August 2026 RDP font display glitch
In the last days, we have received two independent reports of font display problems in our MS Access based application. The symptoms are as follows: Some labels or text boxes are shown in a legacy system font instead of the font specified in the control (Segoe UI). Also, the label/text box is shown with a white background instead of transparent. Moving the Access window "fixes" the glitch. It happens at seemingly random places in our application at seemingly random times. Both reports have in common that the Access application is running inside an RDP session. In report 1, a work-from-home user used Remote Desktop to connect to their office Windows 11 PC, and, in report 2, a user executed the application on a Windows Terminal Server. Here are a few screenshots to illustrate the problem. The left side is the glitch, the right side is how it is supposed to look. The first row shows labels, the second row text boxes in a continuous subform. Report 1 is 16.0.20228.20186, 32 bit, M365 SAEC. Report 2 is 16.0.14334.20848, 32 bit, Office 2021 LTSC. Is this a known issue, or shall we continue to collect data about this glitch? Unfortunately, we haven't found a reliable way to reproduce it, so our ability to test it with different versions is limited.Print to PDF and crashing issue - Access Version 2607 and 2608
Multiple customers are reporting crashing and print to pdf issues after updateing to Access version 2607 and 2608. Versions with the issue: Version 2607 (Build 16.0.20228.20190), Version 2608 (Build 16.0.20326.20072), and Version 2608 (Build 16.0.20326.20100) Working version is version 2606 (Build 16.0.20131.20154), rolling back to this will resolve these issues. Crashing (Build 16.0.20326.20022) Some users reported that crashes occur shortly after opening the Access application. Here is the event log error. Faulting application name: msaccess.exe, version: 16.0.20326.20100, time stamp: 0x6a83d187 Faulting module name: unknown, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000 Exception code: 0xc0000409 Fault offset: 0x00007ffb274a628f Faulting process id: 0x5BF8 Faulting application start time: 0x1DD2FF382F4BC5A Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\msaccess.exe Faulting module path: unknown Report Id: a6329f20-3c01-439f-a152-a7cdb6ef74b4 Faulting package full name: Faulting package-relative application ID: PDF not formatting correctly (Build 16.0.20228.20190 and Build 16.0.20326.20072) Exporting the Access report to PDF will cause the following issues. When exporting a multi-page report as PDF, the second page displays at a quarter of its original size. Some users experience the right margin being slightly larger, causing the right size to be cut off. Some text on the report are changed to a different font type and size after exporting PDF. Form textbox, label and buttons display properties are changed after previewing a report (Replicated on Build 16.0.20228.20190) After closing the print preview of a report, the Access form's textbox, label and buttons are not displayed correctly. Some text are not visible, background color seems to have changed, font type are different as well. The Access application is required to be closed and reopen to fix the issue.Access 2608 Build 20326: Line controls disappear in Print Preview
I believe there may be a regression in Microsoft Access Build 16.0.20326.20034 (64-bit) affecting Line controls in reports. I can reproduce the problem even with a completely new blank MDB database, so it does not appear to be related to an existing application. Steps to reproduce: 1.Start Microsoft Access 64-bit Build 16.0.20326.20034. 2.Create a new blank MDB database. 3.Create a new report in Design View. 4.Add a Line control to the Detail section. 5.Add a Rectangle control to the same section. 6.No VBA code or special event handling is required. 7.Select Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer. 8.Open Print Preview. Actual result: The Rectangle control is displayed correctly, but the Line control disappears in Print Preview. The problem is not specific to a particular printer. We have reproduced it with multiple printers. Expected result: Both the Line and Rectangle controls should appear in Print Preview and in the printed output. Workaround: Rolling Microsoft Access back to an earlier build immediately resolves the problem. The same MDB file and the same report then display and print the Line control correctly. We have also reproduced the issue with Build 16.0.20326.20044 (64-bit). Has anyone else been able to reproduce this with Version 2608 / Build 20326?
