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I have an older (c. 2016-17, .mdb) MS Access database that my team would like to continue using - but our organization is no longer willing to pay an Access subscription. What are our options? [more inside]
posted by ryanshepard on Dec 16, 2024 - 13 answers

I have linked fields in access -- projects and partners. This partner is on this project. That project has these partners. But access doesn't know these are reciprocal relationships. Like I can on the projects table select which partners are on that project OR on the partners table select which projects that partner is on, but whichever I do, the other table won't reflect it. How do I make the tables reflect each other correctly? Feel free to point me, instead, to a youtube or linked-in learning course that will cover these sort of moderately-advanced access functions (or that will give me the correct language to google them).
posted by If only I had a penguin... on Nov 22, 2022 - 5 answers

Previously I had asked about how to have Access either choose from a list of pre-existing options or allow entry of new options. Now i need to do the same, but in a combobox where the user can choose MULTIPLE of the values from the other table. How do I do this? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... on Nov 22, 2022 - 1 answer

I'm actually making good progress in recreating my previous setup in Access However, there's one thing I'd like to be able to do that I suspect is possible but I don't know how: Where I have a linked field (so you get a dropdown menu based on values from a field in another table), I want to have one of the options be "Add New" so you can type in something not already in the other table. I then want that thing to appear in the other table (and yes, I realize some fields for that row will be initially blank). How can I do this? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... on Nov 18, 2022 - 4 answers

I built a Microsoft Access database for a small non-profit org years ago, and it's worked well for our needs until now. However, we have someone taking over management who works on a Mac, so it's time to make a switch. [more inside]
posted by sabotagerabbit on Feb 25, 2020 - 21 answers

Thanks to the great help I got in this question, my database queries are now working much better, and all of the records are appearing in the query. However, I can't figure out how to get an SQL query to show checkboxes, rather than 0/-1 as the expression of a yes/no checkbox. [more inside]
posted by sabotagerabbit on Apr 26, 2019 - 4 answers

I have an Access database with three tables, and a main form that we use for inputting data, based on one of the tables, with the other two tables as subforms. My issue is that, unless we have input some data on both subforms, the record won't show up in any queries. [more inside]
posted by sabotagerabbit on Mar 26, 2019 - 7 answers

I have been charged with creating an Access database that will contain a significant amount of text data but I'm not sure, after digging in, this is the way to go. Hope me! [more inside]
posted by youandiandaflame on Sep 26, 2018 - 14 answers

I have someone building me an Access database for my plant info and plant library - they haven't handled a lot of image data before so I'm hoping to smooth the way for them. I'm sure my query is all over the place so please bear with me. [more inside]
posted by unearthed on Jun 27, 2018 - 13 answers

I've built a simple database in Access, with a form function for the people who are inputting data. But the forms are acting very strange and I'm not sure how to fix it. [more inside]
posted by sabotagerabbit on Mar 4, 2015 - 1 answer

Quick question about using MS ACCESS. Can you direct me to an online tutorial that quickly illustrates how to create or edit/manipulate and an existing report from excel data? I do have an existing report that can probably be modified, but I've never used access before. [more inside]
posted by snsranch on Oct 21, 2014 - 4 answers

My organization is currently using a very bloated Excel spreadsheet to track a bunch of data about our clients. I'd like to build us a really simple database with a nice form input to make it easier for staff to enter all of the information we need to track, but I'm not sure what my options are for software. [more inside]
posted by sabotagerabbit on Apr 22, 2014 - 18 answers

Microsoft Access: Help me streamline (or completely automate) creating weekly reports that include tables and charts. I'm almost there, but I just can't wrangle the formatting. Is it me or is it Access? [more inside]
posted by GPF on Mar 17, 2012 - 6 answers

MS Access: I have responsibility for a large database in Access 2007. How can I create a dev copy to experiment with changing forms/layout/queries, etc. which shows record data, but does NOT link to and make changes to data in the tables in the "real" original database? I do not know SQL. [more inside]
posted by cuddles.mcsnuggy on Jun 9, 2011 - 4 answers

Microsoft Access 2007 form creation question. Hopefully not-too-wrongheaded and clearly described inside. [more inside]
posted by jsturgill on Aug 4, 2010 - 2 answers

Is there an online Access-like database? [more inside]
posted by mateuslee on Jan 14, 2010 - 7 answers

Microsoft Access query problem - Comparing two similar tables that don't match up well. It's lists of classes in a collection of locations from two consecutive years, and what I need is to show the class fees side by side for any class that happened in the same location both years. [more inside]
posted by dnash on Feb 5, 2009 - 13 answers

SQL WTH: various examples given on websites and in a small stack of books don't work. [more inside]
posted by Tuwa on Apr 15, 2006 - 9 answers