Access Blog articles

Access fixes released in Version 2604 (Build 16.0.19929.20090)

lindalu-MSFT — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 05:59:52 GMT

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Values display in the wrong control when using a form as a sublist	When a form was used as a sublist (subdatasheet), field values could display in the wrong control, showing data in incorrect positions. Values now display in the correct controls.
Applications that use the Access Database Engine (ACEOLEDB) terminate unexpectedly on exit	Third-party applications using the Access Database Engine (ACEOLEDB) provider could terminate unexpectedly when closing. The shutdown sequence has been corrected.
Long Text field corrupted when a query updates a record while a user is editing it	When a query updated a Long Text field on a record that was simultaneously open for editing, the field data could become corrupted. The record update now correctly handles concurrent access to Long Text fields.
Rendering errors with Aptos (Detail) font	Controls using the Aptos (Detail) font variant could render incorrectly, with characters appearing misaligned or garbled. The font rendering has been corrected.
Standard colors in Access didn't match other Office apps	The standard color palette in Access used different color values than other Office applications like Word and Excel. The color palette has been updated to match the rest of Office.
Option Group with Vertical Anchor Bottom: option buttons show incorrect visual state after clicking	When an option group control had its Vertical Anchor property set to Bottom, clicking an option button would not correctly update the visual state of the buttons. The visual state now updates correctly regardless of the anchor setting.
Query Design: Insert/Delete Columns don't work when ribbon is set to Show Tabs Only	In Query Design view, the Insert Columns and Delete Columns commands on the ribbon did not work when the ribbon display option was set to "Show Tabs Only." The commands now work correctly regardless of ribbon display mode.
SQL View: Ctrl+K should toggle pretty formatting off/on	In the Monaco SQL editor, the Ctrl+K keyboard shortcut did not toggle SQL formatting. Ctrl+K now correctly toggles pretty formatting on and off.
Monaco editor incorrectly converts Unicode characters in SQL view	When switching between Design View and SQL View, the Monaco SQL editor could incorrectly convert certain Unicode characters, corrupting the SQL text. Unicode characters are now preserved correctly.
Importing text files with Unicode characters in the filename fails	Attempting to import a text file whose filename contained certain Unicode characters would fail. File imports now handle Unicode filenames correctly.
Added VarP and StDevP to the Totals query aggregate dropdown	The VarP (population variance) and StDevP (population standard deviation) aggregate functions were missing from the Totals row dropdown in Query Design view. They have been added alongside the existing Var and StDev options.
Added VarP and StDevP to the datasheet totals row dropdown	The VarP and StDevP aggregate functions were missing from the Totals row dropdown in Datasheet view. They have been added to match the options available in Query Design view.
Access hangs at shutdown when VBA holds temporary DAO field references	Access could hang during shutdown when VBA code created temporary DAO field references. The shutdown process now correctly cleans up temporary field references.
Full Screen Mode ribbon display option does nothing in Access	Selecting "Full Screen Mode" from the ribbon display options had no effect in Access. This option now works correctly, hiding the ribbon to maximize the available workspace.

Access fixes released in Version 2603 (Build 19822.20114)

lindalu-MSFT — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:10:12 GMT

Here's a summary of bug fixes in the latest version of Access:

