r/MSAccess

Microsoft Access has been a huge benefit to our company. Our company is also small enough that we do not really need to convert all our custom apps over to a web-based approach. We did convert all our backend data into SQL Server and things continue to work great.

However, as much as we doubt Access will ever go away there is some worry about being so dependent on Access. Some are suggesting for future development against our data ( which is all in SQL Server now ) we develop using some web-based approach. Others are also suggesting gradually migrating to a web front end over time. What are good alternative web-based solutions? Is anyone else doing this? What do you think about this?

Also related there is some discussion on future sql development has to work in both SQL Server and Postgres. What do people think about this as well?

Good morning all!

Since about March of this year, I've been slowly but surely teaching myself the ins and outs of Microsoft Access, and the basics of SQL and VBA stuff, to get to where I may be able to produce a good database for my company.

Currently we do all of our paperwork (invoices, order acknowledgements, etc) in Excel. When I say we do it in Excel though, i really mean we're just typing info into excel like a grid-based version of Word, meaning there's no particular rhyme or reason from one document to another as to how information is laid out.

This means that even if I were successful in producing a database for this place, there would be an absolutely monumental pile of messy, difficult-to-parse data that would have to be manually entered before it was worth a hoot.

This has me asking a tough question, months in: Is it actually worth it to make a database for a place when the up-front effort is so high? Does there come a point where you wave a white flag and just accept that everything is done via less-than-optimal means?

Hi,

I've been looking for a system like access, basically the 4 mains: table, query, forms and reports with easy integration of scripting (not picky about which one). Something that has the free form design access has. I don't need responsive layout or at least I want to be able to make two version one for phone and one for desktop.

I want to be able to link reports to be initiated by forms for example. Build queries with variable fields that I can populate from form. Preferably without having to use code all the time.

Also some level of validation, masks, and the more standard input controls.

I don't need macros (I use code when need to expand in that direction)

I've created accounts with most Metabase, Airtable, Grist, Knack, Caspio, NocoDB, Baserow etc. Also looked into things like Retool, Ninox, FlutterFlow, Supabase, etc. but none even get close. Their AI assistants are nice though.

Tables are OKish but even then the relationships are not as easy to see.

Form and Query Builders are too limiting, huge margins, padding and a medium size form will need 3 pgdn's to fill, not to mention if i've got sub forms that i want to show or not as a table.

Reports are either pure tables with very few controls to filter and control with forms, or they focus on charts, gnat charts, pie charts, stock charts, dashboard stuff, kanban, etc. Not to mention if i wanted to print them (save as pdf).

I just want access for web with cloud database, it's a 30 year old product shouldn't be that hard to duplicate as a web application.

Has anyone seen something that does what access does?

Don't want things like lovable, and don't want to use AI (codex, Claude, etc) to code each one since modifying with prompts is not sustainable not to mention potential bugs plus deployment headaches, backups etc.

Editing AI spaghetti code is too slow too.

Does anyone else using Gemini to help them code?

Gemini tells me that a lot of access developers are.

So far it hasn't cost anything, and I hope it stays that way.

Gemini can code useful utilities really quick, and clean up code, and easily create otherwise difficult sql statements.

Sometimes we discuss the best way of doing things, the pros and cons.

Does anyone know what this error is or how to work around it? I am in a highly locked down database that was purchased from Harris for government financial statements many moons ago. They are no longer supporting the product. My IT group restored an old version and have checked that trust settings are correct. I am desparate.

https://preview.redd.it/iw62mfojpoth1.png?width=601&format=png&auto=webp&s=ecd4aaa77375904866916013062a9cf9b1ab1ec9

Was just forced upgrade to O365 on my work computer and I can no longer user the <shift> key to open up the db without running any events. I have events on open that lock down the front end of the db so end users can’t access design or edit views on the forms or look at any tables.

I’ve checked sticky keys but is there something else I’m missing?

Hello Access Experts!

I wanting to see if Access is the tool for the job I have.

The short version is I need to keep data and also track it as part of a project. 

We manage subsides. We receive applications from students, and employers. Once we have the application form both, we then vet the parties and request further documents. 

So typically Jane Smith and her potential employer both send in a form. We enter the data and then request a contract and a few other documents from the employer. And then as the placement goes on, we'll request paystubs and pay out a certain amount. So what I need my database to do is the following.

1, Intake & and match information. Once Jane and her employer fill out the forms, I want Access to know it's the same application so I don't need to manually enter in the information on whatever form comes in second.

2, Be able to easily track stages. I'm going to have situations where I have Jane's form but not the employer, of vice-versa. Or I have yet to request the required documents. Or, I am waiting to receive them.

I need a quick at-a-glance way to see where things stand.

3, All of this needs to be easily saveable as an Excel sheet as uploads to various systems are required.

4, I need to be able to use the same structure for each quarter with fresh data. 

Is what I'm describing do-able and relatively easy to create, AND make user friendly for less technically inclined humans?

Oh one other thing. The data we're receiving doesn't have to be saved in Access. I just need to be able to record that it *was* saved.

We are running windows server standard 2019 and I am having several users receiving the below error.

Microsoft access can't change the working directory verify that the drive path is valid windows server

any ideas on how to correct.