access database size question

[bigmac]

hi all my database is growing in size (even when no extra data has been inserted)is this normal?
does it grow by a lot when you make a new query?
also for some strange reason it said access must close down, after which the size of the file was around 50% smaller ,but it still worked great and I had not lost any data, any ideas please

 

[rzw0wr]

Code, queries, forms, reports, relationships........ all make the data base grow.
Data is the least of these.
Compact and repair helps.
Dale

 

[jdraw]

Further to Dale's response, when you are developing an application and create, edit, rename, delete, rebuild queries/tables/forms etc, Access gets space for this within its allotted area. It does not do garbage collection (gather space that is not being used when it deletes/changes something). It's only when you do a compact repair that the unneeded stuff is trashed and you free up the space from old edits/temp files etc. and make it available to Access again (sort of refresh its space allotment).

 

[McSwifty]

also for some strange reason it said access must close down, after which the size of the file was around 50% smaller ,but it still worked great and I had not lost any data, any ideas please

I would think this means you have compact on close turned on so its doing this on each close. The reason for the message stating it needs to close might be on the total size of the db - which you haven't specified.

I know they have limits which is a good reason to split front end/back end so the data stays away from a potentially large front end (the part with all the reports and forms)

I use iSeries/as400 (live) data queries and these balloon the size tremendously. Do you run this type of query, or are you importing large volumes of data that does not need to be retained?

 

[ChristopherL]

if you have a lot of make-table querys then those take a large of space. Try using append and update querys instead!