OfficeForLawyers.com

What is Microsoft Access?

Microsoft Access is Microsoft's desktop database program. It does a very nice job of creating small/medium sized personal databases but it can also be used to create databases for small workgroups or as a front end to Microsoft SQL Server databases. It can be a very powerful tool in skilled hands.

Tip of the Moment

If you have deployed a database you may have encountered a frustrating issue where Access tries to help you by autocorrecting text you enter. Your client, "Mr. Teh" keeps having his name helpfully changed to "Mr. The". To fix that you need to turn AutoCorrect off or remove the entry from the AutoCorrect options. You have a few choices on how to do that:

1. Application-wide: Click the Office Button and go to Access Options | Proofing | AutoCorrect Options. You can turn off AutoCorrect entirely or just remove the offending entry from the list.

2. On that specific form/field: Open the form in Design view, select the field in question and on the "Other" tab of the Property Sheet (if you don't see the Property Sheet right-click the field and choose Properties) you'll see "Allow AutoCorrect" which you can set to "No" so that it won't autocorrect that field on that form.

NOTE: The Access Runtime doesn't offer the Access Options button so you'll have to open that database in the full version and use solution #2 above, then it won't autocorrect in the Runtime anymore.

Articles

Access Questions and Answers - Just getting started...

Resources

Here are some useful resources for lawyers to use for more information on Microsoft Access

Deploy an application to users who don't have Access 2007 installed using the Access 2007 Runtime. Get it from Microsoft here.

Sites

Microsoft's Official Access site: The official Microsoft Access site. Includes articles, tutorials and other references.
The Access Junkie: A great set of Microsoft Access resources.
Lebans.com: A very good site with Access Programming info

Newsgroups

Microsoft has free support newsgroups available for nearly every product they make. In these newsgroups you can read questions and answers that other people have posted for the product or you can post your own questions and get answers from the other posters.

How to Ask a Question: When posting a question to a newsgroup please be sure to indicate what software you're using, what version of the software you're using, what SPECIFICALLY you are trying to do and what happens when you try to do that (especially any error messages you may be receiving). It is also helpful if you tell us what you have already tried in an effort to fix it so that we don't waste time telling you to try things you've already attempted.

What's an MVP?

An MVP or "Most Valuable Professional" is a volunteer who has been recognized by Microsoft as an expert on a particular technology. You'll commonly find them in the Microsoft Support Newsgroups, but they can sometimes be found in other forums or lists. They can be very helpful but keep in mind that they are only volunteers providing assistance in their spare time.

NNTP

NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol) is the traditional way of accessing newsgroups. The traditional Microsoft program for NNTP is Outlook Express though in Vista this has been upgraded and renamed to "Windows Mail".

Click the links below to open the Microsoft PowerPoint newsgroups in your NNTP reader:

Web Forums

Since NNTP is a tad esoteric Microsoft has introduced a web interface for their support newsgroups. These are the same newsgroups you get via NNTP, just in a web browser.

Click the links below to open the Microsoft PowerPoint newsgroups in your web browser:

Last Updated: 03/10/2010