Help, I'm new to Access!

C

Cheryl

I hate asking what seems to be a ridiculously simple question, however.........

I have just started a new job and have never used Access. I need to add
some new records to the data base and for some reason, my new info is not
getting saved?? I've checked everything I can think of. The others in the
office that have used Access (limited) cannot figure out why the information
is not being saved. I've added the new records through Forms using the New
Record button, and I also tried adding them to the Tables and neither of them
work. Is there something that I need to do first in order to save my work?

Please help a newcomer to Access!!

Thanks.
 
R

Rick Brandt

Cheryl said:
I hate asking what seems to be a ridiculously simple question, however.........

I have just started a new job and have never used Access. I need to add
some new records to the data base and for some reason, my new info is not
getting saved?? I've checked everything I can think of. The others in the
office that have used Access (limited) cannot figure out why the information
is not being saved. I've added the new records through Forms using the New
Record button, and I also tried adding them to the Tables and neither of them
work. Is there something that I need to do first in order to save my work?

Please help a newcomer to Access!!
Click to expand...

Are you getting an error? Access automatically saves as you navigate
between records so if you enter a record, move forward a record and then
move backward a record and still see your data, then it DID get saved.
Perhaps you are linked to the wrong file so your data is getting saved
somewhere different.
 
W

Wayne Morgan

Normally, adding records is as simple as clicking the new record button and
entering the information. As soon as you move from that record (go to
another new record, close the form, etc), the information should be saved.

Since you say you can't save even when entering directly into the table, I
wonder if there is User Level Security on your database? Is this a shared
database with other users? If so, how is it set up? Do you each have a
"front-end" file with the tables in a "back-end" file on a computer that you
all access over the network? If so, are all the front-end files supposed to
be the same? If they are all the same, try copying one from a computer that
works to replace your copy of the file, it may have been corrupted.

Are you getting any error messages? If so, what are they? Some error
messages will show up in the status bar at the bottom of the Access window
instead of in a pop-up dialog box.
 
K

Ken Snell [MVP]

You don't give us much info here. Do you get any warning from ACCESS that
your data are not being saved? Does ACCESS let you enter the data initially?
What type of database setup are you using: everyone using the exact same
file? or is everyone using his/her own copy of the file?

If you're using a front end file separate from the back end, do you have
network permission to the directory/folder where the backend file is stored?
You must have read/write/create/delete access to that folder.

Please provide us with more info.
 
C

Cheryl

I'll try to give you as much info as possible. I am using Access 2003. Yes,
I was able to add new records. I added at least a dozen using forms and then
also table. I saved with no errors and exited without even getting the
prompt 'Do you want to save'. But when I went back in, all my new data was
gone.

As I said I don't know anything about Access, however I know that others in
the office can access the data from their computer, but they don't need to.
This program is only used by me to assign a number to a new file. All I do
is start with the next number and add the name, address, misc info etc. Once
I've done that, the info is not needed. It is just kept for our records, in
case the file goes missing, I guess. So, I guess it is a shared file. I do
not know if it is 'front door' or back door'. How do I find out?

In the security under Permissions, this is what I see:
for Forms:
Checked: Greyed out:
Open/run Read Data
Read Design Update Data
Modify Design Insert Data
Administer Delete Data

for Tables:
All of the above is checked except the Open/Run is greyed out.

I got our computer gal to open it on her computer, and she tried to add a
new record but it disappeared on her too.

I hope this new info will help you help me.

Thanks again.
 
R

Rick Brandt

Cheryl said:
I'll try to give you as much info as possible. I am using Access 2003. Yes,
I was able to add new records. I added at least a dozen using forms and then
also table. I saved with no errors and exited without even getting the
prompt 'Do you want to save'. But when I went back in, all my new data was
gone.
Click to expand...

First off you should have stayed with the original thread rather than
starting a new one.

Second, how are you determining that the records are not there? There is
no guarantee when you open a table or form that the last record you entered
is going to be shown as the last record in the set. Perhaps they ARE
there, but just not where you are looking for them.
 
K

Ken Snell [MVP]

Rick Brandt said:
Second, how are you determining that the records are not there? There is
no guarantee when you open a table or form that the last record you entered
is going to be shown as the last record in the set. Perhaps they ARE
there, but just not where you are looking for them.
Click to expand...


Especially if you're trying to see the records via a form AND that form's
DataEntry property is set to Yes. In that case, you cannot see any existing
records in that form.
 
C

Cheryl

Thanks so much guys! You were right, all of my entries WERE THERE! They
just weren't in order. Which now brings me to a new problem!

I have over 2000 entries. The first column is my number for the file. THey
start at number 100 and were at number 2028 when I started adding yesterday.
Now, obviously since all the other rows were in numerical order, I didn't
even think to check through 2000 entries to see if mine were there, but they
were. They have been randomly placed together. A few are mixed in with the
100's and the rest are together in with the 200's. There doesn't seem to be
any other sort going on in the other columns. I tried the different sorts,
but nothing I've tried has added my new entries to the bottom of the list.

Any suggestions?

And thanks again for all your help!

P.S. Now that this post seems to be on page two, do you have to go there to
see if there are new responses, or is there an easier way of knowing?

Thanks, Cheryl
 
M

Micah Chaney

Try going into the design view of the form and on your toolbar View/Field
List. In the header section of the box that pops up -- see what Table or
Query the Form is based on. Check that Table or Query, because that's where
you are entering data into. If that's not where you want to enter your data,
you are either using the wrong Form or you need to create or have someone
create a Form for that particular Table. Hope that helps.
 
K

Ken Snell [MVP]

We don't know the structure of your data table, so I'm going to guess that
the "number for the file" is an autonumber field that is used as the primary
key. Assuming that this is correct, the autonumber field should not be used
as "numerical" ordering device, as it can develop gaps in the sequences and
can become random, even negative, in values.

To see your data in a specific "order", you create a query that orders the
data in the way you wish. That will allow you to "see" your data the way you
wish.
--

Ken Snell
<MS ACCESS MVP>
 
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