred twice.

If you are using 2022 and modify project properties and select Default does that not alter the project for others using Version 2021 to open the project files?  We had multiple engineers doing drawing edits on the same project (usually not simultaneously). 

As a side note, sometimes we sometimes had problems where two of us would accidentally open the same project (on network) and accidentally undo changes by the other person.  As an example, I removed a couple drawings from a project while someone else had the project open.  Because their ACADE still showed the removed drawings as part of the project, the drawings were never removed from the project.  AutoDESK doesn't use a lock file or even notifications to keep two individuals from opening the same project so you get weird or bad results sometimes in a team environment.

[alds02]

Doug, thanks for the screenshots. It turns out I am using nearly the same method as you are, which gives me some confidence.

In a situation where there are several users and not all of them are using the same version I ended up moving the standard symbols and footprints to the network and having project default paths point there, to avoid fiddling with the year in the paths.

[dougmcalexander]

Vault would help you with constraining who is authorized to make changes to a project and when. 

But the project definition file (.WDP) should be in the same folder as the drawing files.  There should not be a WDP file on your PC and your coworker's PC, both pointing to drawings on the network.  All files for a project should store with the project.  That is the default.  Though the software will allow us to deviate from that, I do not recommend deviating.  With the default file structure, you are both accessing the same WDP file.  If one of you removes a drawing, when the other opens the project, the drawing will not be listed in the Project Manager.

As far as symbol paths go, that is defined in the project.  If you have the project set to a 2022 path and a 2021 user opens the project, they will need to use the Default button to reassign to their library folder structure.  The next time you open the project, you will need to do the same.  This is why many of my customers are setup to share the libraries from a common network drive path. 

If you prefer keeping the library folders on your local PC, use the %SL_DIR% option to define the library paths in the Wiring Diaram Environment (WD.ENV) file (see screnshot).  The %SL_DIR% uses the replaceable parameters method to automatically use the library path for whichever version of AutoCAD Electrical you have installed.  Note that, if someone inserts a symbol that already exists in the drawing, the software will use a copy of the existing symbol, before it will insert one from the library folder.

[jallenDBQ7U]

I wish we would do this but nobody goes along with the idea.   We have numerous teams with different opinions so no single method prevails.

I am also not sure how well a library would work with a huge number of engineers using the same database and library folders. 

[dougmcalexander]

Modern networks use fast switches.  It isn't usually a problem sharing projects, libraries, menus, report formats, and databases.  Sure, there might be a small decrease in access time, but you usually make up for it with not having to fix things that got broken by human error.  I set most of my customers up to share everything.  The vast majority of my customers want uniformity.  In fact, I can't recall one that didn't want uniformity. I do have a hybrid method, but I won't go into that here.

It sounds like you are hamstrung.  

[jallenDBQ7U]

The WDP stays in the project folder for us.  Both of us had the project open without knowing the other had it open as well.  I then removed the DWG files and mine showed they are removed.  The other person did a title block update but it wouldn't update the drawings I had open, so they knew at that point that I had the project open and asked me to close those files for their changes.   I don't remember exactly what I did next but suddenly the drawing files that were removed were back in the project.

What you are explaining on the "default" steps is what we haven't been doing.  Right now I am working with engineers that are all on version 2022 so we should have no trouble.

Thanks for the advice.

[jallenDBQ7U]

Have you needed to do the MSAccess database install multiple times with version 2021?  If you haven't done it yet go to the Microsoft link to follow the steps for update.   If not, let us know since most individuals with the repeat problem seem to be using 2023.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=54920 

[dougmcalexander]

Vault might be your friend.  Or just be sure to communicate with one another while you both work on the same project.  The latter has always been my go-to method.  If I know that I am removing a drawing, or I need to run a project-wide update, I notify the other designer.  I also keep a close eye on the Task List icon.  If I see it illuminate with the green check, I look to see what change(s) has/have been uploaded to the Task List.  If I don't agree, or don't think it looks right, I contact the person who added the change(s) to the Task List, and we discuss it.

[jallenDBQ7U]

Usually our projects are large enough to consist of multiple ACADE projects for different parts of the line.  Each project is then assigned to one individual.  But sometimes we have individuals do updates on all of the projects based on timeline and size of each project which is where we get this conflict.

I have only seen Vault in use at one prior company and it was a similar situation with regard to number of engineers.  That company had a CAD department which was a huge advantage in making decisions of this sort.  At my current company engineers who do CAD also do programming and everything else. 

Maybe we will consider it at some point since our company is growing recently.

[dougmcalexander]

Don't get the impression that I'm promoting Vault.  I don't personally like the constraints.  But there are certain scenarios where the constraints could be worth it.  I prefer to just keep lines of communication open when working on the same project simultaneously with others.  The Task List becomes your friend.  We task an update every time and let others know, so they can review it before we execute.  It also alerts them to the fact that they might need to temporarily exit the project, or at least close all drawings they might have open that need to be updated.

I have served as both CAD manager and design engineer, simultaneously.  We didn't have a CAD department either.  But that experience of designing the schematic, laying out the panel, producing the reports, and writing the PLC code got me to where I am today.  No regrets.

[TRLitsey]

FYI - Everyone in the depart using any version of ACE (2017 through 2021) got this message this morning.  I have seen this before.  Our IT folks logged into my machine remotely.  I told them that in the past this has shown up after a update or some change had occurred to MicroSoft Access so they got into the Access system folder on my machine (Access 2010).  They ran the Set Up exe for Access and reinstalled the Redist driver.  Problem solved.  Once they knew the fix it took them about 5 minutes per machine to get everyone up and running.  Lovely.

Good luck