RDS server - 64bit M365 Office with Access 2010 32bit
Posted by OCAU07@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 16 comments
We have a legacy application that needs 32 bit Access 2010 to run.
In 2024 we upgraded this sites infrastructure and installed Office O365ProPlusRetail 64bit using an XML built via the Office Deployment tool. We are using the MonthlyEnterprise update channel. I cannot recall doing this, but an older version of Access must have been installed to allow this legacy application to run.
Yesterday, in 2026 the legacy application stopped working. The old version of Access was removed and the directory path no longer exists. To get the site operational I found a copy of Access 2010 via our MSP and installed. Overnight it auto uninstalled.
I'm getting conflicting information on being able to run 64bit office with standalone older 32bit Access (installed via office Pro 2010 iso) on the same machine however it had been running for 2 years without issue.
I am assuming an update has uninstalled previous versions, any workaround to this potential issue that others have implemented?
overkillsd@reddit
Hire a dev to modernize the app. Don't make a shit sandwich somebody is going to have to eat later.
OCAU07@reddit (OP)
Not an internal app, its an external vendor and this is a niche app for a particular subset of our industry so moving to another vendor isnt possible, i've looked....
iPlayKeys@reddit
Then hire a dev to make a new app. If it’s being done in MS Access 2010, it can’t be doing anything that crazy. The trick is finding someone with some analysis skills that can figure out what’s going on. But seriously, you don’t want your business depending on something like this.
ender-_@reddit
Are you sure there isn't some security solution that's uninstalling the old Access for you? Since Access 2010 install is .msi, it should coexist with 365 just fine (even if this isn't supported).
sembee2@reddit
Build another RDS server with just Access 2010 on it and publish that app only. You should thrn be able to open that published app in the main RDS platform.
ZAFJB@reddit
XY problem.
Fux the app!
su_A_ve@reddit
Put access inside a VM..
OCAU07@reddit (OP)
Not really an option, users log onto the server to use this application and to generate reports/outputs of this application.
BlackV@reddit
so if users log into that system , why couldn't they log into a separate system ? both scenarios seem to imply a remote connection ?
ensum@reddit
IMO I would try to remote app it from a separate VM. Never tried with access 2010 before but i imagine it would work.
BlackV@reddit
does it need access 2010? or can you use the access dbo components?
(I cannot remember the exact name sorry its been many years)
I wouldn't, I would have a single dedicated VM that has this access on it only
JeroenPot@reddit
Better to separate the environments. One with old access and the other modern. Configure the old as published app.
R3luctant@reddit
I ended up installing 32 but M365 office on the few users that I had this issue with.
OCAU07@reddit (OP)
m365 office wont work as the version of Access installed with it doesn't support .ACCDE and .MDW files being used together. It has to be Access 2010
grenade71822@reddit
Can you not use the Access Runtime? We had to use Access for our old LMS system. I didn’t know if you had the full version of access installed or had already tried using the Access Runtime.
iPlayKeys@reddit
This is only going to get more difficult to support. You should really be looking into moving the application to another platform. You will not be able to keep the application reliable.