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amber_smith_ku's avatar
amber_smith_ku
Copper Contributor
Oct 17, 2025

Access Query Finding Old/Deleted Data

I have replaced several outdated tables in an Access database recently with updated versions. The issue that is now occurring is that my queries are pulling the old data that doesn't exist anymore in the table and creating duplicate entries in my output (one row with the updated data and one row with the deleted data). Does anyone know why this happens and what the fix is? The old data isn't in my table so I'm not sure how to surface it to remove it.

office 365

3 Replies

  • George_Hepworth's avatar
    George_Hepworth
    Silver Contributor
    Oct 18, 2025

    Please explain what you mean by "replacing outdated tables".
    Please describe, step-by-step how you did that.

    Queries can only retrieve data from tables when the tables are available, so that old data does exist and that implies the original tables are still available, not replaced.

    It would be very helpful to see a screenshot of your navigation pane showing ALL of the tables in the accdb.

     

    Thank you for helping us help you.

    • amber_smith_ku's avatar
      amber_smith_ku
      Copper Contributor
      Oct 23, 2025

      Hi George, 

      I use a table called "Medical Department and Chair" to query and add a department and department chair to a list of doctors each month. Last month, I uploaded a new version of the "Medical Department and Chair" table to override the existing version. In a couple of examples where the department chair changed, it applied the previous table's outdated chair instead of what the current version of Access table actually contained. 

      Thanks for the help!

      • George_Hepworth's avatar
        George_Hepworth
        Silver Contributor
        Oct 24, 2025

        What does it mean to say that you uploaded a new version of the "Medical Department and Chair" table to override the existing version?

        Uploaded to where? 

        Again, I am not sure that you actually replaced the table as it is used in the current database.

        To repeat, please describe, step-by-step how you did that. 

        It does appear that you have a split database, with a Front End (FE) accdb contains the interface and logic objects and a Back End (BE) accdb containing only tables. That's good.

        The problem appears to be that the link from the FE to the table in the BE was not changed when you "uploaded" a new version of that table to the BE. That implies a) the new table is there in the BE in addition to the old table and that b) the process did not include changing the link to that table.

         

        That's why I want to see a screenshot of the Navigation Pane showing all of the tables, please.

         

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