Some of the users of my Access 2003 database are experiencing a problem with
the memo field on a form. When they type in the field it comes back as
deleted ###. Any suggestions?
If you don't have a current backup - MAKE ONE.
This is a symptom of memo-file corruption; your entire table is at risk!
After making a backup, try Tools... Database Utilities... Compact and Repair.
This probably won't solve the problem but it might.
Then browse through the records and see if there is screwy data in this (or
other) memo fields - #Deleted# or #Error# or Japanese characters or totally
off-the-wall text. Often this will be just one or a few records. You may need
to go through the painful routine:
Lock everyone out of the database by opening it exclusively
Drop all relationships to this table
Create a new database
Use File... Get External Data... Import to import everything EXCEPT this table
Import this table, *design view only*, no data
Link to the old table with File... Get External Data... Link
Create an Append query to append every record EXCEPT the damaged one; use
criteria based on the table's primary key, *not* the memo field itself
Recreate relationships
Reenter this record.
See
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/corruptmdbs.htm for a thorough discussion
of database corruption.
John W. Vinson [MVP]
