Updating Data in a Linked Table Not Supported

[Guest]

Hi,

With Access 2003, the following error occurs when running an update query
that is based on a linked table:

"Updating data in a linked table is not supported by this ISAM" Error 3616

The update query is based on a query that's based on a query that contains
the linked table. The goal is to take data from the linked table A and
update it to unlinked table B so that I may update and add fields to table B.


Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'm not a programmer, so please,
when you start talking "front end" or "back end" database, I have no clue
what that means.

Thanks.

Mary

 

[John Nurick]

Hi Mary,

1) Some kinds of linked table can't be updated (e.g. tables linked to
text files and spreadsheets), so if your query is trying to do this it
will fail, probably with that message.

2) When an update query is based on other queries or tables not all of
which are themselves updatable, Access's Jet database engine sometimes
decides that the query can't be run even though the only fields it's
actually trying to update are in a table that can be updated.

3) Often the best work-round is to use a temporary table (which will be
updatable) to store the results of one of the intermediate query (i.e.
you turn the intermediate query into an append query). Then use the
temporary table in the update query.

 

[Guest]

Thank you John. The work-around was excellent.

Mary