Issue with inserting an Access database to Word

[Kristina]

I'm attempting to insert a shared Access database into Word using the Word
"Insert Database" tool.

I select the database query to run from, limit the fields, and insert the
data - then I get an hourglass for a bit and when that's done I get
nothing... not even an error message. There is data in the fields I'm pulling
(I double-checked).

The Word document at that point acts like I've changed it (requests a save
on close), but there is no data on the screen.

This process works when I create a local copy of the database that no other
user is in, but not when I use the shared database on our server. Is this a
known issue with permissions? Or is there a work-around that I'm missing?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

I'm not sure I can help as I cannot replicate this problem right now. But...

Which version of Word/Access? (can you provide the complete version
number including SP etc. from the Help->About or Office button->Word
Options->Resources->About - e.g. here I have
Word 2007 (12.0.6514.5000) SP2 MSO (12.0.6425.1000)
but even
"Word 2007 SP2"
might be handy.

Is the database a .accdb, .mdb, or what? Is it standalone or a front end
to something else, and if so, what?

When you connect to the data, are you seeing a "Confirm Data SOurce"
dialog box that lets you select a particular type of connection (OLE
DB/ODBC/DDE?) If so, which are you choosing?

What type of server/share is the database on - e.g. is it on a shared
folder on a Windows domain server?

Are you in a position to create a database in the same server folder
with the same permissions and shareability, but which in fact no-one
else is sharing? If so, are you able to insert data using that?

FWIW if you are using Word 2007, a number of people mentioned that they
had difficulty connecting to .mdb s over a network, or were seeing
corrupted data etc. However, it's possible that some of those problems
have been fixed in Word 2007 SP2 or even earlier.


Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

 

[Kristina]

Ok, here goes:

1. Word 2003 - (11.8313.8221) SP3
Access 2003 - (11.8133.8221) SP3

2. it's a .mdb

3. No, when I choose "Get Data" the "Select Database" dialogue box appears,
I select the database and it returns to the "Database" dialogue box.

4. Database is in a shared folder on a Windows server.

5. Copied the database and tried to insert and it still didn't work, copied
it to various locations on our server (where I have various permissions
levels) it did not work at any of them, doesn't even work from My
Documents...

One other thing, I made a copy of this database a few days ago and saved it
to My Documents and it works. But I copy the database today to My Documents
and this new copy doesn't work - I checked all document properties and
settings and found no differences in their settings.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

OK, I still do not encounter this problem, using the same version of
Word. But...
a. are you inserting your table as a field (via the checkbox in the
dialog box that appears when you click Insert Data). If not, can you
please try that, then...
b. use Alt-F9 to see the DATABASE field that Word has inserted (if
any), select all the material between the { } field code braces, and
post it here?
c. Use Alt-F9 to hide the field code, select it, press F9 to execute
it and see if you have the same result.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

 

[Kristina]

Thanks for all the help Peter. But I think I figured it out....

The database was limiting it's output for that query based on the last time
the query was run (and the fields that it was limited to in that run), so
when I tried to insert it for a different set of fields, I got nothing.

I'm not sure why the database was doing that, but I think it's a user
training issue.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Glad you got to the bottom of it!

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk