Access 2000, 2002 and BTRIEVE 6.14 problems with memo fields

I have client with a legacy ERP application that runs on BTRIEVE 6.14, they use Access to fulfill some of their reporting needs; they want to upgrade to Office Current but testing of the reporting system proved fatal to Access 2000.
When touching linked tables there is no problem until you step into memo fields which causes Access to cease to exist and leaves the ODBC connection open on the BTRIEVE database server.
Does anyone have a solution other than upgrading the legacy database?
Clearly this is a bug in the way Microsoft's products now interact with the Pervasive ODBC driver and therefore is a bug introduced by the new software, visavie Access 2000/2002. Modifying queries to be SQL Pass Thru skirting the MSJet database kills Access so fast it is breath taking.