Property sheet not working

[Lanason]

I am trying to modify VBA code on a form and for some reason the property sheet is coming up blank - in design mode I get literally nothing, just a big grey box

I have exited access and repaired database

Anyone seen this and ideas ??

 

[Ranman256]

it doesnt sound like a database problem....its an Access problem.
in control panel, you may need to run a repair/reinstall on Access.

 

[Orthodox Dave]

According to this link https://www.devhut.net/bugs/property-sheet-is-blank/
computer shutdown and restart clears the problem. You said you closed and reopened Access. Did you shut down and restart the computer?

 

[Lanason]

tried a full laptop close down and restart and even that didn't work

:banghead::banghead:

 

[Orthodox Dave]

Frustrating. I have no experience of this but a couple of ideas.

If Ranman256 is right, the same problem will exist regardless which database you open. Do you have any other databases to open and check if the same thing is happening?

Also, in Form Design View in the toolbar at the top next to "Property Sheet" is "Add Existing Fields". They both use the same box so when you click one, the other disappears. See if you still have a blank box when you select "Add Existing Fields".

Worth checking before you reinstall or repair Access, but I suspect it will come to that.

 

[Lanason]

it seems to be on certain forms but not on every one within the SAME database

but when it works on the first one then it locks up the toolbar - I cant even go back to the form design from design mode

really strange

 

[Orthodox Dave]

Try creating a new database and import all the objects from your database to the new one and see if that works. Sometimes databases get corrupted in strange ways.

 

[Lanason]

Try creating a new database and import all the objects from your database to the new one and see if that works. Sometimes databases get corrupted in strange ways.

funny that's what I did but not all the objects imported - I need to have another go at that next week

 

[The_Doc_Man]

When you do an import that supposedly asks for all X in the source database, you should see some sort of error for the things that didn't import correctly. Access frequently builds an error table or an exception table that lists the things that didn't import - and why. Look for that.

 

[Lanason]

update - interestingly I have just tried to create a new database and import from the old one.

A key error on the forms is that it says it can read the VBA on the forms and hence didn't import any of the forms. Suggesting to delete ALL the VBA before importing.:banghead:

 

[Lanason]

are there any "BETTER" (and safe) repair programs other than that supplied by MS

 

[Orthodox Dave]

I appreciate your difficult scenario.

A key error on the forms is that it says it can read the VBA on the forms and hence didn't import any of the forms.

I assume you mean can't read the VBA.

Perhaps it's time to implement Ranman256's suggestion to repair or reinstall Access, as you've almost exhausted all possibilities and it must be impacting your work.

If that doesn't solve it, you could try these:

1. What happens when you try to compile the VBA?
2. Having imported the non-form database objects to a new database, you could try importing the forms one at a time. I doubt ALL the forms' VBA is unreadable.
3. If you have a backup database from when it was working, you could import the offending forms from that one and take it from there.

 

[Lanason]

Hi Guys,

I am still living with this problem. So far I have:-

- reinstalled whole MS Office suite
- copied to another database

I have determined that it is related to just this database and to a corruption within it. I have copied forms over and found the error reoccur. I'm not sure exactly which form it is yet. But thinking its either in a form or in a module.

I'm thinking of doing a step by step, copy of forms and testing to see when it recurs.:banghead:

 

[Minty]

This is definitely proper corruption. When you find the offending form (import them one at a time) you will probably have lost it and the code.

Only recourse is to find an old working back up if you have one and import just that form. That way you'll only lose the work you did on that one form.

 

[static]

Save everything as text and import into a fresh db.

https://access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=99179

Comment out the tabledef export stuff, import them as normal.

 

[gemma-the-husky]

before you do anything, copy the database, as it is very possible that your repair attempts may worsen the problem.

do you have a recent saved version you can use, instead of this version

going forward, it is always worth saving a pristine unused copy of the database in the event of any corruption issues. I save new versions of my databases every time I make a change, so I can always find a good version.

One other thing, although its probably not the issue here, is that if your database ever reaches 2Gb, you may find the database just becomes unuseable, and also unrepairable.

 

[arnelgp]

Did you try to Decompile the dB? Create a shortcut on the desktop:
c:\accesspath\msaxcess.exe /Decompile

Run this and open your dB. While inside use compact and repair several times. Then exit access.

 

[Lanason]

thanks for the feedback so far and size is 25,856 kb.
I tried importing forms one by one into a new database and its was one of the first forms loaded that fell over - first indication was the "View" button to move out of design mode that played up.
Im' gunna try to decompile

 

[Lanason]

@Static

I've done the export to text - but how does the IMPORT work ???

do I have to name each object individually???

 

[static]

@Static

I've done the export to text - but how does the IMPORT work ???

do I have to name each object individually???

Well at a glance, the code labels each file with the object type, so when you are loading them back in check the filename and replace the constants accordingly.

select case true
    case left(filename,len("form_")) = "form_"
        Application.LoadFromText acForm, filenameWithoutType, "C:\Temp\" & filename
    case left(filename,len("report_")) = "report_"
        Application.LoadFromText acReport,  filenameWithoutType, "C:\Temp\" & filename
...etc...

I would suggest once you have this working you keep it in your tool library.
I don't develop Access databases anymore but this is the method I always used at first signs of weirdness.

Don't forget to reapply any references to the new copy.
And if you have any queries beginning with ~ you can safely delete them.