Cannot delete record with weird symbols

[KellyK]

Hi all. I have come across an odd problem. Every time I try to run a particular report in my Access database, I get a generic Ms Access error and the whole program closes. I have examined the query behind the report and have located a record with odd symbolic entries in the columns. (see below):

Railroad Date Billed Invoice Trailer # Invoice Type Last Action
㐵W 12/30/1899 1220149276 䃢A9920 ㌸J

I believe this is why my report is killing the entire program but I cannot figure out how to get rid of this bad data. I have isolated the row and created a delete query to remove the bad entry, but I get the error "The search key was not found in any record." In datasheet view before running the query, I see this bad record as the only one selected to delete. Has anyone seen this and if so, how do I correct it? Any suggestions are appreciated! Kelly

 

[FirstAndGoal4]

Haven't seen that before. Just open up the table, select that row, and hit delete.

 

[KellyK]

I cannot find the record. The row does not show in the table when I open it up. It only comes across in queries for some unknown reason. ? Kelly

 

[DanJR]

I would do a backup, then compact and repair. If this doesn't work, I wonder if a DAO or ADO recordset will find it(?)

Cheers,
Dan

 

[KenReay]

Hi

In addition to Dans suggestion, if having tried the compact repair, you are still having the problem:

create a new empty mdb

import all of the objects from your db into the new db

try again Regards

Ken Reay
Freelance Solutions Developer
Boldon Information Systems Ltd
Website needs upgrading, but for now -

http://www.kenneth.reay.btinternet.co.uk

UK

 

[Maquis]

I've seen that happen before in my database. I'm not sure what causes it either. I've fixed it by just creating a new table and importing all the rows (except that 1) to the new table and deleting the old table. Maq
<insert witty signature here>

 

[KellyK]

Thanks for the suggestions. I fixed and compacted the back end database and this removed the funky record. Kelly

 

[WildHare]

Just as an aside, the funky characters sometimes appear when you are loading from a file generated on a NON-PC platform, and either EBCDIC or high-order ANSI characters get sent across that foul things up. You'd be suprised how much damage a &quot;FormFeed&quot; EBCDIC character can do to a field when it's printed. Very often, the characters don't appear on a video screen, but are being stored.

I had a situation once where backspace characters got inadvertently stored in a field that came down from an MVS mainframe, due to improper character code translations. It was a bugger to get rid of.


Jim Me? Ambivalent? Well, yes and no....
Another free Access forum:

http://www.forumco.com/jmhare

More Access stuff at

http://www.jmhare.com/wildhare2.htm