The Household Inventory database

Welcome to the Household Inventory database! This database is designed to help you keep track of important possessions in your home. With this database, you can:

•	Save information on important possessions.

•	Keep a permanent record of serial numbers, and purchase and replacement information.

•	List items donated to charity for tax purposes.

•	Import and export information from other applications.

To see an overview of the application, click  [image].

To start working right away, click  [image].


The Switchboard form

The Switchboard form is the first thing you'll see when you start the Household Inventory application. You can click the buttons on the Switchboard form to go to the other parts of the application, such as the Household Inventory form, where you can enter your information, or the Inventory by Value report, which you can print.


The Household Inventory form

On the Household Inventory form, you can enter and later retrieve data on all of your important possessions. To enter or change information, just click in any box on the form and start typing. You can use the navigation bar at the bottom of the form to move between possessions.


The Value and Details reports

The Household Inventory database includes a number of reports that you can print to summarize information. Two of these reports are the Inventory by Value and Inventory Details reports. You can preview any report by clicking Preview Reports on the Main Switchboard form.


The Room and Category reports

You can use the Inventory by Room and Inventory by Category reports to get details about your possessions.


Work with your possessions

Microsoft Access provides you with a great deal of power and flexibility. Choose a category below to see the things that you can do with the Household Inventory database.

What do you want to do?

Sort, find, and filter your possessions

Add, edit, and delete information

Print

Remove sample data

Take care of your database


Sort, find, and filter your possessions

Although your Household Inventory database may contain a lot of information, you don't have to view it all at one time. With Microsoft Access, you can find certain possessions by searching for specific values, filter your possessions, and sort possessions in the order you prefer.

What do you want to do?

Switch between viewing one possession and viewing many possessions

Sort possessions

Find specific information

Replace specific information

Use wildcard characters to search for information

Filter possessions by entering values in a blank view of your form or datasheet

Filter possessions by selecting values in your form or datasheet

Find a specific possession by scrolling

Remove a filter from a form

Move between possessions by using navigation buttons


Add, edit, and delete information

Editing information is simple with the Household Inventory database. The topics listed below help you enter new possessions into your database, change the details of possessions that you've already entered, or delete a possession that you no longer require.

What do you want to do?

Add a new possession

Save a possession

Delete a possession

Copy or move data from one field to another

Copy or move data from multiple fields in Datasheet view

Copy or move records to a datasheet

Duplicate a value from the previous record

Add a new value to a combo box

Edit the data in a field

Undo changes when adding or editing data

Check the spelling of data in Datasheet view

Check the spelling of data in Form view

Automatically correct typing when I'm entering data

Select fields and records in Datasheet view


Print

The reports in your database can be previewed on screen or printed on your printer.

What do you want to do?

Print a report

Set margins, page orientation, and other report features


Take care of your database

What do you want to do?

Repair a damaged database

Back up a database

Restore a database from a backup copy

Compact a database to free disk space

Make a change to a switchboard


Use Show Me Help

The Household Inventory database includes Show Me Help to get you started on common procedures.

1	On the menu bar, click Show Me.

2	Click the Contents tab.

3	Double-click a book to view the topics within the book.

4	Double-click a topic to view that topic.


Print a book from Help contents

If you'd like to work from a printed copy instead of reading Help on the screen, you can easily print a book from the Help contents.

1	On the menu bar, click Show Me.

2	Click the Contents tab.

3	Double-click a book to view the topics within the book.

4	Click Print.

5	Choose a printer and click OK.


Remove sample data

When you first open the Household Inventory database, it contains some sample data. This data lets you explore the capabilities of the application without your needing to enter your own inventory first. Before you start entering your own possessions, you should delete this sample data.

After you delete the sample data, you can't return it to the database.

1	On the Main Switchboard form, click Administration. This opens the Administration Switchboard form.

2	On the Administration Switchboard form, click Remove Sample Data.

3	Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the sample data.


