How to release MS Access LDB lock file after created it - vb.net

Question

sorry for long text.
Problem: I have difficulty in removing the LDB generated by the "CREATE" method of ADOX in the following code segment. Please provides some hints/pointers to the solutions, and thanks.
Aims: Create (on the fly) a new access database and then export data (says Arena modules) to that newly created database.
Expected: The newly created access database should be able to be used by some external operations, say Access.exe, after the end of the subroutine and without exiting the current VB program.
I tested that the "Arena code" do nothing about the create/release of the ldb file.
I tested the "Exclusive Mode" in connection string, but the access file is still locked by the vb program.
I tested under both inside the VB environment, and directly invoke the generated from Explorer, and same results.
Other database formats is not the options to me. (due to Arena export limit)
It is not a web app.
Code:
Sub Method1()
Dim logs As New System.Collections.Generic.List(Of String)
Dim arenaApp As Arena.Application = Nothing
Try
logs.Add("Creating access database")
Try
Dim cat As New ADOX.Catalog
cat.Create("Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=new.mdb;Jet OLEDB:Engine Type=5")
cat = Nothing
Catch ex As Exception
logs.Add(ex.Message)
logs.Add(ex.StackTrace)
Finally
logs.Add("End creating access database")
End Try
'Opening Arena model"
arenaApp = New Arena.Application()
arenaApp.Models.Open(fileName)
arenaApp.ActiveModel.ExportModules("", "new.mdb", "TableName", "", Arena.smExportType.smExportAll)
Catch ex As Exception
logs.Add(ex.Message)
logs.Add(ex.StackTrace)
Finally
...
End Try
End Sub
Platform:
Windows 7 64bit, Office 2010 (32)
VB 2010 express
Lib: MS ADO Ext. 2.8 for DDL and Security

Answer 1

What about closing the mdb after creation, then reopening it ?
I am not a VS expert, but in Access, many things in "Design mode" put the mdb in Exclusive mode...and you can't switch back without closing it first i suspect.

Answer 2

If you want to create a database, its probably simpler to PInvoke SQLConfigDataSource. Then you can connect to it via ADODB, ADO.NET or your VB.NET data access methodology of choice.
I don't have an example of doing it in VB.NET, but this C# class and this powershell script demonstrate how to call the function.

Answer 3

I know it's an old question. I encountered exactly the same issue today. Some comments ask why use ADOX, that's because first, it's from legacy code, and second, I didn't find any other ways to dynamically create mdb file.
In VB6, whenever you set adox = Nothing, this com object will be released immediately and so is the ldb file.
In .Net, you have to rely on GC to collect the adox before ldb file is unlocked.
So, I made the following trick. I know it's ugly, but I didn't find any other ways, and at least my trick worked.
Dim t As New Thread(
Sub
'All adox code should be here
'....
'....
adox = Nothing
End Sub
)
t.Start()
t.Join()
t = Nothing
GC.Collect()
Sleep(50)