Lookup column performing unacceptably slow

[AmyB]

I created a table that is linked to our Global Employee Address List in
Outlook, and then created separate tables using a lookup field for the
employee names, so that when an employee is terminated it will reflect in the
Employee Table and subsequently in the individual tables. When entering data
into the datasheet view the AutoComplete performs unacceptably slow.

Access will not let me modify the linked table, therefore I can not index
the field which generates the lookup column.

What are my options to make this perform faster?

Thanks,
AmyB

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Amy

Lookup-type fields in tables are held in general low regard (check the
tablesdbdesign newsgroup), because they encourage folks to work directly in
Access tables rather than in Access forms. Tables store data, Forms display
it.

A more common approach to using the features/functions Access provides is to
use a form, and use a combobox to look up information. And if the list
could be long (or the retrieval slow), Allen Browne has a routine that
requires the entry of the first 'n' characters before the combobox pulls in
a list. This has the effect of greatly reducing the number of rows
returned.

Good luck!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP