all records not visible

[David_Nelson]

I have a small travel company and have trips from 2006-2023 in Access. When I just opened Access, only the trips from 2006-2015 were visible. I tried the "repair and compact database" page:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/compact-and-repair-a-database-6ee60f16-aed0-40ac-bf22-85f...

This did not help.

Are the other solutions for this problem?

thank you

[#2]

@David_Nelson 

Look at the most recent backup of the accdb prior to this incident. Does it have the missing records?

Are you sure, as a matter of fact, that you are actually looking at the most recent copy of the accdb and not one from a few years ago?

[#3]

@George Hepworth 

Thanks for your reply. I am sure that I am opening the most recent database and not one from a few years back. I had this same problem a few months ago, and the issue resolved itself a few days later. Now the problem is back.

Do you have any other ideas?

thanks

[#4]

Not really. There are too many things that can go wrong. Ranging from
Some one "helping to clean up" the database by removing records to linking to the wrong back end, to sorting and filtering problems.

[#5]

OK. Thanks. I'll keep working on it.

[#6]

When looking for "missing" records, use the simplest approach possible. So don't rely on a report or a form, or a query. All of those can filter out certain records based on query criteria, or filter property settings, or several other ways.
Rather go directly to the table(s). Make sure they are sorted by PK, and go to the last record. I hope this will alleviate the problem. If they are truly gone: thank goodness you keep good backups.

[#7]

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, I have been looking in the table that contains the master data. The records seem to have disappeared from here. Strange. And, so far, all of my searches in backups have the same problem. Help!!

[#8]

@David_Nelson 

What could anyone do to help? We don't have access to the accdb in question. We don't know what caused the records to be deleted, and even if we did, there's not much to be done without a backup.

I am sorry.

[#9]

Have you heard of something like this before? Could a database get corrupted so that some, but not all, data was deleted?
And, going forward if I am not able to find the missing data in any backups, would you recommend that I delete all data and use the old framework (tables, queries, forms) to start a new database?
This is all new to me and I am looking at the best ways forward. I appreciate how you are sharing your experience.

[#10]

@David_Nelson 

Corruption is a low possibility, but not impossible.

I think it is much more likely to have been caused by these more common problems:

• an action resulting in unintended consequences, such as executing a delete query with inappropriate parameters. I have done that, and the only thing that saved my bacon was an hourly backup being performed on the network. IT restored the lost data quickly, if not happily.
• linking to the wrong back end and storing some data in one accdb and some in another without realizing it immediately.

I can't give advice on next steps. What you do about it depends on factors unique to your situation. I would recommend NOT deleting any data, regardless of what else you do. Deleting data is an irreversible step.

I would also implement a rigid back up protocol. Hourly or daily, at least.

[#11]

Thanks for the sage advice. I will look into what might have happened. During COVID, I did not open the database for a year or so, and when I opened it, all the data was not there. I must have done something I had not intended. I appreciate all your help and ideas.

[#12]

"....I did not open the database for a year or so, ..."

That might raise the possibility of other intervening events, such as a system restore from a backup, etc.

[#13]

Hi George. Two days ago, I tried the database again, and it now shows all of the records, even the ones that had not been visible last week. What does this say to you? Might this be a software error with Access (I run updates regularly) or a problem with the computer? My CPU is about 8 years old. Might a OS reinstall, or Office 365 reinstall help? I can also consider getting a new CPU. Again, any ideas you may have are very appreciated! David

[#14]

I have no relevant experience with a phenomenon like that. Records don't disappear and reappear without intervention.

I would not suspect a problem in Access itself. A reinstall of MS 365 might not make any difference, but it shouldn't do any harm.

What I mostly suspect here is that the accdb in question was located in a folder on a network, and that somehow the path to that folder was changed. Perhaps you were looking at an older backup at some point.

Who else has permissions to the network where this happened? Would anyone else have reason to be moving files?