Switch between viewing one possession and many possessions

In the Household Inventory database, you can view your data in Form view or Datasheet view. In Form view, you concentrate on a single possession; in Datasheet view, you view multiple possessions at one time. By default, the Household Inventory form opens in Form view, but you can easily switch to Datasheet view at any time.

To switch from Form view to Datasheet view

1	Open the Household Inventory form.

2	On the View menu, click Datasheet View.

To switch from Datasheet view to Form view

1	Open the Household Inventory form.

2	On the View menu, click Form View.


Add a new value to a combo box

The Household Inventory database uses combo boxes in several places so that you can choose from a list of values. For example, the initial set of values in the Room combo box includes Bedroom, Den, and other choices. It's easy to add new values to this list. For example, here's how you add the kitchen.

1	In the Room combo box, select the value in the field and type Kitchen.

2	Press ENTER.

3	Click Yes to confirm that you want to create a new room type.

Your new room type is now available in the combo box.


Add a new possession

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items.

2	Click New Record  [image]  on the toolbar.

3	Type the data you want, and then press TAB to go to the next field.

4	To enter other information, click one of the tabs at the top of the form.


Save a record

Microsoft Access automatically saves the record you are adding or editing as soon as you move the insertion point to a different record, or close the form or datasheet you are working on.

•	To explicitly save the data in a record while you are editing it, click Save Record on the Records menu.


Delete a record

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items.

2	Click the record you want to delete.

3	Click Delete Record  [image]  on the toolbar.


Copy or move data from one field to another

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items.

2	Select the data you want to copy or cut.

How?

3	To copy the data, click Copy  [image]  on the toolbar.

To move the data, click Cut  [image]  on the toolbar.

4	To replace the current value of the destination field, select the whole field.

To insert the data into the existing data, position the insertion point where you want to paste the data.

5	Click Paste  [image]  on the toolbar.

For information on troubleshooting paste problems, click  [image].


Copy or move data from multiple fields in Datasheet view

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items. Then, on the View menu, click Datasheet View.

2	Select the fields or columns you want to copy or cut.

How?

3	To copy the data, click Copy  [image]  on the toolbar.

To move the data, click Cut  [image]  on the toolbar.

4	Select the destination field or fields.

5	Click Paste  [image]  on the toolbar.

For information on troubleshooting paste problems, click  [image].


Copy or move records to a datasheet

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items. Then, on the View menu, click Datasheet View.

2	Select the record or records you want to copy or move.

How?

Note   If you're copying or moving records from another application, be sure the data is arranged in a spreadsheet or table, or separated by tab characters, before you select it.

3	To copy records, click Copy  [image]  on the toolbar.

To move records, click Cut  [image]  on the toolbar.

4	Open the datasheet you want to paste the records into. If necessary, rearrange the columns of the datasheet to match the order of the data you are copying or moving.

5	To replace records with the records you selected, select the records you want to replace, and then click Paste  [image]  on the toolbar.

To append records to the end of the datasheet, click Paste Append on the Edit menu.

Note   If the source datasheet has more fields than the destination datasheet, Microsoft Access doesn't paste the extra fields. For information on troubleshooting paste problems, click  [image].


Troubleshoot problems when pasting data

What do you need help with?

I can't paste the data.

The data I pasted is in the wrong field.


Microsoft Access can't paste the data. Why not?

There are several reasons why Microsoft Access will not paste some or all of your data:

•	You tried to paste an entire field or fields without selecting a destination. You must select the field or fields that you want to paste to. For information on selecting fields, click  [image].

•	You tried to paste more fields than the datasheet you're pasting to has, or more than the number of fields you selected as a destination. Microsoft Access doesn't paste the extra fields.

•	You tried to paste a value that's not compatible with the data type of the field. For example, you tried to paste a combination of letters and numbers into a field with the Number data type.

•	You tried to paste text that's too long for the field. The setting in the FieldSize property determines the maximum size of a field value. Check the field in table Design view to see the setting.

•	You tried to paste a duplicate value into the table's primary key or into a field that has the Indexed property set to No Duplicates. Check the field in table Design view to see the setting.

