Starting out in Access, for Gramps.

[Carl]

Things to do.

1) Go to archieved message board, search for "Access". Read the posts.
2) Download Rick's Template.
3) Read Donnie's 20 page article on how to use Access with HTR.

After that, get dirty, make mistakes, break things!

I was determined that I would learn Access my way, which was the way a five year old would. Just start hitting keys and seeing what happens. After I got done crashing my db three times in two days, I started figuring out which keys not to hit hehe.

But I think most people who "fail" at Access do so because they are afraid of making mistakes. I made mistakes, and went in with the determination that just making mistakes wasn't going to be what stopped me.

Post back specific questions as you get them, Mikey usually answers them best, but a few other of us may take a kick at the cat.

later,
Carl

[Rick]

Two suggestions for new users.

1) First the first couple of months after you import a new set of data to your table, make a backup copy of it. This is as simple as doing a right click on the table name, clicking save as, accepting the default title, and clicking OK. This gives you something to fall back on when and if you mess up. Delete the old backup before making a new one.

2) Access will ask you if you want to save the changes. Unless you are creating a new query or changing a query that you want to run in a report, you will probably want to answer no. Access always ask so think about it before you click on yes. One of the first things you need to learn is when to click NO and when to click YES.