>Fred,
>
> It does work when included in the same app or exe. However, my core problem is how to access 284MB of read-only tables WITHOUT including them in the main exe. Distributing a 300MB exe is a bit overwhelming and difficult to update. Isolating the data in a dedicated app that opened all the tables WAS a viable solution in 2.6. It doesn't work in 6.0.
>
>My fear is that any other conceivable solution might be subject to the same dilemma: VFP6.0 SELECT SQL statements needing an actual file for all tables. If I encrypt the tables, would the SELECT SQL statements fail as well?
>
>
>>Have you tried including the table in the second .APP file, too? Since it's read/only you should have exactly the same data.

If the data is encrypted, nothing in VFP wil lbe able to deal with it until they are decrypted.

Maybe you can just distribute the tables separately, marked as read/only and open them with USE table NOUPDATE?