MS Access MDE applications are compiled Access applications. They behave somewhat differently then source (MDB, ACCDB and ADP) applications.
Let me explain some of the differences:
The VBA source code is removed by Access when an MDE application is created from the source file. The code is not hidden, it is simply not there. All that is left is VBA p-code, a sort of byte code used to run the VBA code logic.
The VBA source can be reverse-engineered from the VBA p-code and the identifier names (Sub, Function, Property, Const, Types and variables) can be recovered from a part of the file that is used by VBA in Access source files and other VBA host applications).
We do not offer an MDE decompilation service at the present time.
The design view of forms and reports is locked, but the forms and reports still exist in the source file's format.
Our Unlock Access MDE Design software can unlock them for changes.
Access tables, queries and macros can be edited without unlocking of the MDE application.
The VBA project, including the project references is locked.
Unlocking the project is useless, since the code is gone, this would only increase the probability of damages to the application.
The VBA password of the original VBA project is also gone.
Access MDE applications are, based on our experience, more stabile and robust then the source files and offer reasonably good security for the VBA code.