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Edge Browser Control didn't navigate from code when inside a tab control	When the Edge Browser control was hosted in a tab control, calls to the Navigate method from VBA succeeded, but the control didn’t refresh to show the new page. Switching tabs forced the refresh. The control now refreshes automatically after navigation, even when it’s hosted in a tab control.
Some Unicode characters displayed incorrectly in Quick Import	Certain extended Unicode characters were displayed as squares when importing data using Quick Import. These characters are now displayed correctly.
Modern Chart titles truncated in Print Preview	When viewing a report containing Modern Charts in Print Preview, chart titles might be truncated. Chart titles now render correctly in Print Preview.
Some Unicode characters displayed incorrectly in exported object names	When exporting an object whose name contained certain extended Unicode characters, the sheet name in the exported file displayed the characters incorrectly. These characters are now preserved correctly during export.
Some Unicode characters displayed incorrectly in error messages for long object names	When renaming a database object to a name that was too long, the error message displayed certain extended Unicode characters incorrectly. These characters now display correctly in error messages.
Standard colors in Access didn't match other Office apps	The standard color palette in Access used different color values than other Office applications like Word and Excel. For example, the standard red in Access was #ED1C24 instead of the updated Office standard red #EE0000. The color palette has been updated to match the rest of Office.
Field.Properties("Precision") and Properties("Scale") on a query column caused the query to execute	Accessing the Precision or Scale properties of a field in a query's Fields collection caused the query to execute. This was a regression that broke add-ins and code that enumerate field properties, since query execution can be expensive and have side effects. These properties are now returned without executing the query.
Toggle filter button in status bar didn't work when no records were displayed	When a form filter resulted in no matching records, clicking the Toggle Filter button in the status bar to remove the filter had no effect. The button now properly removes the filter even when the filtered result set is empty.
PDF files with capitalized extension didn't render in Edge Browser Control	When navigating to a PDF file using the Edge Browser control, if the file extension was capitalized (e.g., ".PDF" instead of ".pdf"), the file contents were rendered as raw text instead of as a formatted PDF document. The extension comparison is now case-insensitive.
Monaco SQL editor inserted blank lines in multi-line comments	When switching between Design View and SQL View, the Monaco SQL editor inserted blank lines between each line inside /* multi-line comment */ blocks. This affected both local and passthrough queries. The editor now preserves the original comment formatting.

Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.

Access announces retirement of Database Compare tool in June 2026

lindalu-MSFT — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 20:47:11 GMT

MS Access currently ships a standalone Database Compare tool (DATABASECOMPARE.EXE) that enables comparison of two Access databases. As of June 2026, this tool will no longer be distributed and installed with Office.

Access is retiring the Database Compare tool because it depends on components that are no longer available and fails to launch reliably on many Office installs. Because we can no longer provide updated components, it will no longer install with new Office setups.

This applies to:

Access 2019 volume licensed and Enterprise plans
Access 2021, Access 2024, and Microsoft 365 subscriptions
Access 2021 and Access 2024 as part of the Office 2021 and Office 2024 perpetual licenses (standalone versions)

DatabaseCompare.exe is installed typically under the DCF folder of your Office installation (for example, C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\DCF\DATABASECOMPARE.EXE), and it often comes alongside Microsoft Spreadsheet Compare as part of Office Professional Plus or Microsoft 365. In addition, supporting DLLs and configuration files are located within the same DCF subfolder. These files handle database connections, reporting, and comparison functions. These files will be removed.

If you're running an older version of Office and have a working version of this tool, you can continue to use it until June 20, 2026. After that, it will be removed and will not be available for download. Therefore, we advise you to find a replacement for Database Compare.

You can find similar standalone tools that compare two Access databases from other vendors:

AccessDiff: This tool easily compares all objects in Access, including forms, code modules, queries, macros, and more. It is designed to help users retrieve lost software and compare all objects in Access databases.
AccdbMerge: This tool is an easy-to-use diff and merge tool for Microsoft Access database files. It compares table definitions, data, forms, modules, and more. A free version is available for the main database objects.
DataWeigher: This tool compares and synchronizes data between two MS Access databases. It provides a visual result with each type of record (added, deleted, changed) represented by a different color. The comparison results can be saved as a report or SQL script for data synchronization.
Total Access Detective: This tool allows you to find differences between any two objects in one Microsoft Access database, including fields, controls, properties, macro lines, module code, and data. It also supports comparing two blocks of text from text files on disk or the text you copy and paste.

We recognize this change may require planning, and we encourage customers to review these alternatives and plan a transition away from Database Compare ahead of its retirement in June 2026.

Access fixes released in version 2602 (Build 19725.20126)

lindalu-MSFT — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:57:46 GMT

Here's a summary of bug fixes in the latest version of Access:

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Monaco query editor applied unwanted autoformatting to passthrough queries	The Monaco SQL editor was applying automatic formatting (such as adding whitespace or changing capitalization) to passthrough queries. Since passthrough queries are sent directly to the server's SQL engine without Access interpreting them, autoformatting could alter the SQL in ways that break server-specific syntax. Autoformatting is now disabled for passthrough queries, preserving the exact SQL as written.
Monaco query editor font size did not match Access settings	When using the Monaco SQL editor, the font size in the query editor didn't match the font size configured in Access's client settings. An incorrect unit conversion resulted in text appearing slightly larger than expected. The conversion has been corrected so the editor font size now matches the configured setting.
Datasheet selection could extend past the last column	When selecting cells in a datasheet by clicking and dragging, it was possible to extend the selection rectangle past the rightmost column into an empty area. Releasing the mouse and then clicking elsewhere would leave the selection highlight drawn in that empty area, since Access did not erase the over-extended selection. The selection is now properly limited to the actual columns of the datasheet.

Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.

Access bug fixes — Versions 2511 through 2601

lindalu-MSFT — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 19:04:38 GMT

Version 2511 (Build 19426)

Bug Name

Issue Fixed

Query Design view showed incorrect joins after selecting SQL text

When using the Monaco SQL editor with a query containing multiple joins, selecting text in SQL view with Ctrl+A and then switching back to Design View could trigger a spurious alert and cause one of the joins to appear removed in the design grid. The underlying SQL wasn't actually affected, but the Design view displayed incorrect join information. This is corrected so that switching between SQL view and Design view preserves all joins accurately.

Version 2512 (Build 19530)

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Datasheet forms with nested subforms showing errors after system changes	When using datasheet forms containing nested subforms on systems where a system change occurs — such as disconnecting and reconnecting a Remote Desktop session — Access could display a GDI error. This happened because collapsed sublists held references to system brushes that were destroyed during the system change. This is fixed so that all sublists properly handle system resource changes.
F4 key did not open the Properties pane in the Query SQL editor	When the Monaco SQL editor was enabled, pressing F4 in the Query editor's SQL view didn't properly open the Properties pane. Instead, the pane would either flash briefly or appear incorrectly positioned in the top-left corner of the screen. The F4 shortcut now correctly opens the Properties pane in SQL view.
Pressing F5 in the Query SQL editor cleared all SQL text	When using the Monaco SQL editor in the Query designer, pressing F5 (Run) could clear all the SQL text from the editor. This is fixed so that running a query with F5 no longer affects the SQL text in the editor.
Text not visible when renaming items in the Navigation Pane in dark themes	When using the Black (or other dark) Office theme, renaming an object in the Navigation pane resulted in text that was nearly invisible due to insufficient contrast. The rename text box now uses appropriate colors that provide sufficient contrast in all themes.
Advanced Filter/Sort opened a standalone query window instead of a filter window	When opening a table in Datasheet view and selecting Sort & Filter > Advanced > Advanced Filter/Sort from the ribbon, Access incorrectly opened a full standalone query design window instead of the expected limited filter query window. The filter query window includes a Toggle Filter button to apply the query as a filter. This is corrected, so the command opens the proper filter window.
Refreshing an Access ODBC connection in Excel returned an error	When refreshing an ODBC connection to an Access database from Excel, users could receive the error "Operation is not supported for this type of object." This is resolved so that Access ODBC connections refresh successfully.

Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.

Access bug fixes version 2510 (Build 19328.20158)

lindalu-MSFT — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 21:18:45 GMT

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Undo/Redo don’t work for Bring To Front and Send To Back commands.	In Form/Report Design view, after executing a Bring To Front or Send To Back command to re-order controls, Undo will now restore the previous state.
Syntax highlighting makes keywords hard to read with dark Office themes in the Monaco SQL editor.	Keywords will now be rendered with a lighter blue color in dark themes to provide better contrast.
Connector lines difficult to see in Waterfall charts.	You can now set the thickness of the connector lines in a Waterfall chart to make them more visible.

Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.

Access fixes released in versions 2507 and 2508

lindalu-MSFT — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 04:15:52 GMT

Version 2507 (Build 19029.20136)

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Alert, “The Microsoft Access database engine cannot find the input table or query ‘MSysSQLComments’.” when importing queries from an old database which has never been used with the Monaco SQL editor	Importing queries from older databases now works correctly
Queries do not save when they contain Unicode characters	This happened only with the new Monaco SQL editor and should now work correctly
Error "The Object isn't open" when running Find Duplicates and Crosstab query wizards	This happened only with the new Monaco SQL editor and should now work correctly
Crash when pressing F1 in Monaco SQL Editor	F1 will now launch context sensitive help when used with the Monaco SQL editor
Error “Object is not connected to server” when referencing OLE automation object in VBA code	This could happen when referencing the OLE object stored in an Unbound Object Frame, such as a PowerPoint slide or Word Document
Crash when opening a query directly into SQL view	This happened only with the new Monaco SQL editor. All queries should now be able to open successfully directly in SQL view
Images sometimes do not display correctly on buttons/image controls	All buttons and image controls should now correctly display images
Announce deprecation of Salesforce connector	We added a callout to let people know about the imminent deprecation of the Salesforce connector

