Access 2002 crashes when using Access 2000 DB

[Sigurd Andersen]

I have a client for whom I've created a fairly extensive database
(around 30 tables, lots of queries, forms, reports) that works fine in
Access 2000 (on a client PC running Windows 98 and on my computer
running Windows XP Pro). When they use the database in Access 2002,
adding data to a new record crashes MS Access ("program died - do you
want to send a message to Microsoft about this error?").

This happens consistently both at the client's site and on one of our
computers (in both cases running Windows XP Pro and Office XP). Before
this week the client was getting around the error because it did not
occur until he had entered information in about a dozen fields and had
just left one that triggered a "Refresh" command on leaving the field.
After Access crashed, he could compact and repair the database and get
back into it, and the new record would be there. Everything else in the
database works fine.

After making some additions to the database (including modifying the
form in question) the crash occurs when entering information in the
first field in the form (a combo box to select a customer ID).

I can add a record directly to the query that underlies the form with no
problem. I created a simple form with only two fields (the combo box and
one other required field) and could add a record that way too.

Can anyone suggest how to debug and correct this problem?

THANKS
Sigurd Andersen

 

[Sigurd Andersen]

More info - I've been back to the client's computer, and made sure that
all the latest updates are applied to Windows XP Pro and to Office XP.
The problem is still there. A search of Microsoft's online Knowledge
Base yields no matches to these circumstances.

 

[StCyrM]

Hi Sigurd

Sounds like a References problem to me.

This can be caused by differences in either the location or file version of
certain files between the machine where the application was developed, and
where it's being run (or the file missing completely from the target
machine). Such differences are common when new software is installed.

On the machine(s) where it's not working, open any code module (or open the
Debug Window, using Ctrl-G, provided you haven't selected the "keep debug
window on top" option). Select Tools | References from the menu bar. Examine
all of the selected references.

If any of the selected references have "MISSING:" in front of them, unselect
them, and back out of the dialog. If you really need the reference(s) you
just unselected (you can tell by doing a Compile All Modules), go back in
and reselect them.

If none have "MISSING:", select an additional reference at random, back out
of the dialog, then go back in and unselect the reference you just added. If
that doesn't solve the problem, try to unselect as many of the selected
references as you can (Access may not let you unselect them all), back out
of the dialog, then go back in and reselect the references you just
unselected. (NOTE: write down what the references are before you delete
them, because they'll be in a different order when you go back in)

Best regards

Maurice St-Cyr
Micro Systems Consultants, Inc.

 

[Sigurd Andersen]

Maurice,
Thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately, this did not do it. None of the
references were "MISSING:" - and when I got rid of the 2 of 4 it would
let me remove, got out, back in, added them back - made no difference.
Pointing me to the References led me to compare against the existing
database. I added in two more References to match the existing database,
and fiddled a couple of different ways with the order of the references,
but this, too, did NOT fix the problem.

If anyone else can suggest anything, it would be greatly appreciated.
- Sigurd

 

[GVaught]

How is this database used? Is the database split? Where the back-end (tables
only) reside on a network server and the front-end (linked tables, queries,
forms, reports, macros, modules) reside on each user's machine. If not, here
is where the problem may lie; a database that is going to be shared among
multiple users, should use a split database.

If the database resides on a network server or other workstation as a whole
database, shared by multiple users, you are opening the database for major
corruption. Corruption that may never be able to be repaired.

 

[Sigurd Andersen]

The database at the client site is sitting on a server, is not split,
and is used only by one person. But the problem occurs even when the
database is stored on the computer from which it is opened. If it is
opened by Access 2000, things work fine. If it is opened by Access 2002
(XP), it crashes - consistently - when the first field in a new record
is filled out. Other things in the database work fine - though on one
occasion I did see it crash (Access 2002 again) after just clicking
around to various tabs, fields, etc. in the database.

Before the latest round of changes to the database, it crashed right
after filling in and leaving the 7th or 8th field (same place every
time, not sure of the field count) in a new record - that field has a
macro (issues a "Refresh" command and nothing more) that runs on event
"On Lost Focus". Don't know if this has any relevance.

 

[Sigurd Andersen]

I solved my problem earlier today. The form causing problems had as a
data source a query combining a project and a client table. When I
changed it to get data only from the project table, it stopped crashing.
Thanks to everyone who suggested possible reasons for my problems.