I have become the default Access expert in my office... which means I know next to nothing, but more than any one else here. We have just converted an Access 2.0 (yes, really) db to Access 2000 db. It seems to function fine in most regards (all that we've tested so far) except that one autonumber in a table now gives negative numbers. It started at the same number as previously (let's say 433199), but has added a - and started counting back towards zero (-433199, -433198, etc.).

The chances of these unique numbers overlapping is slim, but I am concerned about how the negative numbers will effect other aspects of the db or our accounting system which use those distinct numbers as invoice numbers.

I would like to start at a new, positive number, but just don't know how!

Hmm. This article may be of interest to you. http://allenbrowne.com/ser-40.html
Hope it helps :)

Jean,

This also happens if when you Design your table, for the AutoNumber
field you choose --> "New Values" = Random (as opposed to increment).

Wayne

JeanBean,

Access Autonumbers should NEVER be exposed to a user and subsequently used as an Invoice/Hospital Number etc. The purpose is to provide an Internal primary Key that can be easily used in relationships. For example I inherited a db that used Autonumbers on Hospital case Notes. Eventually the db became corrupted and I had to use a recovery tool. All the Auto number fields where converted to numbers and when I reinstated the autonumber field the numbers generated where not the same as the original numbers.

There are plenty of ways of generating your own numbers, for this Search the form