•	You tried to paste data into a hidden field. This is not permitted. To display hidden columns, click Unhide Columns on the Format menu.

•	You tried to remove data from or paste data into a disabled, locked, calculated, or AutoNumber field.

•	You don't have permissions to add or edit data in the database object.

•	A value you tried to paste isn't allowed in the field based on the settings of the ValidationRule, InputMask, Required, or AllowZeroLength properties.

•	The validation macro specified for the BeforeUpdate or OnInsert properties canceled the update. The data you tried to paste did not meet the validation requirements.


The data I pasted is in the wrong field. Why?

•	When you paste records into a datasheet, Microsoft Access places them in the order they appear in the columns of the datasheet, regardless of the names of the fields. If you want the data to be pasted according to corresponding field names, paste them into a form in Form view.

•	When you paste records into a form, Microsoft Access places them into fields with the same name as the source fields, regardless of their order on the form. However, if there are no matching field names, the data is placed according to the form's tab order, which may not be the order you intend.


Insert the value that is in the same field in the previous record

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items. Then, on the View menu, click Datasheet View.

2	Click in the field in which you want to insert the value.

3	Press CTRL+APOSTROPHE (').


Edit the data in a field

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items.

2	To edit data within a field, click in the field you want to edit.

To replace the entire value, move the pointer to the leftmost part of the field until it changes into the plus pointer  [image],  and then click.

3	Type the text you want to insert.

Notes

•	If you make a typing mistake, press BACKSPACE. If you want to cancel your changes in the current field, press ESC. If you want to cancel your changes in the entire record, press ESC again before you move out of the field.

•	When you move to another record, Microsoft Access saves your changes.


Expand a field or text box to make it easier to edit

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items.

2	Click the field you want to edit.

3	Press SHIFT+F2.

Note   To expand a property box in Design view of tables, queries, forms, reports, and macros, you can also right-click a property box, and then click Zoom.


Undo changes when adding or editing records

•	Click Undo  [image]  on the toolbar to take back your most recent change.

•	Click Undo Saved Record on the Edit menu if you have already saved changes to the current record, or have moved to another record.

Note   As soon as you begin editing another record, apply or remove a filter, or switch to another window, you can't use these methods for correcting changes.


Troubleshoot editing data in a field

There are several kinds of fields in forms or datasheets that you can't edit. The following fields display values just as regular fields do, but if you try to enter data into them, nothing happens:

•	AutoNumber fields. If a field has an AutoNumber data type, Microsoft Access automatically assigns the next consecutive number or unique random number to this field for each record you add. This type of field is often used as a record ID number or primary key. When you start adding a new record, Microsoft Access automatically fills in the field's value for you and you can't edit it.

•	Calculated fields. A Calculated field displays values that Microsoft Access calculates. They are usually based on other fields in your tables, but calculated fields are not stored in tables. You can't edit calculated fields.

•	Locked or disabled fields. If a control on a form has the Locked property set to Yes or the Enabled property set to No, you can't edit the data in the field.


Check the spelling of data in Datasheet view

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items. Then, on the View menu, click Datasheet View.

2	Select the records, columns, fields, or text within a field whose spelling you want to check.

How?

3	Click Spelling  [image]  on the toolbar.

Note   In the Spelling dialog box, click Add if you want to add the word that is in the Not In Dictionary box to the custom dictionary listed in the Add Words To box.


Check the spelling of data in Form view

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items.

2	Select the field or text whose spelling you want to check.

3	Click Spelling  [image]  on the toolbar.

Note   In the Spelling dialog box, click Add if you want to add the word that is in the Not In Dictionary box to the custom dictionary listed in the Add Words To box.


Automatically correct typing when I'm entering data

Use AutoCorrect to automatically correct text that you frequently mistype, and to automatically replace abbreviations with long names. For example, you can create an entry "esq" for "Martin R. Esquivel." Whenever you type esq followed by a space or punctuation mark, Microsoft Access automatically replaces "esq" with the name Martin R. Esquivel.

