#learn access database

How To Run Microsoft Access On A Mac PC Using CrossOver Software – Alternative Options

Firstly, let’s clarify that Microsoft Office for Mac does not include the microsoft access database application which is why we have to take such steps.

The alternatives and work around could include:

1. Using the free runtime version for an exectuable file only or a third party web app which is now available for the iPad so you can load Access as a viewer only should you need to just read…

When I first started to use Microsoft Access (back in 1993) which was then version 1.1 and quickly moved to the newer version of 2.0, you had various options available that could be set to change the behaviour of how you viewed and ran the basic objects. It probably took you no more than 15 minutes to discover, read (in the help files) and apply all settings that Microsoft Access databases had to offer – job done, never having to return to this area again!

Move forward 20 plus years and working with Access version 2013 you now have to either employ an individual to study and constantly refine the permutations of how Microsoft Access will work, behave and look. Okay, I may have exaggerated a little about employing and individual but your get the point! You need to spend a lot more time to understand the individual settings in isolation followed by how they are affected when coupled with other settings to get the best or at least the balance of how Microsoft Access database applications will serve you (and your business).

Microsoft Access Database: 5 Settings To Avoid With Microsoft Access Options Causing You Headaches – continued

I personally do not like all the settings that users can choose as I believe they cause performance problems and some instances causes system failures too which are called bugs though the developers at Microsoft may call them ‘characteristics of the system‘.

However, the following options and settings may need to be understood and at best either left alone or perhaps enforced to help handle unknown and performance problems that this application could challenge you with.

I have listed 5 settings for your perusal – you can make the decision. The following are found (using Microsoft Access 2013) via ‘File‘ backstage tab, under the Options command in the backstage area of your application:

Compact on Close – which can be found in the Current Database section when enabled will automatically compact and repair your database when closing the ACCDB file. Personally, do not set it! You can always compact and repair this manually which is better as it will help increase the application’s performance and more importantly you should only run this when in either ‘Exclusive‘ mode or you are the only person using the database file and have taken back-ups first.

AutoIndex on Import/Create – which can be found in the Object Designers section. It is automatically enabled and populated with four keywords; id, key, code and num. Leave this enabled and even add more generic keywords to it that you feel would serve as a unique name identifier. This feature will automatically assign an index key to it which will speed up your reporting namely those queries.

Confirm – which can be found in Advanced section. Never, never switch all three options off; leave them enabled. There are three settings; Record changes, Document deletions and Action queries which are designed to prompt the user before you delete records, objects and run action queries as once executed cannot be reversed.

No locks – found in the Advanced section too and should be left like this as it will allow appending or importing data into various tables more freely and unless there are a large number of concurrent users on the system then this keeps the system free from preventing changes and restricting record and page conflicts.

Set Trusted locations – which is found in the Trust Center Settings (button) is where you can manage and prevent the horrible pop-up banner users see when starting a database file other than from the default location on your pc. You simply train the system by adding locations (paths) with the option of specifying sub-folders included to avoid the disabling of any macro and module based code that is lurking in the database file.

Of course I could add another 5 options that I believe should be left alone and really only controlled via VBA code with the design intent of users being aware of how they wish to control an Access database.

Final point is that I have used Microsoft Access 2013 in this article and the above will also be applicable to earlier versions but located in different places if not slightly worded differently too.

Another Tip for you! Talking of VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), you can really take full control and dynamically set options with various events to help handle performance with functionality making the best of the Microsoft Access application. You call the main keyword Application.SetOption followed by the string value assigned normally to a numeric or boolean value i.e. Application.SetOption “Show Status Bar”, True

MICROSOFT ACCESS DATABASE: WHERE’S THE SWITCHBOARD MANAGER TOOL?

If you have been using Microsoft Access Database for quite some time and been through a few upgrades over the years and ended up with the latest version (currently Access 2016/Office 365), then you will have noticed many changes, newer look and feel, new features and older utilities and tools being dropped (deprecated).

