Microsoft KB Archive/209078

= ACC2000: Cannot Change Some Properties of Attached Tables =

Article ID: 209078

Article Last Modified on 7/14/2004

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q209078





SYMPTOMS
Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

You cannot change engine-enforced properties such as FieldSize, DefaultValue, ValidationRule, ValidationText, Required, or AllowZeroLength on linked (attached) tables. When you open the linked table in Design view, the following warning is displayed:

Table 'tablename' is a linked Table with some properties that can't be modified. Do you want to open it anyway?

If you try to save changes after modifying one of the properties listed above, you receive the following message:

This property cannot be modified in linked tables.

NOTE: Access will allow you to save the table; however, the change is not saved.



CAUSE
You cannot modify engine-enforced properties in linked non-Access tables because Access cannot enforce validation of a field that may be updated by other products, such as Microsoft Visual Basic.



RESOLUTION
You can add a default value or validation rule at the form level instead of modifying the linked table. For linked Access tables, you should change engine-enforced properties in the base tables before you link them.

