Access / Office 365 / Windows Version Check

Version 2.55            Last updated: 25 Nov 2021

This is a simple utility to check the following:
a) Windows version & bitness (32/64-bit)
b) Access version & bitness
c) Whether Office 365 is installed

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Add colour to queries, combos & listboxes

Last updated: 14 Feb 2018

This article explains how colour formatting can be used for formatting text, number and date fields in queries and tables.

A similar approach can be used for text boxes, combo boxes and list boxes in forms

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Age Calculation

Last updated: 18 Apr 2022

This article gives various functions for calculating age in years, years and months or years, months and days

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Application.UserControl property

Last updated: 29 Nov 2019

This shows how the UserControl property can be used to restrict how an application can be opened. Just one line of code is required in the Form_Load event of the startup form or in an autoexec macro.

Two examples are provided each containing a Starter app and a Main app:
a)    BlockDBOpenDirect
      - the Main app can be opened via the Starter app but cannot be run directly.
b)   BlockDBRemoteAccess
      - the Main app can be run directly but cannot be opened remotely using automation

Possible uses include using method b) in conjunction with other security measures such as disabling the shift bypass to help prevent hacking using automation.

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Check Procedure Exists

Last updated: 4 Jan 2019

This article contains code to check if a procedure exists in an Access project

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Close All VBE Windows

Last updated: 18 Apr 2017

This is a simple function to close all VBE windows. This is very useful when so many windows are left open you can't find anything. It also significantly speeds up loading the VBE editor if it doesn't need to load lots of unwanted 'legacy' windows

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Create Index on linked SQL View

Last updated: 25 Nov 2017

This article explains how to add an index to a linked SQL Server view so that the data can be edited in Access

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Database Statistics

Last updated: 30 Jan 2022

This includes a procedureGetDatabaseStatistics which examines all tables, forms, reports, macros and modules in a project and produces statistics about the number of fields, controls, VBA functions, lines of code etc.

The results are saved to the VBE immediate window and to a message box

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Detailed System Info

Last updated: 20 Feb 2022

This uses Windows Management Instrumenation (WMI) to obtain detailed information about your computer system / processor / BIOS / each hard drive or logical disk.

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Easter Calculator

Last updated: 7 Jul 2017

This is a 3 line function which calculates Easter Sunday for any year up to 2368.
It is adapted from code originally done for Excel by Chip Pearson

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Edit Linked Excel Data in Access

Last updated: 26 Feb 2022

Linked Excel files have been read only in Access since 2002 when Microsoft removed the ability to edit them directly.
Normally developers either use automation or import the file, edit then export back to Excel.

However, there is a much better method which is not widely known about. This article shows how linked Excel files can be directly edited in Access. New records can also be added. This approach relies on setting the IMEX value = 0

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Fill down in tables, queries & forms

Last updated: 31 Jan 2022

This explains a simple method of copying field values from one record to the next

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Fix Google maps display issues in Access web browser control

Last updated: 26 Mar 2022

This article explains how to fix Google maps display issues in Access web browser controls based on Internet Explorer

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Fix shrunken navigation pane

Last updated: 11 May 2018

Sometimes the width of the navigation pane can become so small that it cannot be expanded by standard methods.
This article describes 3 methods of solving the issue if it happens to you

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Formatted Message Box

Last updated: 3 Jul 2017

This provides a simple method of using BOLD text in a standard message box

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Get Computer Name

Last updated: 8 Dec 2018

This describes 3 different methods of getting the current computer name using VBA and compares the effectiveness of each method

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Get list of VBA References & locations

Last updated: 5 Nov 2017

This article describes two different routines giving a list of VBA references & their locations.

This can be useful if you need to create a fresh copy of your database or deal with reference issues on a client machine. In such cases, it can be difficult to identify where certain references are located and the small size of the reference window doesn't help.

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Get User Full Name

Last updated: 11 Mar 2022

This shows how Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) can be used to get the full name of the user belonging to the network login profile.

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Get User Name

Last updated: 12 Sept 2018

This describes 3 different methods of getting the current user name using VBA and compares the effectiveness of each method

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Get Value in Previous Record

Version 2.0             Last updated: 3 Dec 2018

This shows a method for calculating the difference between values in the current record with those in the previous record. For example, this approach can be used for calculating energy consumption between meter readings.

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Group Page Numbering in Report

Last updated: 21 Dec 2017

This article explains how you can reset the report page numbering at the start of each new group

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Hide Access Splash Screen

Last updated: 25 Feb 2022

This article explains how to remove the splash screen that normally appears when you open any Access application

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Linked No Tables

Version 2.0             Last updated: 6 Feb 2019

This DEMO application shows a method of running a split database where the connection strings cannot be viewed by end users

The front end (FE) database has no linked tables.
The FE file has 2 forms and 1 report none which have a permanent record source

The backend (BE) contains 1 ‘deep hidden’ table though it would work equally well with a standard table.

The record source for each FE object is set automatically to the BE table when the object is opened. It is cleared again when the object is closed

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List Access Error Codes

Last updated: 3 Jun 2018

This is a procedure to create a complete list of Access error codes and descriptions

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Manage Nav Pane / Ribbon / Taskbar / Application Window

Last updated: 25 Oct 2017

This article explains how to manage parts of the application interface using VBA:
a) Navigation Pane - hide / mimimise / maximise
b) Ribbon - hide / minimise / maximise
c) Taskbar - hide / show
d) Application window - hide / show

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Masked Input Box

Last updated: 28 Aug 2018

This is an updated version of the masked input box code originally written by Daniel Klann in 2003 for 32-bit Access only.

This updated version will work in both 32-bit and 64-bit Access

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Negative Total Pages on Report

Last updated: 17 Jan 2019

If you have a VERY large report with more than the integer limit of 32767 pages, Access will display the total pages as a negative number
For example: Page 1 of -15440 pages

This article explains how to deal with that situation if it arises

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Prevent Copy & Paste in Forms

Last updated: 29 Oct 2017

This article explains how to prevent users copying and pasting text in forms

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Progress Bar

Last updated: 3 Dec 2020

This is a simple but effective progress bar for use in Access forms

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Rank Order in Queries

Last updated: 9 Jun 2018

This shows one way of creating rank orders in Access queries using the Serialize function

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Remove core Windows 'modern' apps

Last updated: 16 Jun 2018

Certain core Windows modern apps CANNOT be removed using Add/Remove programs.
However if you have a problem, these cannot be installed from the Windows Store as they are already installed! CATCH-22!!!

This article explains how to remove these core Windows modern apps using Powershell.

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Set Character Limit in Long Text (Memo) Fields

Last updated: 26 Mar 2022

This article explains how the number of characters in long text fields can be limited using VBA code. It also includes code to check the spelling of entered text. This is particularly useful if text entry is done using the Windows dictation tool.

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'UPEND' or 'UPSERT' Query

Last updated: 18 Sept 2018

A very common database task is to both append new records to a table and update existing records. The standard approach is to use an APPEND query and an UPDATE query.

This article explains how to combine both of these into a single UPEND (AKA UPSERT) query.

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View All Database Objects

Version 2.2             Last updated: 26 Oct 2020

This item allows you to view all objects in a database.

The list of database objects is obtained from the hidden system table MSysObjects.

It is updated automatically as objects are added to or removed from the database.

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View Form Code

Last updated: 11 Mar 2022

This article describes different methods of viewing the VBA code for a form or individual procedure

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