>I'll explain this in terms of Access97. You would have a master database on a server. Each user would have a replica (copy) of the database on their machine. This replica is what the user edits. At any time, when connected to the server, the user can 'replicate' their replica with the server copy. This causes their changes to be written to the server and any changes on the server (i.e. other users replicating) to be written to their replica. If more than one user edits the same record then a conflict is produced.

What kind of network environment are we talking about here? Are you distributing data across a WAN? I'm wondering why you are trying to re-invent client server behaviour in Access (at least that what it sounds like to me)