One example is the Switchboard Manager tool which up until version 2007 was…

If you have been using Microsoft Access Database for quite some time and been through a few upgrades over the years and ended up with the latest version (currently Access 2016/Office 365), then you will have noticed many changes, newer look and feel, new features and older utilities and tools being dropped (deprecated).

One example is the Switchboard Manager tool which up until version 2007 was the easiest way to create custom built menu forms to allow users to easily navigate to other objects (typically forms and reports).

With later releases of MS Access, a newer tool was added and replaced the older tool called Navigation Forms which can be found under the ‘Create’ tab on the ribbon bar.

However, to keep the seasoned user happy, you can actually still get access to the older tool as it’s not really gone but just hidden from view!

Also note, that If you were a dab hand at using the keyboard shortcuts in Access and knew the ALT + T + I sequence that used to call the tool pop-up but alas, that’s actually gone too.

So, here’s how to gain access to it:

1. You need to customise the ribbon bar and add the ‘Switchboard’ icon back via the Access Options, Customize Ribbon section (which can be found in the Backstage). 2. In the Access Options screen, locate the section and select ‘All Commands’ to view all icons available. You can create a new group under the current ‘Database Tools’ group and call it ‘Administrator’ (or anything you like). You can optionally set an icon for it too.

You can now drag n drop the icon called ‘Switchboard Manager’ over to the new group.

3.  Close and return back to your main Microsoft Access database application window and view the ‘Database Tools’ tab and notice your new section and icon.

4.  You can now run the tool and as expected, the same functionality and checks will operate as before.

There you have it, the old actually is still there (and makes perfect to keep it going).

I guess newbie users will lean towards the new Navigation Forms for building easy to use navigation with more and richer options to choose and leave us old-fogies alone!

Ultimately, if you are a VBA programmer, you may create a hybrid and real customised interface instead but that just shows you how powerful and flexible Microsoft Access databases can be.

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 MS access is a great database tool and it has great built-in functions to help you create a database, explore more.

Who says software is perfect? Microsoft Access database is no different and can suffer to either poor programming or bad computer memory, cluster blockages or fragmentation build up.

One common error code seen (but not often arises) in your MS Access is “Error 3112” with a supporting message implying records cannot be read; no read permission for a particular table or even a system table (which is normally hidden).

So, when working on your Microsoft Access database and opening either a MDB/MDE/ACCDB/ACCDE file, and you see this unexpected error “Record(s) cannot be read; no read permission on ‘….’ ”, you can assume somehow your database file has become corrupted.Also, you may also come across the same error code 3112 if you are trying to access a file for which you do not have the required amount of permissions but then again, you should have a better handle on the latter.

However, if you have full access and there no restrictions to a file in your server (or client system) with administrator rights, this will probably be the unlikely cause of the error but if you are a guest (login) to the Windows O/S, you may find this error being genuine and you should seek an administrator to investigate the issue.

Going back to the probable reason namely a corrupted file, my first attempt would be to carry out a compact and repair action which is a built-in Access tool to remove any locks and effectively recompile your database which might just re-index and rebuild your database file.

As a good practice, you should have taken regular back-ups as part of your administrative duty and could always revert to the last good database file which may prevent a minimal loss of data between the last good back and current state of play. In fact, as a side-note to this topic, before a compact and repair is carried out, a backup before should have been taken too.

What else can you do?

If the compact and repair has failed, you could attempt to open the database file via a ‘back-door’ approach though this may still throw up the same error. You will only find out when you attempt to do so.

One method is to create a new blank database file and then import one or a handful of tables at a time and test by opening the new database tables and pinpoint where and which table is causing offence. Just remember that you will need re-establish any relationships and other properties to get back to your original state.

You could even write some Access VBA code calling the database file into memory and interrogate the objects there. A more complex approach but doable.

There are third-party vendors who claim to be able to provide software to recover lost or corrupted database files and probably they work too but unable to verify any due to the fact in the past, I have used VBA myself to rebuild and repair database files (for clients) and guessing this is just a wrapped-up product that do the same!