Ribboncreator2021
RibbonCreator 2021 is one of the most popular tools for creating custom Microsoft Access ribbons without having to write all the Ribbon XML manually. It provides a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor that allows developers to create tabs, groups, buttons, menus, and icons visually, and then export the generated Ribbon XML directly into an Access database. Advantages of RibbonCreator 2021 Easy-to-use visual interface. Automatically generates Ribbon XML. Integrates VBA callbacks for Access applications. Supports custom images and built-in Office icons (idMso). Compatible with Microsoft Access 2021 and Microsoft 365. Alternative Solution Another excellent option is AccessUI Ribbon & Tree Builder, a free Access add-in that enables developers to build complex ribbons without XML knowledge. It also helps generate the required VBA callback procedures automatically. Recommendation For professional Microsoft Access development: RibbonCreator 2021 → Best for advanced customization and full control over the Ribbon interface. AccessUI Ribbon & Tree Builder → Best for rapid development and ease of use. If you are developing Access applications for end users and need a robust, mature solution, RibbonCreator 2021 is generally the better choice due to its comprehensive feature set and direct Access integration. https://ribboncreator2021.de/Regression in v2605: Subform with overlapping controls breaks timer in unrelated form
I found another issue (sorry) which might be caused by the zoom-related changes in 2605. The following repro example works fine in 2604 (Monthly Enterprise Channel) but breaks in 2605 (Current Channel). Again, this issue is unrelated to zooming itself. Prepare database The repro requires three forms and a few controls. Since those are tedious to get right manually, I wrote some VBA code to do that for us. Execute BuildRepro() in the Immediate Window to create the forms and controls. Option Compare Database Option Explicit Public Sub BuildRepro() CreateFormASubform CreateFormA CreateFormB End Sub Private Sub CreateFormASubform() Dim frm As Form Dim ctl As Control Set frm = CreateForm() Set ctl = CreateControl(frm.Name, acTextBox, acDetail, , , 345, 1140, 1746, 260) ctl.TabStop = False Const textBoxTop = 260 Set ctl = CreateControl(frm.Name, acTextBox, acDetail, , , 56, textBoxTop, 270, 270) ctl.TabStop = False Set ctl = CreateControl(frm.Name, acImage, acDetail, , , 56, 0, 270, 270) Set ctl = CreateControl(frm.Name, acCommandButton, acDetail, , , 60, 795, 5895, 260) SaveAndClose frm, "FormA_Subform" End Sub Private Sub CreateFormA() Dim frm As Form Dim ctl As Control Set frm = CreateForm() Set ctl = CreateControl(frm.Name, acSubform, acDetail, , , 100, 100, 3000, 3000) ctl.SourceObject = "FormA_Subform" SaveAndClose frm, "FormA" End Sub Private Sub CreateFormB() Dim frm As Form Dim ctl As Control Set frm = CreateForm() frm.TimerInterval = 1 Set ctl = CreateControl(frm.Name, acLabel, acDetail, , , 100, 100, 5000, 1000) ctl.Name = "my_label" ctl.Caption = "Waiting for Timer..." frm.HasModule = True frm.Module.InsertText _ "Private Sub Form_Timer()" & vbCrLf & _ " Me.TimerInterval = 0" & vbCrLf & _ " Me.my_label.Caption = ""Done""" & vbCrLf & _ "End Sub" frm.OnTimer = "[Event Procedure]" SaveAndClose frm, "FormB" End Sub Private Sub SaveAndClose(ByVal frm As Form, ByVal newname As String) Dim oldname As String oldname = frm.Name DoCmd.Save acForm, oldname DoCmd.Close acForm, oldname DoCmd.Rename newname, acForm, oldname End Sub Run repro 1. Open FormA. 2. Open FormB (while FormA is still open). Expected result: FormB opens completely, the timer runs and the label reads "Done". Actual result: FormB opens "halfway" (it's visible, but it's tab is still missing, see screenshot below) and the label still shows "Waiting for Timer...". As soon as you right-click anywhere, the form finishes opening and the timer runs, changing the label to "Done". Notes: I tried to make the repro as simple as possible. If you remove one of the controls from FormA_Subform (or enable TabStops), the problem disappears. It might have something to do with overlapping controls: If you change textBoxTop from 260 to 280, so that it no longer overlaps with the image, the problem also disappears. We need the overlapping controls because in our real code the subform is continuous and displays data at different indentation levels (like a treeview).
Access and SharePoint Integration May Be Broken
I am posting this here in the hopes that a Microsoft MVP or employee may see it, verify the issue, and report it to the right people at Microsoft. We have a fairly significant LOB application with the front-end hosted in Access and the back-end hosted in SharePoint Online lists. This application has been working well for several years. Sometime in the past few weeks (last known good date was June 23), a change in either Access or SharePoint (or maybe the Windows OneDrive sync client) seems to have broken integration between the products. When the modern cache format is enabled (the default), all SharePoint calculated columns unexpectedly show errors, as shown here (in a fresh database where I imported just one list from our site as a test): Naturally, this completely borks the application, with VB code throwing errors at startup. Using the legacy cache format, or disabling caching altogether, seems to restore functionality--(though this would come at a cost to performance): But there is a major caveat to this. Other functionality is apparently broken. We have straightforward update queries, for example, the hang indefinitely in these modes, rendering this an unacceptable work-around. I have been able to replicate this on several different PCs. Also, on several different SharePoint sites in our tenant. Currently, this is blocking work for us, and we are hoping to see it resolved as soon as possible. If anyone with knowledge of the right people at Microsoft to call attention to this, we would be grateful for any help. I am using the Access forum because the last time I tried to get help from SharePoint Online support for an Access-related query issue using SP list data, they had no idea what I was talking about. (Also, for Access database experts: please do not suggest that we avoid using calculated columns in SharePoint lists. This is a hybrid app with most of our users working with data strictly through SharePoint, and SharePoint views do not support the same features as queries do in Access. Making use of these SharePoint features are essential for these users.) Our Access version: Microsoft® Access® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2607 Build 16.0.20228.20124) 64-bit Thank you in advance for any help.Access announces retirement of Database Compare tool in June 2026
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 Query Problem
Good afternoon. I have been trying to track down a very strange error that my database has thrown for the first time ever... the query performs a complex math equation based on temperature, chlorine residual and pH time to compute the amount of time required to meet disinfection. This month the temerpature of the water has been historically high and the time required historically low. See the screenshot below. The math is evaluating the time required is greater than the time achieved (which it is not). The query is pasted below. I have recreated the math in excel and cannot duplicate this error. It seems exclusive to Access. When the formula evaluates as 10.0 the results are “YES” if the formula evaluates as 9.9 the result becomes “NO” but should be yes… Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, this post keeps getting flagged as SPAM... This is attempt number 5.. Fingers crossed.