Version 2508 (Build 19127.20154)

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Control wizards do not launch when adding new controls to subform in design view	The control wizards will now work when adding a control to a subform
Access terminates unexpectedly when pressing F6 key in Design View	F6 should now navigate correctly with forms in design view
Unable to select large number (BigInt) field within "Find Unmatched Query Wizard"	You can now select Large Number fields in the Find Unmatched Query Wizard
Some wizards giving an error in 32-bit builds on launch “There was an error loading an ActiveX control on one of your forms or reports.”	All wizards should now launch correctly
Invalid output when exporting to HTML	Some fields (e.g., number and date/time) were being incorrectly encoded

Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.

End of support for Access 2016 and Access 2019 nears

lindalu-MSFT — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 16:18:37 GMT

Your product will still work, but when Microsoft says a product has reached "end of support", it means the product will no longer receive:

Security updates
Non-security updates
Bug fixes
New features
Assisted support (free or paid)

What this means for Access users:

No more updates: Customers will not receive any new builds, patches, or improvements—even if vulnerabilities are discovered.
No support: Microsoft will no longer provide technical support or troubleshooting assistance.
Increased risk: Continued use of unsupported software can expose systems to security threats and compliance issues.
Migration encouraged: Customers are advised to upgrade to a supported version or product to maintain security and functionality.

We strongly encourage all Access users with perpetual licenses to upgrade to a Microsoft 365 Apps subscription. Subscription users get more out of the same Office desktop apps with artificial intelligence (AI) backed design ideas and analytic insights, rich contents and templates, cloud powered connected experiences and more. They also enjoy additional benefits beyond capabilities in Office apps, such as 1TB storage, Office on multiple devices and mobile, Microsoft Family Safey app, etc.

I've noticed many perpetual users are "subscription adverse." I hear "I've used the desktop version forever and prefer not to switch to the cloud." Migrating to subscription does not mean that you'll get a different version of Access. You'll still get the desktop version you know and love, plus all the premium Office features a subscription provides. My favorites are Editor in Word, Money in Excel, and all the extra OneDrive storage.

Check with Microsoft Sales Support to see if you're eligible for upgrade incentives depending on your region or organization type. (Yes, we know the Access icon does not appear with the other Office apps. You'll find it directly below the icons in the alphabetized apps list.)

Sources:

End of support for Office 2016 and 2019

Overview - Product End of Support and Retirements - Microsoft Lifecycle

Access 2016 - Microsoft Lifecycle

Access 2019 - Microsoft Lifecycle

Access announces removal of Salesforce ODBC driver in October 2025

lindalu-MSFT — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 15:15:15 GMT

MS Access 2019 (and newer) ships a licensed Salesforce ODBC driver from InsightSoftware that will lose sustaining support after June 30th, 2026. But because we can no longer provide updates for the driver, the Access team has decided to accelerate the removal of this driver and remove it from the product in October 2025.

Applies to:

Access 2019 volume licensed and Enterprise plans
Access 2021, Access 2024, and Microsoft 365 subscriptions
Access 2021 and Access 2024 as part of the Office 2021 and Office 2024 perpetual licenses (standalone versions)

The Salesforce ODBC driver bundled with Office includes shared libraries such as:

libcurl.dll
libcrypto-3.dll
libssl-3.dll

These libraries are located under the following path: Program Files\Microsoft Office\ODBC Drivers\Salesforce. They may also be present in different locations. Drivers installed by Office and used to access your Salesforce data will be removed on permanently on October 28, if you are using Access as part of a Microsoft 365 Apps monthly version and on November 11 if you are on the semi-annual release. For customers using perpetual Access 2019, 2021, or 2024, the drivers will be removed on November 11. You do not need to manually remove the drivers.

Access currently doesn't have a way to talk directly to the Salesforce APIs so customers must continue to use the standardized ODBC driver framework that we currently support. Customers can independently purchase the Simba.DLL driver if needed from InsightSoftware. There are also other vendors that offer a Salesforce driver.

