How to delete a database?

Y

YvonneP

Hello, I have some old useless databases I want to delete. I have deleted the
individual tables, reports, etc. However, when I start Access, these
databases are still listed in the main window. If I right-click on one of
these names, I don't get an option to delete...I only get a message "What's
this?". How do I get the old listings removed permanently? (I am using
Windows 2000 and Access 2000).
 
M

Mike Labosh

Hello, I have some old useless databases I want to delete. I have deleted
the
individual tables, reports, etc.
Click to expand...

You delete a file with the windows explorer and the DEL key.
However, when I start Access, these
databases are still listed in the main window.
Click to expand...

When you start Access, that file list dialog is only showing you a list of
recent files. It doesn't mean the files are actually there.

To change the way this recent file list appears, open any database, and goto
Tools -> Options. On the "General" tab, there is a checkbox that turns off
the recent file list, and a combo box that lets you specify how many
filenames to remember.

--
Peace & happy computing,

Mike Labosh, MCSD

"It's 4:30 am. Do you know where your stack pointer is?"
 
Y

YvonneP

Yes, I am sure I have deletion rights to the folder where these files were
stored. I have deleted the individual documents (files) by searching for them
in My Computer/hard drive C, but what bugs me is these database names still
show up in the main menu when I start Access.
 
Y

YvonneP

I still have not been able to get rid of the old databases listed when I
first start Access. Are there any other ways to "clean up" this list?
 
D

Douglas J. Steele

It's stored in the registry if it's critical to you, but unless you're
familiar with editting the registry, I wouldn't advise bothering to fix it.

I only have Access 97 installed on this machine, but the place to look for
Access 97 is in
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Access\Settings, where
you'll find four entries MRU1. MRU2, MRU3 and MRU4. Delete those entries,
and the list of old databases goes away.

For Access 2000, it should be
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Access\Settings, for Access
2002, HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Access\Settings and
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Access\Settings for Access
2003.
 
Y

YvonneP

Thanks, Doug, but I'd rather not mess with the registry so I won't delete
something I have no business deleting. It seems incredible to me that there
is no other way to "delete" an Access database. I'm thinking of in WORD, you
can delete a file or a whole folder with one click and it no longer shows up
in your list of WORD documents. If I equate an Access database to be similar
to a WORD folder, I can't delete the whole "folder"; I only have managed to
delete its individual components (tables, reports, forms). My first early
efforts to design databases resulted in some false starts (not good results).
I started over and achieved a good product, but now that I want to get rid of
the early poor products still listed as databases, there seems to be no good
way.
 
F

Fred Boer

Dear YvonneP:

Pardon me for jumping in, but your question intrigued me; I've never really
paid attention to the recently used file list. It would be nice to clear it
out. Soooo....I tried Mike's suggestion on 5 computers and it worked
correctly on each one! I'd like to take a shot at helping you as well, if
you'll humour me! <g>

First of all, just to be clear: You start Access, and click on "File". At
the bottom of the drop down menu that appears, just above "Exit", a list of
"existing" databases. You wish to erase these names, is that correct?

If this is what you want, then Mike's suggestion would be the correct one.
Some questions:

When you go to Tools->Options->General, is the checkbox in front of the
words "Recently used file list:" checked? What is the number in the box to
the right of the words "Recently used file list:"? If you reduce this number
to zero, what happens?

By the way, when I right-click on these I don't get a "What's this?"
message. At least, I don't in Access 2000. I *do* get that message if I do
it in the recently used file list in Access 2002...


Hoping this might help...
Fred Boer
 
M

Mike Labosh

By the way, when I right-click on these I don't get a "What's this?"
message. At least, I don't in Access 2000. I *do* get that message if I do
it in the recently used file list in Access 2002...
Click to expand...

I think the OP is referring to the little MRU list dialog that appears when
Access first launches. Access 2000 is giving me a right-click what's this
on that "More Files" listbox in the dialog, but the settings on the General
Options tab had no effect on this startup dialog for me.

--
Peace & happy computing,

Mike Labosh, MCSD

"It's 4:30 am. Do you know where your stack pointer is?"
 
D

Douglas J. Steele

So open 3 or 4 "good" databases, and the bad ones will drop off the MRU
(Most Recently Used) list.

The fact that the file still shows up in that list has nothing to do with
being able to delete the file. Deleting the file just doesn't change the
MRU.
 
F

Fred Boer

Hi Mike!

Well, ok, I'm confused... Little MRU list dialog? I don't know what you
mean... Where does it appear on the screen? Unfortunately, I only have A2K2
here at home; I will have to investigate this further tomorrow at work where
I have Access 2000.

Do you have a copy of A2K2? Does this MRU list dialog pop up in A2K2?

Thanks!
Fred

P.S. to YvonneP... please ignore me! ;)
 
Y

YvonneP

OK, I'm apparently not explaining this well enough. I don't care about the
MRU list. What I want to clean up is: When I first start Access (2000) I get
a dialog box that gives options: (1) Create a new database using (choose) A
blank Access database or (choose) Access database wizards. Underneath that it
says OR (choose) Open an existing file. Underneath that is a list of all the
databases I ever created, even if I wanted to trash some of them later. This
list stays the same no matter how many times I have recently opened only the
"good" databases. As I stated before, I have been able to delete unwanted
tables, forms, reports and queries, but would like to also be able to delete
these now empty databases from the existing file list. Perhaps another way to
ask this question is: How do you permanently delete a totally empty
(therefore worthless) database? Thanks for your help with this.
 
F

Fred Boer

Dear YvonneP and Mike:

I see what you are talking about now! I was confused. And since I have
nothing helpful to add, I'm bowing out...

Good Luck!

Fred
 
M

Mike Labosh

OK, I'm apparently not explaining this well enough. I don't care about the
MRU list. What I want to clean up is: When I first start Access (2000) I
get
a dialog box that gives options: (1) Create a new database using (choose)
A
blank Access database or (choose) Access database wizards. Underneath that
it
says OR (choose) Open an existing file. Underneath that is a list of all
the
databases I ever created, even if I wanted to trash some of them later.
This
list stays the same no matter how many times I have recently opened only
the
"good" databases. As I stated before, I have been able to delete unwanted
tables, forms, reports and queries, but would like to also be able to
delete
these now empty databases from the existing file list. Perhaps another way
to
ask this question is: How do you permanently delete a totally empty
(therefore worthless) database? Thanks for your help with this.
Click to expand...

I know about the dialog box that you are referring to. The listbox of
filnames in that dialog is nothing more than a list of previously opened
files. Access remembers this list, whether you delete the files or not.

To delete the files, write down the path\filename items that this list
displays, and use the Windows Explorer to delete the files. Then they will
be gone. Sadly, though, Access will not remove them from the list in that
dialog box.

Remember, that dialog box is not showing you actual files. It simply
remembers a history of files that have been opened.
--
Peace & happy computing,

Mike Labosh, MCSD

"It's 4:30 am. Do you know where your stack pointer is?"
 
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