1	On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect.

2	Select the Replace Text As You Type check box.

3	In the Replace box, type the text that you want corrected automatically.

4	In the With box, type the corrected text.

5	Click Add.

Notes

•	AutoCorrect won't correct text that was typed before you selected the Replace Text As You Type check box.

•	If in the preceding example you actually want "esq" to appear in one case, clear the Replace Text As You Type box, type esq in a field and save the field by moving to another record. Then select the Replace Text As You Type box again. Microsoft Access will not change the previously typed and saved "esq."


Stop the automatic correction of an entry I make when I'm entering data

1	On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect.

2	Click the entry you want to delete in the box at the bottom.

3	Click Delete.


Add an AutoCorrect entry while checking spelling

1	In the Spelling dialog box, in the Change To box, type the corrected text.

2	Click AutoCorrect in the Spelling dialog box.

When you type the text that is in the Not In Dictionary box as you add data to tables or forms, Microsoft Access will automatically change it to the text in the Change To box.


Stop automatic corrections that occur when I'm entering data

1	On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect.

2	Clear the check boxes for the options you want to turn off.


Selecting fields and records in Datasheet view

The following table lists mouse techniques for selecting data or records in Datasheet view.

To select	Click
Data in a field	Where you want to start selecting and drag across the data.
An entire field	The left edge of the field in a datasheet, where the pointer changes into  [image].
Adjacent fields	The left edge of a field and drag to extend the selection.
A column	The field selector.
Adjacent columns	The field name at the top of the column and then, without releasing the mouse, drag to extend the selection.
A record	The record selector.
Multiple records	The record selector of the first record, and then drag to extend the selection.
All records	Select All Records on the Edit menu.

The following table lists keyboard techniques for selecting data or records in Datasheet view.

To select	Do this
Data in a field	Move the insertion point to the start of the text you want to select, and then hold down SHIFT and press the arrow keys to move to the end of the selection.
An entire field	Move the insertion point to the field, and press F2.
Adjacent fields	With a field selected, hold down SHIFT and press the appropriate arrow key.
The current column	Press CTRL+SPACEBAR.
The current record	Press SHIFT+SPACEBAR.
Multiple records	Press SHIFT+SPACEBAR, and then SHIFT+UP ARROW or SHIFT+DOWN ARROW.


Moving between records using navigation buttons in Datasheet or Form view

The navigation buttons are located at the bottom of the window in Datasheet  or Form view. You can use these buttons to quickly move between records


Resize rows in Datasheet view

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items. Then, on the View menu, click Datasheet View.

2	Position the pointer between two record selectors at the left side of the datasheet, as shown in the following illustration.

3	Drag the edge of the row until the row is the desired height.

Notes

•	This resizes all the rows in the datasheet at the same time.

•	You can't undo changes to the size of rows using the Undo command on the Edit menu. To undo changes, close the datasheet, and then click No when asked if you want to save changes to the layout of the datasheet.


Resize a column in Datasheet view

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items. Then, on the View menu, click Datasheet View..

2	Position the pointer on the right edge of the column you want to resize, as shown in the following illustration.

3	Drag until the column is the desired width.

Note   You can't undo changes to the width of columns using the Undo command on the Edit menu. To undo changes, close the datasheet, and then click No when asked if you want to save changes to the layout of the datasheet.


Find a specific record by scrolling in a datasheet or form

If there are more records than fit in your Datasheet view or continuous form window, you can use the scroll box on the scroll bar to find a specific record.

•	Drag the scroll box up or down on the scroll bar.

Next to the scroll box, Microsoft Access displays the number of the record at the top of the screen.

If you have a Microsoft IntelliMouse, you can use the wheel button to scroll to a specific record depending on your current view.

View	Description
Datasheet or subform displayed as a datasheet	The wheel button scrolls row by row but the cursor does not move.
Single form or subform displayed as a single form	The wheel button goes to the next or previous record, and the cursor moves as well.
Continuous form or subform displayed as a continuous form	The wheel button goes to the next or previous record, but the cursor does not move.


