Access re-sorts data when importing from Excel, dBase or Paradox

T

Tina Forsyth

This happens sporadically, but it causes havoc every time. How do I stop
Access from re-sorting my data, and sometimes my field order, when importing
data? I have already blanked out the auto-index set-up that is standard for
Access.

I had the problem infrequently in Access 2003, but it happens far more
frequently in Access 2007.

Tina
 
A

Arvin Meyer [MVP]

The solution is to use queries to create whatever sorting you wish.
Access/JET, like many other database engines, is an ISAM (indexed sequential
access method) database.
 
J

John W. Vinson

On Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:16:14 -0700, Tina Forsyth <Tina
This happens sporadically, but it causes havoc every time. How do I stop
Access from re-sorting my data, and sometimes my field order, when importing
data?
Click to expand...

You don't even TRY.

A table *is not a spreadsheet*. It has no defined order; Access will store the
records in whatever order it finds convenient.

If you want to see records in some particular order you must - no options!! -
use a Query sorting the records by a field or fields within the record. In
order to preserve the order of records in your source spreadsheet, you may
need to create an Access table with a sequential Autonumber field; link to the
spreadsheet; and run an append query into the new table, letting the
autonumber provide the sorting key for your query.
 
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