Control Tip Text flashing

[GPGeorge]

I’m modifying an existing Access database for deployment to a non-profit.

I decided to add control tip text to text boxes and combo boxes on one form since I don’t know what volunteers might end up using it. I figure it’ll help new volunteers add/update new books. This form displays as a subform if that’s relevant.

The control tip text flashes for less than a second. I know it is flashing because the outline around it briefly shows. It repeatedly flashes as long as the cursor is over a control and the control has focus.

There are no timer, mouse-move, or requery events running in any form in the database application. All I have to do is set focus to one of the text boxes and let the cursor hover over it.

I’m reluctant to put a lot of time in an alternative to built-in control tips because it is, after all, volunteer work for a non-profit and this feature is just a nice-to-have addition.

What should I be looking for that could cause this?

 

[NauticalGent]

What should I be looking for that could cause this?

Not a clue George...but...I do know that the other apps in Office have a similar feature as Control Tip - ScreenTip I think. If they show the same behavior then you could chalk it up to an OS issue.

Edit

I posted your entire post in my Gov PC's version of ChatGPT - NIPRGPT (Gemini, I'm certain):

Got it — thanks for explaining the setup in detail.


What you’re describing (tooltips flashing repeatedly while hovering over a textbox/combo with focus) is not normal behavior for Access. A ControlTipText should stay visible until the mouse moves away. Since you already ruled out timers, MouseMove, and Requery, here are the most likely culprits:

---

1.​

• If your form is being refreshed, repainted, or losing/re-gaining focus (even subtly), the tooltip redraws each time.
• Things that can trigger this silently:
  • Continuous forms or datasheet view with frequent redraws.
  • Subform linked to a parent form with Link Master/Child Fields → causes requery/repaint when focus changes.
  • Conditional formatting on the control or form.

Try setting the form’s PopUp = Yes or Modal = Yes temporarily, or removing the subform link, to see if the flickering stops.

---

2.​

• Certain antivirus software, screen magnifiers, or even some Windows “pointer options” can cause tooltip flicker.
• If this is happening across all forms, test on another machine (clean Windows + Access install). If it only happens in this database, it’s inside your form logic.

---

3.​

• By default, tooltips show when hovering over a control without focus.
• If you click into a textbox (so it has the cursor) and hover, Access can be finicky — some versions of Access will flicker or briefly flash the tooltip instead of holding it.

Quick test: Move the mouse over the label next to the textbox (instead of the textbox itself). Does the tooltip still flicker? If not, this is just the “focus + hover” quirk.

---

4.​

• In some versions of Access (esp. Access 2016/2019 with Windows display scaling >100%), tooltips don’t render correctly and flash.
• If your dev machine is at 125% or 150% zoom, try setting Windows display scaling back to 100% as a test.

---

5.​

If it turns out to be the “focus + hover” issue and not a bug in your form:

• Put the ControlTipText on the label for the control, not the textbox/combo itself. Volunteers will still see the tip when hovering over the label, but it won’t flicker.
• Or, create a little “Help” label with a small “?” icon and set the tooltip there (this avoids focus conflicts entirely).

---

My hunch, based on what you said, is that this is the “focused control hover bug” — in many Access builds, tooltips only behave normally when the control does not have the cursor. Once you click into the textbox, the tip flickers.


Would you like me to show you a quick test method so you can confirm if it’s just that quirk (vs. something refreshing/repainting your form)?

 

[AHeyne]

Is there a form background image? I mean to remember that it could cause flickering.

 

[GPGeorge]

Is there a form background image? I mean to remember that it could cause flickering.

Not really. I replace the subform in the subform control for each menu item and the default subform on open has an image in it, but it is replaced by this subform.

However, there may be something in the idea of images. I display an image of the book cover in an image control in the form, if there is one available. I'll try disabling that to see if it has any effect.

 

[GPGeorge]

Not really. I replace the subform in the subform control for each menu item and the default subform on open has an image in it, but it is replaced by this subform.

However, there may be something in the idea of images. I display an image of the book cover in an image control in the form, if there is one available. I'll try disabling that to see if it has any effect.

That didn't help. I completely disabled the image control with no impact.

I'm beginning to suspect a corrupt form.

 

[Gasman]

Is this an empty DB that you can upload for someone else to try?