Switch between views of a form

•	Click the View button on the toolbar. To change to the view indicated by the graphic, click the button itself. To see a list of other views to choose from, click the arrow next to the button.


Sort records

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items.

2	Click the field you want to use for sorting records.

3	Do one of the following:

•	To sort in ascending order, click Sort Ascending  [image].

•	To sort in descending order, click Sort Descending  [image].

Note   In a form, you can sort on only one field at a time; in a datasheet, you can select two or more adjacent columns at the same time, and then sort them. Microsoft Access sorts records starting with the leftmost selected column. When you save the form or datasheet, Microsoft Access saves the sort order.


Remove a sort order from a form

•	In Datasheet view or Form view, click Remove Filter/Sort on the Records menu. If you specified the sort order in the Advanced Filter/Sort window where you also specified criteria for a filter, you can delete the sort order in the Sort cell in the design grid and still leave the filter's criteria intact.


Find specific occurrences of a value in a field

You can find all occurrences of a specified value at once, or each occurrence one at a time.

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items.

2	Select the field (column) you want to search, unless you want to search all fields. (Searching a single field is faster than searching the entire table.)

3	Click Find  [image]  on the toolbar.

4	In the Find What box, type the value you want to find.

5	If you don't know the exact value you want to find, you can use wildcard characters in the Find What box to specify what you're looking for. For examples of wildcard characters and how to use them, click  [image].

6	Set any other options you want to use in the Find dialog box.

7	To find the first occurrence of the value, click Find First. To find the next occurrence of the value and all subsequent occurrences, continue clicking Find Next.


Replace specific occurrences of a value in a field

You can replace all occurrences of the specified value at once or each occurrence one at a time.

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items.

2	Select the field (column) you want to search, unless you want to search all fields. (Searching a single field is faster than searching the entire table.)

3	On the Edit menu, click Replace.

4	In the Find What box, type the value you want to find; in the Replace With box, type the value you want to replace it with.

If you don't know the exact value you want to find, you can use wildcard characters in the Find What box to specify what you're looking for. For examples of wildcard characters and how to use them, click  [image].

5	Set any other options you want to use in the Replace dialog box.

6	To replace all occurrences of the specified value at once, click Replace All.

To replace each occurrence one at a time, click Find Next, and then click Replace; to skip an occurrence and find the next one, click Find Next.


Filter records by entering values in a blank view of your form or datasheet

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Enter/View Household Inventory Items.

2	Click Filter By Form  [image]  on the toolbar to switch to the Filter By Form window.

3	Click the field in which you want to specify the criteria that records must meet to be included in the filtered set of records.

4	Enter your criteria by selecting the value you're searching for from the list in the field (if the list includes field values), or by typing the value into the field.

•	To find records in which a check box, toggle button, or option button is or is not selected, click the check box or button until it's the way you want. To return it to a neutral position so that it won't be used as criteria for filtering records, continue clicking the check box or button until it's grayed.

•	To find records in which a particular field is empty or not empty, type Is Null or Is Not Null into the field. (You can select these options from the list in fields with a Memo, OLE Object, or Hyperlink data type, and in calculated fields in queries.)

If you specify values in more than one field, the filter returns records only if they contain the same values you specified in each of those fields.

5	To specify alternative values that records can have to be included in the filters results, click the Or tab at the bottom of the window, and enter more criteria.

The filter returns records if they have all the values specified on the Look For tab or all the values specified on the first Or tab or all the values specified on the second Or tab, and so on.

6	Click Apply Filter  [image]  on the toolbar.

Note   When you save a table or form, Microsoft Access saves the filter. You can reapply the filter when you need it, the next time you open the table or form.


Filter records by selecting values in a form, subform, or datasheet

1	In a field on a form or datasheet, find one instance of the value you want records to contain in order to be included in the filter's results.

2	Select the value, and then click Filter By Selection  [image]  on the toolbar. How you select the value determines what records the filter returns. For more information on selecting values, click  [image].

