Disappearing Data

[Guest]

We've just switched over to using Access for our database. Previously, the
information was stored in Excel and we transferred it over. The problem is,
now certain new information which has recently been entered disappears! For
instance, we enter dollar amounts, text, and other information, close Access,
go back in again, and it's gone.

Oddly, this doesn't happen with all the data. One department has no trouble
whatsoever and the other has it happen sporadically.

I have these questions: Is there a way to print a log of all data entered
once a session is over to see if Access has accepted and stored the
information?

Would it be beneficial to back up the database EACH time a session with the
office in question is done?

Our IT guy seems to think it has to do with the fact that if the database
administrator makes any changes to the database immediately before or after a
session is done, this is what makes the information disappear. Shouldn't it
then affect every other office's data entry?

 

[Guest]

Hi, Eve.

The problem is,
now certain new information which has recently been entered disappears! For
instance, we enter dollar amounts, text, and other information, close Access,
go back in again, and it's gone.

Oddly, this doesn't happen with all the data. One department has no trouble
whatsoever and the other has it happen sporadically.

Bet it happens to certain "habitual offenders" more often than others, huh?
(They are likely not doing something that the others are.)

Without looking over every user's shoulder when they are entering data, it's
hard to tell for sure, but there is a known bug that allows this to happen.
Please see the following Web page for Allen Browne's (Access MVP)
explanation, an example, and a solution:

http://allenbrowne.com/bug-01.html

Is there a way to print a log of all data entered
once a session is over to see if Access has accepted and stored the
information?

There's no built-in transaction log, but one could (painstakingly) write the
code that would do this. However, it's much better and easier to use a
client/server database instead that uses transaction logs to safeguard the
data.

Would it be beneficial to back up the database EACH time a session with the
office in question is done?

Always ensure that there are backups, but if the data wasn't saved when the
form was closed, no amount of backups will retrieve the lost data from the
bit bucket.

Our IT guy seems to think it has to do with the fact that if the database
administrator makes any changes to the database immediately before or after a
session is done, this is what makes the information disappear.

What type of changes is he making? If he's altering the table structure
after a user's session ends and that eliminates a field in the table, then
yes, the database administrator just lost all the data in that field in every
record. (If the alteration is before a session, and forms are bound to the
table and expect that field to exist, then the user will receive an error
message, so there's no "surprise" that something is wrong.) I can't imagine
a database administrator's activities making data disappear unless there's a
logical reason for it, such as a certain field's data is no longer needed in
that table, or he's eliminating duplicates prior to establishing a unique key
to prevent future duplicates.

Shouldn't it
then affect every other office's data entry?

Some problems depend upon timing. Some are lucky to open the database after
the back end has been "fixed" by the database administrator, and some may be
unlucky to have opened it beforehand. You'll need to troubleshoot to find
out what the problem is. It could be as simple as an intermittent network
connection or a user turning off the power to the workstation while the
Access database is still open.

HTH.
Gunny

See http://www.QBuilt.com for all your database needs.
See http://www.Access.QBuilt.com for Microsoft Access tips.

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