Simba driver from InsightsSoftware https://insightsoftware.com/simba/
ODBC driver from devart https://www.devart.com/odbc/salesforce/
Salesforce integration from boomi https://boomi.com/solutions/application/salesforce/
Salesforce driver from cdata https://www.cdata.com/drivers/salesforce

Once you purchase and install the driver, Access can connect to your Salesforce external data source.

On the External Data ribbon, choose New Data Source > From Other Sources > ODBC Database

We will provide more updates when available.

Access releases bug fixes in version 2506

lindalu-MSFT — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 03:22:02 GMT

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Error when trying to run append query	When an update/append query qualified column references (e.g., Table1.Field1) the reference might fail to resolve and produce an error reading “The INSERT INTO statement contains the following unknown field name: Table1.Field1”
Error when trying to save or run a query containing certain characters	For queries containing some Unicode characters, attempting to run or save the query could generate the error “The SQL statement is invalid.”
Can't create a query directly in SQL view	We have now added a button to the Queries section of the Create ribbon to allow you to create a new query opened to the SQL editor, rather than the QBE (Query-By-Example) designer
Exporting data to a text file might export some characters incorrectly	When exporting data containing some Unicode characters and choosing the “Export data with formatting and layout” option, invalid characters would sometimes be output to the text file.
Using the clipboard to transfer data from tables/queries to text did not work for some Unicode characters	Access was not rendering text from tables/queries with the CF_UNICODETEXT format so when you copied a table/query from the Navigation Pane, then pasted into a destination that accepted text, Unicode characters might not be preserved
When exporting to Email using the HTML format Unicode characters might not be preserved	Some characters would be replaced by question marks rather than preserving the original content when exporting to HTML Email
When exporting a table with a relationship but no lookup defined Access may hang during the validation step	During export Access tries to create a lookup in Dataverse that corresponds to a lookup defined in Access for related tables. However, if a relationship was defined but there was no lookup defined for the foreign key, then Access could hang during the export process.
If the Display Form option is set in the Options dialog, then any time the Options dialog is closed you incorrectly get a message saying that you must close and reopen the database for changes to take effect	This could happen even if no changes were made. Access will now only generate this message if you really do need to close and reopen the database for changes to take effect.

Access fixes released in Version 2503

lindalu-MSFT — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 17:22:39 GMT

These fixes are in Version 2503 (Build 18623.20156). Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Error “The search key was not found in any record” when trying to save a query from SQL view.	In some cases, this error occurred incorrectly when trying to save a query using the new Monaco SQL editor. It will now save as expected without error.
F1 brings up command palette in the Monaco SQL editor instead of invoking contextual help.	In the classic SQL editor, F1 would bring up help based on the current selection in the editor. This now works in the Monaco SQL editor as well.
When the Monaco SQL editor is enabled and a query is open in datasheet view, you may see visual flickering in the datasheet.	This visual artifact will no longer occur.
When importing a text file into an existing table with a Double datatype, values might fail to import.	Values outside the range of a Long Integer would fail to import. We now correctly import all values within the Double range.
The Required property may fail to indicate that a column in a linked SharePoint table is required.	This property now properly reflects the behavior of the SharePoint column.

Access fixes released in Versions 2501 and 2502

lindalu-MSFT — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 04:16:05 GMT

Version 2501 (Build 18429.20132)

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Ctrl+W doesn’t close the query window when using Monaco SQL Editor	Several keyboard shortcuts that were not working properly when editing with Monaco will now function correctly
SQL not saved correctly when using Monaco to edit control properties	When using the property builder for the Row Source property to open the query editor, and editing with Monaco, spaces might be removed from the SQL, making it invalid
Access terminates unexpectedly when setting “Option to enable Monaco SQL Editor” using Application.SetOption	Application.SetOption now works correctly to set this option
When saving a query with a syntax error using the Monaco editor, the error message might be incorrect	In some cases, the editor would report that comments were only allowed at the beginning of a query, even when this was not the issue.
File Open dialog doesn’t remember database location when saving backup	When saving a backup database, the File Open dialog should default to the location of the open database, rather than the default save location
Series sorting does not work in Modern Chart if series display name has been changed	The new ability to sort a series in a Modern Chart will now work even if the Display Name of the series has been changed from the default name

Version 2502 (Build 18526.20144)

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Error when saving query after applying a filter in datasheet view	When the Monaco editor is enabled applying a filter in datasheet view and saving could generate an error
Copying a query from one database does not transfer comments	Comments at the beginning of a query should be preserved when copying a query from one database to another
Form_MouseWheel event not reporting correct count	The Page and Count arguments to this event were always False and 0, but will now report the correct values
Some number filter menus not correctly named	The Number Filters sub-menu had items for “Less Than...” and “Greater Than...”, but these options should read “Less Than or Equal To...” and “Greater Than or Equal To...” respectively
Cannot use VBA code to set some new Modern Chart properties	We added some new properties to ChartSeries, for example “Gridlines” and “Word Cloud Shape”, that could be set with the Chart Settings pane. These can now also be set using VBA code.

Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.

Try the new modern SQL editor in Access!

lindalu-MSFT — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 18:09:39 GMT

In October 2024, we added an update to the SQL editor and some key modern features. The new editor is designed to align with other Microsoft IDEs like SSMS, Visual Studio, and VS Code, leveraging the same powerful UI library behind Visual Studio Code.

The Monaco editor supports essential features such as syntax highlighting, line numbering, light/dark themes, and more. Additional capabilities include auto-completion, comment handling, and formatting support. Built using a JavaScript framework and powered by the latest Edge browser technology, the editor works seamlessly offline.

Enable/Disable the Monaco editor in your current database

The Monaco SQL Editor can be toggled on/off. Note that the Monaco editor is only available in Access as part of Microsoft 365. Users of all other versions, including Access 2024, will continue to see the existing monochrome editor.

This setting is enabled by default for all databases and applies at the database level. For security reasons, the Monaco editor is only available on trusted databases; untrusted databases will use the previous monochrome editor.

Go to File > Options > Current Database.
Select or clear the Enable Monaco SQL Editor checkbox.

Control editor font style and size

Go to File > Options > Object Designers.
In the Query design section, choose the font style and font size. The default is Segoe UI 8. Note that while in the design editor, the font size may be increased using Ctrl + or decreased using Ctrl –.

Comment support

In Access queries, comments are supported only at the beginning of the query text, whereas in remote SQL queries, you can add comments anywhere. Comments appear in green.

Autocompletion support

Rich autocompletion support enhances the user experience by suggesting SQL keywords, functions, table and column names dynamically as you type. Additionally, it can reference form elements to streamline query writing, making it more intuitive and efficient for developers.

Rich keyboard shortcut support

Many familiar keyboard editing shortcuts from VS Code are now available in the Monaco SQL editor, providing a consistent and efficient workflow for developers. All available commands based on your current context are accessed using the F1 key, which opens a command palette like the one in VS Code, enabling quick navigation and command execution.

More resources

For more information about the new Monaco SQL editor, see Microsoft MVP Colin Riddington's detailed article New Monaco SQL Editor on his Access developer blog.

Access fixes released in Version 2410

lindalu-MSFT — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 21:48:59 GMT

Initial release Version 2410 (Build 18129.20116).

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Memory leak when using the Properties collection in VBA code	Every time there was a reference to the Properties collection (e.g. obj.Properties("Text")) in VBA code, Access would leak memory. If this was done a large number of times, the memory usage of Access could increase significantly.

Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.

Access fixes released in Version 2408 and 2409

lindalu-MSFT — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 17:41:26 GMT

Initial release Version 2408 (Build 17928.20114).

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Access terminates unexpectedly when you copy a row that contains some Unicode characters	Copying all Unicode characters should now work correctly
Access 365 Runtime displays the incorrect product name in the Installed Products list	After installing the Access 365 Runtime, the Installed Products list displayed “Microsoft Access Runtime 2016”, but will now display “Microsoft Access Runtime 365”

Initial release Version 2409 (Build 18025.20096)

Bug Name

Issue Fixed

Errors when using importing or linking to txt, csv and Excel files located on the network

In some cases, an attempt to import or link to a text or Excel file could result in the error “Error 3051 - The Microsoft Access database engine cannot open or write to the file. It is already opened exclusively by another user, or you need permission to view and write its data.”

This could happen if another application had opened the file, even if it did not require exclusive access. Access will no longer require exclusive access to a file to read from it for this purpose.

ODBC Data Sources application does not provide option to create new dBase connections when Office 365 is installed

The Access Database Engine supports connections to dBase files, but this capability was not exposed to the ODBC Data Sources application.