Repeat step 2 until you have the set of records you want.

Notes

•	When you save a table or form, Microsoft Access saves the filter. You can reapply the filter when you need it, the next time you open the table or form.

•	You can also filter for records that do not have a certain value. After selecting a value, right-click it, and then click Filter Excluding Selection.


Ways to select values for a filter to affect what records are returned

You can select all or part of a value in a field. How you select the value determines what records the filter returns.

Selecting	Finds records in which	Example
The entire contents of a field (or placing the insertion point in a field without selecting anything)	The entire contents of that field matches the selection.	You select the value "Berlin" in the City field. The filter returns all records with Berlin as the city.
Part of a value starting with the first character in a field	The value in that field starts with the same characters you selected.	In the CompanyName field containing the value "France restauration," you select only "Fran." The filter returns all records that have a company name starting with "Fran," such as Franchi S.p.A. and Frankenversand.
Part of a value starting after the first character in a field	All or any part of the value in that field contains the same characters you selected.	In the CompanyName field containing the value "Old World Delicatessen," you select the letters "Del." The filter returns all records that have "del" anywhere in the CompanyName field, such as Ernst Handel, Galería del gastrónomo, and Que Delícia.


Clear all the fields in the Filter By Form window

•	Click Clear Grid  [image]  on the toolbar.


Delete an Or tab at the bottom of the Filter By Form window

1	Click the Or tab you want to delete.

2	On the Edit menu, click Delete Tab.


Remove a filter from a form

•	To remove a filter and show the records that were displayed previously in the form, click Remove Filter  [image]  on the toolbar in Datasheet view or Form view.

Note   Removing a filter doesn't delete it. You can reapply the filter by clicking Apply Filter  [image]  on the toolbar.


About using wildcard characters to search for partial or matching values

You use wildcard characters as placeholders for other characters when you are specifying a value you want to find and you:

•	Know only part of the value.

•	Want to find values that start with a specific letter or match a certain pattern.

You can use the following characters in the Find and Replace dialog boxes, or in queries, commands, and expressions, to find such things as field values, records, or file names.

Character	Usage	Example
*	Matches any number of characters. It can be used as the first or last character in the character string.	wh* finds what, white, and why
?	Matches any single alphabetic character.	B?ll finds ball, bell, and bill
[ ]	Matches any single character within the brackets.	B[ae]ll finds ball and bell but not bill
!	Matches any character not in the brackets.	b[!ae]ll finds bill and bull but not bell
-	Matches any one of a range of characters. You must specify the range in ascending order (A to Z, not Z to A).	b[a-c]d finds bad, bbd, and bcd
#	Matches any single numeric character.	1#3 finds 103, 113, 123
Notes

•	Wildcard characters are meant to be used with text data types, although you can sometimes use them successfully with other data types, such as dates, if you don't change the Regional Settings properties for these data types.

•	When using wildcard characters to search for an asterisk (*), question mark (?), number sign (#), opening bracket ([), or hyphen (-), you must enclose the item you're searching for in brackets. For example, to search for a question mark, type [?] in the Find dialog box. If you're searching for a hyphen and other characters simultaneously, place the hyphen before or after all the other characters inside the brackets. (However, if you have an exclamation point (!) after the opening bracket, place the hyphen after the exclamation point.) If you're searching for an exclamation point (!) or closing bracket (]), you don't need to enclose it in brackets.

•	You can't search for the opening and closing brackets ([ ]) together because Microsoft Access interprets this combination as a zero-length string.

•	If you're searching for values in a table other than a Microsoft Access table, such as a Microsoft SQL Server table, you may need to use different wildcard characters. Check the documentation for that data source for more information.


Print a report

Before you print a report for the first time, you might want to check the margins, page orientation, and other page setup options. For more information, click  [image].

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Preview Reports.

2	Select the report you want to print. It will open in Print Preview.

3	On the File menu, click Print.

4	Enter the settings you want in the Print dialog box.

•	Under Printer, specify a printer.