 

[GPGeorge]

No, but I could try to create a repro with sample data. Gimme a minute.

 

[Gasman]

No, but I could try to create a repro with sample data. Gimme a minute.

Do not do what I did and miss off some missing references.

 

[Gasman]

I do not know about your DB, but the control tip for me is very slow to appear. If I did not know it was there, I would be elsewhere by the time it decided to show.

 

[GPGeorge]

Do not do what I did and miss off some missing references.

I'm only removing data, nothing else. It'll be messy, but the data is really not that confidential anyway.

 

[GPGeorge]

I do not know about your DB, but the control tip for me is very slow to appear. If I did not know it was there, I would be elsewhere by the time it decided to show.

For me, it flashes just long enough to see the outline. And does so repeatedly while the cursor is over the control. I thought for a while the control had to have focus also, but further testing proved me wrong.

 

[GPGeorge]

The file is still too large to attach. I'll make it available as a download link instead.

https://www.gpcdata.com/downloads/SVHSLTFLibrary_Local_AWFTest.zip

What you need to know.

I originally designed this to work with a cloud-based SQL Server back end, using the Google Books API to retrieve data about books using ISBN or title or author. The plan, as I understood it in the beginning, was to make the book catalog available to the community of researchers who are interested in the topic. That meant a website.

Two years later, the non-profit has still not installed an internet connection in their building. Without that, the original web-based version is useless.

I got impatient and offered to create a standalone version for their single-user computer. That meant cutting out or disabling the web stuff in this version. It's a PITA, because as soon as they do start using it, it will go out of synch with the cloud version. But unless they suddenly find themselves enlightened by the possibility of fulfilling their charter and making the data available to others, this is as good as it's going to get.

The form of concern is loaded by clicking "Books" in the ribbon.

I removed most of the existing book records, leaving enough to provide a flavor of what they are all about.

 

[GPGeorge]

One other note. Midway through setting up the original version I changed "genre" to "category" and "creator" to "author", but I did not revise the underlying tables to match the interface. Too much work.

 

[Gasman]

Which form(s) are we looking at?
Books is not flashing for me on Title and Publisher, Comments etc.

However they seem slower than even my quick addition to one of my dbs.
Access 2019.

 

[mcppsl]

The control tip text flashes for less than a second. I know it is flashing because the outline around it briefly shows. It repeatedly flashes as long as the cursor is over a control and the control has focus.

The control tip text is working fine for me on your books form with no flashing or flickering.
hth
Malcolm

 

[RonPaii]

I downloaded your application and manually opening the frm_Edit_Publications" form, I see the tool tips and they stay up as long as I hover.

Office365 Access x64.
Version 2506 (Build 18925.20216 Click-to-Run)
Monthly Enterprise Channel

By the way, how is the application started. I get only the background image if frm_Main_Menu is opened directory or using the InitVars function in modInitVars.

 

[GPGeorge]

The control tip text is working fine for me on your books form with no flashing or flickering.
hth
Malcolm

Thank you.

 

[GPGeorge]

I downloaded your application and manually opening the frm_Edit_Publications" form, I see the tool tips and they stay up as long as I hover.

Office365 Access x64.
Version 2506 (Build 18925.20216 Click-to-Run)
Monthly Enterprise Channel

View attachment 121292

By the way, how is the application started. I get only the background image if frm_Main_Menu is opened directory or using the InitVars function in modInitVars.

Thank you.

 

[GPGeorge]

I downloaded your application and manually opening the frm_Edit_Publications" form, I see the tool tips and they stay up as long as I hover.

Office365 Access x64.
Version 2506 (Build 18925.20216 Click-to-Run)
Monthly Enterprise Channel

View attachment 121292

By the way, how is the application started. I get only the background image if frm_Main_Menu is opened directory or using the InitVars function in modInitVars.

That's exactly what I want the user to see. It starts with an AutoExec macro that runs InitVars. The last line of code in InitVars opens the menu form.

DoCmd.OpenForm FormName:="frm_Main_Menu"

And it also works correctly for me on my 64 bit installation!

Now, I'm totally puzzled, unless someone can replicate the problem on a 32 bit installation.

I could try reinstalling Office too I guess.

 

[GPGeorge]

Thank you.

Do you have 32 bit Access installed or 64 bit Access?