Special mention

Bug Name

Issue Fixed

Error 3048 and Hanging Access Task

There were multiple underlying issues that contributed to this behavior, and fixes were delivered to multiple versions, but this should now be resolved in all active builds.

Error when trying to link to/import Salesforce tables

This issue impacted multiple versions, and is resolved in Current Channel, Monthly Enterprise Channel, and Semi-Annual Channel

Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.

Modern Charts in Access is GA!

lindalu-MSFT — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 19:35:04 GMT

The A-Team is pleased to announce that the long-awaited release of Access modern charts is now available to all users in the 365 Current Channel.

There are 10 new chart types: area, radar, arc, box and whisker, bubble, doughnut, funnel, scatter, waterfall, word cloud.
In addition, we’ve added additional features in both new and existing charts including gridlines, data labels in pie, arc, doughnut charts, and a new settings task pane for each chart type.

NOTE: The changes are only being implemented in Access 365.

a) For users running Access 2016/2019/2021 and upcoming 2024 perpetual, any new chart types used will revert to the default Combo chart type.
b) Users running Access 2013 or earlier cannot see any modern charts. The application will still run, but there will be an empty space where the modern chart is located.

For more information, check out MVP Colin Riddington’s excellent detailed article with examples New Modern Chart Improvements in Access and the updated documentation Create a chart on a form or a report.

Congrats to the Access Team, particularly the lead engineer on this project @Courtney Owen.

LINDA CANNON-MCFAIL (she/her)
Senior Content Program Manager
Access PM | Site Manager | A11y Driver
Microsoft 365 Developer Platform

Join the Access developer research panel

lindalu-MSFT — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 23:02:50 GMT

The Access developer research panel is comprised of Access developers who will help shape and influence the product evolution. By participating, you have the opportunity to help us prioritize upcoming features, share pain points, and provide your scenarios to help us improve. As a member of the research panel, you will receive invitations to participate in user research studies. You can decide how frequently you want to participate and which studies to complete. You can opt out of the panel or any study at any time. This is the overall Microsoft 365 developer panel, but we'll be send out specific Access surveys so you know when to opt in.

As we commence FY25 planning for new Access features, your input is requested!

Join the Access developer research panel

The Access Team

Access Releases 7 Issue Fixes in Version 2404 (Released April 27th, 2024)

lindalu-MSFT — Sat, 18 May 2024 04:04:48 GMT

In this blog post, we highlight some of the fixed issues that our Access engineers released in the current monthly channel.

If you see a bug that impacts you, and if you are on the current monthly channel Version 2404, you should have these fixes. Make sure you are on Access Build # 16.0.17531.20120 or greater.

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Characters in the extended range of support not correctly exported to HTML	When exporting data to HTML, some characters would not be represented properly when the HTML file was viewed, and would display as question marks or boxes
Characters in the extended range of support not correctly displayed in charts	When creating a chart with data that contained characters from the extended range of support, some characters would not be represented properly and would display as question marks or boxes
Data appears incorrect when exporting tables with multiple relationships	Dataverse does not support multiple relationships between two tables, so we now alert you when attempting to export such tables and give some options to safely proceed
Application.Run would not execute code when Macro Settings require signed macros, even if the target database is signed	If Application.Run executes code from an external database, we now validate the signature on the external database, and allow the code to run if the database is signed.
An error may occur when trying to filter for a selection	When selecting a substring in a field, and then choosing to filter for values that contain the selected string, you could get an error that you used an invalid expression.
Slow performance when executing query against linked SQL Server table that restricts on Large Number field	In general, when a query applies a restriction to a linked SQL Server table, SQL Server performs the restriction, so only the filtered data is returned to Access. This was not being done for Large Number fields, so the entire table was being downloaded, then filtered locally.
Access terminates unexpectedly when using right-click on a macro or query in the Navigation Pane	Access will now handle this correctly in all cases

Access Releases 11 Issue Fixes in Version 2403 (Released March 27th, 2024)

lindalu-MSFT — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 21:26:08 GMT

In this blog post, we highlight some of the fixed issues that our Access engineers released in the current monthly channel.

If you see a bug that impacts you, and if you are on the current monthly channel Version 2403, you should have these fixes. Make sure you are on Access Build # 16.0.17425.20138 or greater.

