Linked Database

[Kathy Clark]

We'd like to add fields to our Access database. The error message tells us
that we can't do this because we have a linked database. We copied the
database to a new computer but it's not linked to anything. Any suggestions
to get around this error message?

 

[Ken Sheridan]

It sounds like your database is made up of a front end and a back end, which
is a good thing for various reasons. The front end is the file you open when
using the database and contains the forms. reports queries etc, but links to
the tables not the tables themselves. The back end contains just the tables.
Amongst other things this means you can have several copies of the front end
on different machines on a network all using the same tables in the back end
on a server.

To amend a table definition you need to amend the 'real' table in the back
end, not the link in the front end. To find the location of the back end
table open your front end and press Ctrl + G. This will open the debug
window (aka the immediate window). In that window enter:

? CurrentDb.TableDefs("NameOfYourTable").Connect

This will return a string which includes the path to the back end file.

If you change the location of a back end file you can refresh the links
using the built in Linked Table Manager (Tools | Database Utilities | Linked
Table Manager on the main database menu bar – in my version of Access at
least)

Ken Sheridan
Stafford, England

 

[Kathy Clark]

Thanks, Ken. I did what you said. Got some error messages. Clicked right
on through that got to add my columns. The final error message told me that
I couldn't change linked tables and that my change would affect data entered
since the last save. I checked and the information we entered a couple of
hours ago is there so I think the database is okay.

appreciate your help.

Kathy