Cannot open report in design mode

[Doug Starkey]

I inherited a database developed by another person who is no longer with
our company. There is a report that is giving me some "funny" output, so
I was trying to find out how this person had designed the report (what
fields were used from what tables, etc.) So, I went to open the report
in Design view. And it just sits there. I see the outline of the report
window but the design never loads. I've waited up to 5 minutes. This
seems exceptionally long when this is only a 1 page report.

Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this? Any "alternate"
ways I could find out how this report is laid out?

TIA,

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Doug

A couple ideas...

First, is there a chance that the PC on which you are doing this has no
default printer defined? If so, Access could be having trouble knowing how
to create a report layout, since it doesn't know where (which printer) it's
headed.

Another possibility is some subtle form of corruption. Have you tried
creating a new, empty Access database file and importing that report
definition, then returning to the original application and re-importing the
report from the second db?

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

 

[Doug Starkey]

Doug

A couple ideas...

First, is there a chance that the PC on which you are doing this has no
default printer defined? If so, Access could be having trouble knowing how
to create a report layout, since it doesn't know where (which printer) it's
headed.

Absolutely certain of a default printer. It may not be the same printer
that the report was designed with... but it has a default printer.

Another possibility is some subtle form of corruption. Have you tried
creating a new, empty Access database file and importing that report
definition, then returning to the original application and re-importing the
report from the second db?

Yes, it locks up exactly the same when I try to import the report into a
new, empty Access database.

Please, tell me there are some other options....

Thanks,

Doug Starkey
Network Administrator
Pecan Deluxe Candy Company
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Doug

Can you actually "run" the report?

Another option, rather than further diagnosis, would be to create
(re-create) the report from scratch.

Perhaps one of the other newsgroup readers has run across this. Have you
tried searching Google.com, or looking at the mvps.org website?

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

 

[Doug Starkey]

Yeah, I can "run" the report. The problem with "re-creating" the report
is I'm not sure which fields were used for some of the data. There is NO
documentation. And, naturally, I get the same "hang" response when I try
to use the analysis function in Access to print the built-in
documentation on the report.

I guess I'm just scr*wed.

Thanks for trying,

Doug Starkey
Network Administrator
Pecan Deluxe Candy Company
(e-mail address removed)

Doug

Can you actually "run" the report?

Another option, rather than further diagnosis, would be to create
(re-create) the report from scratch.

Perhaps one of the other newsgroup readers has run across this. Have you
tried searching Google.com, or looking at the mvps.org website?

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

--

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Doug

A "final" thought ...

Have you made a backup copy and run Compact/Repair?

Regards (and good luck!)

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP