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rayWJ's avatar
rayWJ
Copper Contributor
Jun 20, 2022

Problem with an Access database

I have accidentally deleted the first column in my large Access database (on which it was sorted), No one I have tried so far seems able or willing to help. I do have One Drive which I thought would provide a backup, but it has just reflected the main drive. Is there any way I can restore the missing column?

I have been told to "correct the highlighted errors" in this message, but I can't see any.

  • arnel_gp's avatar
    arnel_gp
    Steel Contributor
    upload your db maybe somebody with recovery tool can recover it.
    if the field is but a Autonumber field you can create one, provided it is not involved
    in any Table relationships.
  • George_Hepworth's avatar
    George_Hepworth
    Silver Contributor

    rayWJ 

     

    This appears to be very similar to a problem asked and answered on MS Answers.

     

    The only two solutions are a) restore the most recent backup, and not from OneDrive which is only a current copy of the exact same accdb (that's how OneDrive works) and b) attempt the recovery method suggested in that other discussion, which is highly unlikely to work at this point.

     

    It's not a question of being "willing" or "able" to help. You deleted a column from an Access table. The only way back from that is to restore a backup of the original table.  As Jack and I noted in that other thread, there is the potential to recover a deleted table, but ONLY if the accdb in question has not been closed. I doubt that applies here. 

     

    As Arnel notes, you could create a new column using the AutoNumber IF that were the column actually deleted, but that will not restore any relationships created using it anyway. On the other hand, if Referential Integrity had been enforced on such a column, you would have had fair warning about deleting it, so my guess is that it was something else.

     

    Good luck.

     

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