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Error “Primary key already exists.” when refreshing a link to a SQL Server table.	This error could be generated when using the Refresh Link menu item for a linked table and would also produce Error 3283 when using the TableDef.RefreshLink method in VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) code. This error was also fixed in Version 2402.
Data in the extended range of supported characters is not displayed correctly when imported from an Outlook folder.	Some characters would display as ‘?’ rather than the correct character in the import/link wizard.
Options in the Paste Special dialog are not displayed correctly in some languages when pasting a hyperlink.	Options should now display in the correct language.
When pasting from a Hyperlink field to a Rich Text field, data in the extended range of supported characters may not display correctly.	Some characters would display as ‘?’ rather than the correct character in the Rich Text field.
When specifying the description of a database template, data in the extended range of supported characters may not display correctly when using the template to create a new database.	Some characters would display as ‘?’ rather than the correct character in the new database dialog when using the template.
Cannot create a new database from a template if a table name contains an ampersand (&).	If a database template were created from a database that contained a table with an ampersand (&) in the name then trying to create a new database using the template would generate an error, “Template could not be instantiated.” Instead, you will now get an error when trying to save the template that the table name that contains an ampersand is not supported.
Error when trying to import/link text or Excel files.	Access was always attempting to open text/Excel files exclusively (denying any other access) when importing/linking to the file. This meant that if another application had opened the file for shared access, then the import/link operation would fail. Access will now open the file in a shared mode to allow the operation to succeed.
Filename for exported file is not correct when it uses the extended range of supported characters	Some characters were replaced with an underscore (_) in the filename, rather than using the character specified by the user.
No error displayed when there is a failure trying to switch tabs in a Navigation Form.	When switching tabs in a navigation form, a new form may be loaded. If an error occurs when Access attempts to load the new form, then an error message indicating the cause of failure will now be displayed. Previously the form failed to load, but no notification was given.
Text for the ribbon button to set the alternate row color for a datasheet reads “Alternative Row Colour” in British English.	The text now reads “Alternate Row Colour.”
The term Report is incorrectly localized in some versions of Access.	Some terms need to remain in English for expressions to function correctly, so the localization caused the expression builder to fail to build valid expressions.

Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.

Access Releases 9 Issue Fixes in Version 2401 and Version 2402 (Released Jan 30 and Feb 28, 2024)

lindalu-MSFT — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 20:16:35 GMT

This set of fixes covers two versions, so all fixes are available in version 2402, which was released on February 28th, 2024. In this blog post, we highlight some of the fixed issues that our Access engineers released in the current monthly channel.

If you see a bug that impacts you, and if you are on the current monthly channel Version 2402, you should have these fixes. Make sure you are on Access Build # 16.0.17328.20142 or greater.

Bug Name	Issue Fixed
Autocomplete for a Combo Box control may not work if the dropdown displays numbers and there are negative numbers in the list	Autocomplete will now work properly when there are negative numbers in the dropdown list. This also prevents the “Not in List” event from firing when the item is in the list.
*If the default value of a field is an asterisk () or other binary operator, and is not surrounded by quotes, an error will be generated.**	The error displayed would be "Syntax error (missing operator) in table-level validation expression."
When you set the Visible property of an Edge browser control to true (if it was previously false), the control does not navigate to its URL	Now when an Edge browser control is made visible, it will display the correct URL based on any navigation that has occurred.
Trying to use the Navigate method on a hidden Edge browser control could cause Access to terminate unexpectedly.	This will now work safely.
If a form has a hidden Edge control and the Record Source property of the form is modified in the form’s Open event, Access may terminate unexpectedly.	Actions that cause the form to repopulate its data will no longer cause issues when there are hidden Edge browser controls on the form.
The tool gallery in form layout view does not show the new Edge browser control	The tool gallery in form layout view shows a subset of the controls displayed in form design view. The new Edge browser control will now appear in the layout view tool gallery.
Choosing an event from the event dropdown for the Edge browser control in the VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) IDE (integrated development environment) that is not supported can cause Access to terminate unexpectedly	All events in the VBA IDE can now be safely selected.
Cannot navigate to local file if edge browser is initially blank	The Edge browser control prevents navigation from a web location to a local file. If no initial value was specified in the control source property of an Edge browser control, then the ‘about:blank’ page was considered to be a web location, and navigation to a local file was blocked. This navigation will now be allowed.
Setting control source of Edge control in form view does not cause control to navigate	When the control source property for an Edge browser control is set using VBA code while a form is in form view, the browser control will now update to display the correct page.

Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.