disappearing records

eleanor b

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Hello,

I have read a couple of other queries about this problem, but none seem to help me.
I have a database, not too large (c.2000 records), not too complicated (very few macros, no referential integrity, no reports or subforms, mainly simple queries).
Over the past few weeks records have started disappearing. Vanishing, no trace. No pattern to the record numbers. About 220 in all have disappeared so far. There is a main table (manuscripts), with links to other tables (manuscript notes, manuscript decisions). The records disappear from the manuscripts table, but the related records are left in the other tables.
Only five people use the database, no one has deliberately deleted anything in fact as we keep all information.

Could this be a virus? I cannot believe that the database is too large.

any help really appreciated.

Thanks

Eleanor
 
RE :disappearing records

Doesn't sound like a virus

Sounds like the records have been accidentaly deleted
(should your users have delete access to the table)
(should your tables be linked in the relationship diagrammer)
 
Interesting.
With the little bit that I have tweaked with Access and tried to force it to do something illegal, I have never had it delete records, I have had it duplicate records, but not delete any (thats going on Access alone with no personal intervention doing this).

The most common way people have deleted info on my forms is when a form is loaded and there is a text box that has tab order of "0" or that particular text box has the focus when the form is loaded and since it a bound form the information is already loaded and they begin typing, and then stop realizing thats not what they intended to do and now the original info is lost.

Short term answer...

Make sure all of your forms have an unused text box with the tab order of "0" with the width of "0" setting the back style and border style to transparent (it should be transparent now).
That should stop accidental typing in a bound text box when a form is loaded.

For a perion of time I would backup the database when it is opened etc. (or some other event you thought that would be necessary).
Search here for "Backup Database", there are multiple examples from various people. I am sure you will find the one that suites your need.
Find one that will do it automatically with no user intervention if possible.

Thats about all I can suggest hopefully that will help solve your problem or at least back up your database until you solve it.

--------------------------------
Edit - There are other options if that is in fact what they are doing.
I believe there is a Macro (Runcommand - Undo) and some VB if you want to get into that (Undo Method).
 
Last edited:
Answer - for info

Hello,

This is just a post to say that I discovered what made the records disappear and of course everybody was correct - it was a user running a query and then deleting all the results by accident. I think they pressed 'cut' instead of 'copy'.
I have since deleted this query and I recreate it when necessary, and prevented deletions on all other forms - which is annoying for all but serves them right for wiping over the weekly backup even after noticing missing records.

Thank to those who replied to me.
Eleanor
 
no referential integrity
What do you think RI is for? If you had enforced it, the user would not have been able to delete 1-side records that had children so they would have gotten an error when running the delete query.
 

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