•	Under Print Range, specify all pages or a range of pages.

•	Under Copies, specify the number of copies and whether they should be collated.

5	Click OK.

Tip   To print a report without bringing up the dialog box, click Print  [image]  on the toolbar.


Set margins, page orientation, and other page setup options

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Preview Reports.

2	Select the report you want to print. It will open in Print Preview.

3	On the File menu, click Page Setup.

4	Click the following tabs for the options you want to set:

•	Margins. To set margins and whether to print data only.

•	Page. To set orientation, paper size, and printer.

•	Columns. To set number, size, and layout of columns for forms, reports, and macros only.

5	Click OK.

6	On the File menu, click Save.


Repair a damaged database

In most cases, Microsoft Access will detect that a database is damaged when you try to open or compact it and give you the option to repair the database at that time. In some situations, Microsoft Access may not detect that a database is damaged. If a database behaves unpredictably, perform the following procedure.

To repair the current database

•	On the Tools menu, point to Database Utilities, and then click Repair Database.

To repair a database that isn't open in Microsoft Access

1	Close the current database.

2	On the Tools menu, point to Database Utilities, and then click Repair Database.

3	Specify the name and location of the database you want to repair, and click Repair.


Back up a database

1	Close the database.

2	Using the Windows Explorer, My Computer, Microsoft Backup, the MS-DOS copy command, or other backup software, copy the database file (an .mdb file) to a backup medium of your choice.

Notes

•	If you are backing up to a floppy disk and your database file exceeds the size of the disk, you cannot use Windows Explorer or My Computer to back up your database; you must use Microsoft Backup or backup software so that you can copy the file over more than one disk.

•	You can back up individual database objects by creating a blank database and then importing the objects you want from the original database.

•	You can't use the FileCopy statement in a second instance of Microsoft Access to back up a database you have open in the first instance of Microsoft Access.


Restore a database from a backup copy

•	Depending on what method was used originally to produce the backup copy, use the Windows Explorer, My Computer, Microsoft Backup, MS-DOS copy or restore commands, or other backup software to copy the backup database file to your database folder.

Caution   If the existing database file in the database folder and the backup copy have the same name, restoring the backup copy may replace the existing database file. If you want to save the existing file, rename it before you copy the backup file.


Compact a database to defragment the file and free disk space

If you delete tables, your database can become fragmented and use disk space inefficiently. Compacting the database makes a copy of the database, rearranging how the database file is stored on disk.

To compact the current database

•	On the Tools menu, point to Database Utilities, and then click Compact Database.

To compact a database that isn't open in Microsoft Access

1	Close the current database.

2	On the Tools menu, point to Database Utilities, and then click Compact Database.

3	In the Database To Compact From dialog box, specify the database you want to compact, and click Compact.

4	In the Compact Database Into dialog box, specify a name, drive, and folder for the compacted database.

5	Click Save.

If you use the same name, drive, and folder, and the database is compacted successfully, Microsoft Access replaces the original file with the compacted version.

Notes

•	If you delete records from the end of a table that has an AutoNumber field, when you compact the database, Microsoft Access will reset the AutoNumber value for the next added record to a value of one more than the last undeleted AutoNumber value.

•	A database will not compact if you don't have enough storage space on your disk for both the original and compacted versions of the database. Delete any unneeded files and try again.


Make a change to an existing switchboard

1	On the Main Switchboard, click Administration. On the Administration Switchboard, click Change Switchboard Items.

2	Click the switchboard you want to edit, and then click Edit.

3	Click the item on the switchboard you want to change, and then do one of the following:

•	To change the text of the item, the command performed by the item, or the object that's opened or run when you click the button, click Edit.

•	To add an item, click New, type the text for the item, and then click a command in the Command box. Depending on which command you click, Microsoft Access displays another box below the Command box. Click an item in this box, if necessary. For example, if you click one of the form commands in the Command box, click the name of the form you want to open.

•	To delete an item, click Delete.

•	To move an item, click Move Up or Move Down.

4	When you've finished changing items, click Close.