Labels freeze and close Access

[Guest]

I just added a mailing label query and report to an application I've been
working on and as soon as I link it as a control button on one of my pages it
freezes the entire program and shuts it down. When I reopen the database I'm
not able to use anything in it through the forms I have previously used
without incident. No matter what I try to do through forms it just freezes
the entire program and shuts it down.

I go back to the pre-mailing label addition version of it and no problems -
it hums. What could be causing this and how to fix?

 

[Guest]

It sounds like your database has suffered some corruption. Try the following:

Create a brand new database and immediately disable the NameAutocorrupt
feature (see: http://allenbrowne.com/bug-03.html for reasons why you want to
do this). Then import all objects from the suspect database into the new
database, one group at a time. In other words, import all tables (but not
linked tables), then import all queries, then all forms, etc. While Access
will allow you to import all objects in one operation, the experts at FMS,
Inc. (a Microsoft Partner), have stated that it is best to import objects one
group at a time (Reference:
http://www.fmsinc.com/ubb/Forum12/HTML/000285.html).

Recreate any linked tables from scratch. Access can cache a lot of
information about linked tables, which may no longer be valid, so it's always
best to recreate the linked tables from scratch. When importing local tables,
make sure to check the option to import relationships, menus and toolbars,
and import/export specs. If any of the local tables in the source DB are
hidden, you'll need to first unhide them. You will need to set the checked
references to match the source database, along with any startup options set
under Tools > Startup. Going through this process often times solves
corruption problems, because you get a new set of the hidden system tables
(the tables whose names start with "MSYS"). These system tables are updated
appropriately as you import objects.

This may sound like a lot of work, but it really isn't. Creating a new
container DB, disabling NameAutocorrect, importing all objects one group at a
time, re-establishing any linked tables, setting startup options, and setting
references to match the source DB is usually a fairly quick procedure. When
you are in the Visual Basic Editor, in order to check that the references
match the source DB, you should do a Debug > Compile ProjectName as well.


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP

http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/search.html
__________________________________________

 

[Guest]

Thank you very much for your help. When I imported I unintentionally
overlooked your "(but not the linked tables)" caution. I did notice that the
three modules in my database I had converted from macros a few weeks ago had
been modified yesterday but I don't remember doing it - gremlins must have
been at work.

Actually, I remember getting a prompt about modifiying a module after
creating one of my reports yesterday, and couldn't save the report without
answering yes, so I went ahead and did it. I did not import those modules,
as I now suspect that modification was the cause of my problems.

The database runs fine now, even though I imported the linked tables against
your sage advice. I added my mailing labels query and report and no problems
have arisen. Could there be any problems lurking in the table cache this
shortcut to your suggestion only temporarily masked?

 

[Guest]

I'm glad to read that this seems to have solved the issue.

Could there be any problems lurking in the table cache this
shortcut to your suggestion only temporarily masked?

It's always best to re-create table links from scratch. Whether or not this
will be a problem is impossible to say with any degree of certainty. To be on
the safe side, you can simply delete the linked tables, compact the database,
and then use File > Get External Data... to relink the tables.

Michael Kaplan has posted the following:
"One thing you can look at is the deletion/recreation of links. I have been
amazed at how much stuff gets cached in the links for tables, and also how
much of what is cached is based on usage patterns (so that if the two users
make use of a link two different ways, the info might be different). Deleting
and recreating the link can often resolve these weird cases.
Reference: http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/splitapp/details.htm

Also, this KB article:
Optimizing for Client/Server Performance
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=208858

includes the following quote:

"NOTE: If you make changes to fields or indexes on the server, you must
relink the remote tables in Access."


Tom Wickerath
Microsoft Access MVP

http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/expert_contributors.html
http://www.access.qbuilt.com/html/search.html
__________________________________________