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General discussion

Access changes name in cell

Sep 25, 2005 6:42AM PDT

I have a small (200 plus names)Access 2002 database. When I opened the database it had changed the name "Amestoy" to 29848r3fu3844444442u483272iu8g238b82j7cnnnnnnnnthmqjgjfernj,crg
I can type any other name into the cell and it doesn't change, only that name. I also have a dozen other records with the name Amestoy but only this one cell changed.

I'd appreciate some help.

Thanks,

Annemaureen

Discussion is locked

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Very strange.
Sep 25, 2005 6:54AM PDT

All I can suggest: do a compact/repair of the database and try again.

It's not clear to me if this was a one-time or a repeating event. A one time error is strange enough (I've found Access on a stand-alone database to be very reliable), a repeating error is unexplainable.

Kees

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Very Strange
Sep 29, 2005 11:55AM PDT

Thanks for your reply. Any time I now try to type "Amestoy" (which is a surname) into the cell, it changes to the strange letters. However, if I enter "Amestoy" into a cell in a different field (such as first name), then it doesn't change, only if it is entered in the last name field.

I got around it by spelling the name "Amestoyy" and it doesn't change.

Maureen

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Very strange indeed.
Sep 29, 2005 6:24PM PDT

Especially in combination with your answer to Papa Echo below, which seems to exclude a cause inside the database (some 'on change' macro on the field, that could be a very unlikely explanation). I'm sure you already tried it directly in the table and via a form to see if that makes any difference.

And it would be a very mysterious virus in your computer that's trained to change one certain name in one certain field in one certain table.

You can learn to live with your work-around of entering the 'wrong' name. Make a small update query to change it back to the right one, and you've got a situation you can handle.

Or you can continue to search. Make a new database, with just one table with just one name field and see how it behaves. Then in the old one export this table to Excel, and import it in the new one, creating in essence the same table (column names and data are copied) and see how that behaves. If still OK, import everything else.
It could well be that after this forced migration everything is fine in the new database. But you will have to recreate all relationships in the relationship window, and all properties (including indexes) of the 'new' table, such as number type and field length (those are not copied). You might even be able to import the whole table into a new database and see that it works correctly.

Or delete the table in the current database (after exporting the data to Excel), reorganize and import it again. This might delete the unknown.

I really don't know. But from your posts, you seem qualified to do some more research and possibly find a better solution than the current work-around.

Good luck,
and please let us know the results.


Kees

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strange indeed
Oct 1, 2005 5:30AM PDT

Kees -- thanks for all your help. I did try exporting the data to excel, building a new table, and then importing the data again, but it still happened.

As I said to Papa Echo below, I'll just work around it, keeping a daily back up on excel in case it ever implodes.

If I ever do figure out what went wrong, I'll pass it on.

Thanks again,

Maureen

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Try...
Sep 25, 2005 4:57PM PDT

searching (using Start>Search) for files with the word "Amestoy" and see what comes up. (Enable show all files).

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Try
Sep 29, 2005 1:12PM PDT

Thanks for your answer. I did a search and the only files that showed up were the excel files that were saved from queries done on the data base. All of them were normal.

I did open the database on another computer and I could type "Amestoy" into the last name field and it didn't change, so it must be something with my primary computer and not the database?

Maureen

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Re changed contents.
Sep 30, 2005 5:54PM PDT

There may be a "conditional formating" on that cell. Try highlighting that cell and go to Format>Conditional Formating and see whether there is a change of cell value on condition that that cell value is "Amestoy", or any other entries. If so, delete that or any condition.

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conditional formatting
Oct 1, 2005 5:26AM PDT

Papa Echo -- I did as you suggested, but there is no conditional formatting on that cell. I also discovered that if I wrote the names Amestoy with a small a, then it didn't trigger the change.

My primary concern was that I had some sort of bug that was going to affect the entire database. Since it only seems to affect this one cell with this one name (and since it will open and let me enter without this problem on another computer), I guess I'll just have to ignore it.

I do appreciate your help.

Thanks,

Maureen

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Bugs.....
Oct 1, 2005 8:42AM PDT

Well, since it affect only one particular cell, it sure looks like conditional formating for that cell. One thing you can try is to do a "Detect and Repair" at the Help menu. (after backing up all your Office files ! ).

Otherwise : Since you have no problems when that file is opened at another computer, maybe you can delete the original file, then copy back the file which "worked".