Error 3309 - Why?

[Bill Mathews]

I just added two fields to a table that had 108, for a total of 110 - well
short of the 255 limit for fields in a table in Access 2003.

When I add the second field (no matter what type) and try to save the table,
I get an Error 3309 message: 'Property value is too large'.

None of the property values are anywhere near 2K, nor have I changed an
index property after data was entered.

What's even more strange is that part of the information for the second
field is saved - name, the type and format - but others such as the
validation rule are not.

I fear I've found a nasty bug in Access 2003.

Can anyone offer help, either for a fix or a work-around?

Many thanks.

Bill Mathews

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

I just added two fields to a table that had 108, for a total of 110 - well
short of the 255 limit for fields in a table in Access 2003.

When I add the second field (no matter what type) and try to save the table,
I get an Error 3309 message: 'Property value is too large'.

None of the property values are anywhere near 2K, nor have I changed an
index property after data was entered.

What's even more strange is that part of the information for the second
field is saved - name, the type and format - but others such as the
validation rule are not.

I suspect that the metadata table is larger than one page. What I
mean is that there is a table inside the MDB describing your tables.
And that the record in that table corresponding to your current table
is now larger than the 4 K page size. Or something like that.

I fear I've found a nasty bug in Access 2003.

Well, 108 fields in one table is a lot.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
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Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

 

[Cheese_whiz]

Hi Bill,

Use a form to enter/edit the data and none of this would be an issue in the
first place. You've created a multi-step process to accomplish what forms do
for a living...

I assume you know that already, but it's almost an obligatory reply

CW

 

[Cheese_whiz]

^Posted in the wrong thread!

CW

Hi Bill,

Use a form to enter/edit the data and none of this would be an issue in the
first place. You've created a multi-step process to accomplish what forms do
for a living...

I assume you know that already, but it's almost an obligatory reply

CW

 

[Bill Mathews]

That was it - the metadata page was too large. When I went in and shortened
enough field names, it saved the table with the extra fields w.o. complaint.