unlink a table without deleting it

T

toolman

I have a lot of queries that use a linked table. The need for this table to
be linked is not necessary anymore. Is there a way to break the link without
deleting the table?
 
B

BruceM

In the database from which you have linked to the table, the database window
will show the linked table along with other tables, except it will have an
arrow next to the name. Select the table and delete it. Access will ask
you if you want to delete the link, and will state that you are not removing
the table itself. To do that you would need to go to the database in which
the table resides.
 
F

fredg

I have a lot of queries that use a linked table. The need for this table to
be linked is not necessary anymore. Is there a way to break the link without
deleting the table?
Click to expand...

Click on the Table name.
Delete it (this breaks the link. It does not actually delete the
external table.)
Then go to File + Get External data + Import.
Navigate to the other database that contains the linked table. Select
it and click on Options. Select Import Definition and Data.
Click OK.

You now have the table and it's data back in your database, unlinked.
 
J

Jerry Whittle

Just select it in the database window under Tables. Make sure that there's a
little arrow pointing at it. Then hit the delete key. That breaks the link
and does NOT actually delete the file.
 
J

John W. Vinson

I have a lot of queries that use a linked table. The need for this table to
be linked is not necessary anymore. Is there a way to break the link without
deleting the table?
Click to expand...

No. That's like saying you want to cut off only one end of a rope.

If you delete the "table" in the frontend, you're only deleting the link to
the table - the data will still be intact and unaffected in the backend. If
you then have a local table in the frontend with the same name as the old
linked table your queries will keep working.

I'm curious why the need for the table to be linked is not necessary - where
are these tables? If this is a multiuser application, *all* of the tables
should be linked, generally!
 
T

toolman

The application that generated the table is not needed anymore and it's only
purpose any more is to add records to the linked table. If I can break the
link I can add the necessary data to the table when necessary. If I delete
the linked table and add it back again, will all the queries that use that
table be affected or will they continue to work as normal?
 
J

John W. Vinson

The application that generated the table is not needed anymore and it's only
purpose any more is to add records to the linked table. If I can break the
link I can add the necessary data to the table when necessary. If I delete
the linked table and add it back again, will all the queries that use that
table be affected or will they continue to work as normal?
Click to expand...

The queries will (in almost all cases) work exactly the same whether the table
is local or linked. I'm not at all sure why you're doing this though! What you
say implies that you need to break the link in order to add the necessary data
to the table. What are you *actually* proposing to do? Break the link from the
frontend to the backend table/linked file? Delete the data in the table?
Import the data from the linked table into a local table? or what?
 
T

toolman

it worked, thanks. the program that populates this table is no longer used,
but the data in the table is. I wanted to break the link so we can continue
to add more data to the table.
 
J

John W. Vinson

it worked, thanks. the program that populates this table is no longer used,
but the data in the table is. I wanted to break the link so we can continue
to add more data to the table.
Click to expand...

That's what I don't understand.

Breaking the link should not affect your ability to add more data to the table
one way or the other.

You can update a linked table just as easily as a local table.

That's fine if it's working for you, but I really don't understand WHY you
found it necessary to change the structure. You haven't posted details of the
nature of the table and how it's linked; perhaps that's at the root of my
confusion!
 
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