Computer Learning Zone

Richard Rost

Richard Rost is a Microsoft MVP and President/CEO of Computer Learning Zone. He creates video tutorials to teach you how to use your computer, specializing in Microsoft Access.

  1. 17 ώ. πριν

    How to Check Whether Your Microsoft Access Back End Is Still in Use

    Before compacting a shared Microsoft Access back end, restoring a backup, or changing table designs, it helps to know whether anyone is still connected. A small Access lock file can provide a quick warning that the database may be in use. Richard Rost explains what LACCDB and LDB lock files do, why they are useful in split databases, and why their presence is not always proof that someone is actively working. A crash, lost network connection, or powered-off workstation can leave behind a stale lock file. You'll also hear about a simple VBA approach for checking whether a back-end lock file exists, along with an important caveat for unbound startup forms that may not touch linked tables immediately. It is a practical way to avoid turning routine maintenance into a very interesting Tuesday.

    How to Check Whether Your Microsoft Access Back End Is Still in Use

  2. 2 ημ. πριν

    Microsoft Access Help: Finding Reliable Answers, Community Support, and Expert Help

    Getting stuck in Microsoft Access can lead to a flood of conflicting search results, outdated advice, and more questions than answers. This episode looks at where to find dependable help, from Microsoft's documentation and built-in F1 support to active Access forums, technical communities, news sites, and professional consultants. Richard Rost explains how to match the kind of problem you have with the right source of support. A simple feature question, a tricky SQL or VBA error, a database design issue, and a large business project may each call for a different kind of help. You'll also hear practical advice for asking better questions, including sharing the goal, exact error message, relevant code, screenshots without private data, and what you have already tried. Better questions lead to faster answers and make life easier for the volunteers helping you. Finally, the episode covers when training, tutoring, or hiring an Access consultant makes sense, plus why learning the language of databases can make you a more confident user and a better customer.

    Microsoft Access Help: Finding Reliable Answers, Community Support, and Expert Help

  3. 2 ημ. πριν

    Pulling Data in Microsoft Access: Queries, Imports, and Copies

    "What does it mean to pull data in Access?" It sounds simple, but the answer depends entirely on where the data lives, where it needs to go, and whether you want a live view or a permanent copy. This episode clears up the most common meanings behind the phrase. Learn when to use a relational query to display customer details alongside orders, when copying values is appropriate for historical records such as shipping addresses and prices, and when imports, linked tables, staging tables, or VBA may be the better fit. We also cover single-value lookups, retrieving sets of records with select queries, exporting data to other programs, and why it matters which application is doing the "pulling." The key is asking the right questions before choosing an Access tool.

    Pulling Data in Microsoft Access: Queries, Imports, and Copies

  4. 4 ημ. πριν

    Microsoft Access Forms and Queries: Why Your Data Is Read-Only

    Can you see your records in Microsoft Access but suddenly cannot edit them? A form that beeps, a locked field, or a query that opens read-only can be frustrating, especially when the database worked fine yesterday. This episode explains why the form is often just the messenger. The real issue may be the underlying table, a linked data source, network permissions, record locks, form properties, control settings, or a query Access cannot safely update. We also look at common troublemakers like totals queries, DISTINCT, calculated fields, joins, missing primary keys, outer joins, and overly complicated multi-table recordsets. Plus, a few developer-level causes involving VBA, SQL Server permissions, trusted locations, and the occasional Access bad hair day. The key is to isolate the problem instead of staring at a giant query and hoping for inspiration. Start simple, test the table, query, and form independently, then find the feature that turns editable data into a read-only recordset.

    Microsoft Access Forms and Queries: Why Your Data Is Read-Only

  5. 5 ημ. πριν

    Understanding Microsoft Access VBA Class Modules

    Class modules can seem intimidating in Microsoft Access VBA, especially if most of your code lives in standard modules and form events. This episode explains what class modules actually are, how they differ from tables, forms, reports, and standard modules, and why they are not something every Access developer needs to use. Learn the basic object-oriented ideas behind classes, including blueprints, objects, instances, properties, methods, encapsulation, and the difference between Property Get, Property Let, and Property Set. A simple employee class example shows how separate objects can each retain their own data and behavior. We also cover when class modules can be useful, such as modeling customers, employees, invoices, shopping carts, or reusable form behavior. Just as importantly, we discuss when a plain standard module is the clearer and better choice. Classes are a useful advanced tool, but they do not replace good relational table design or make a database better simply because they sound fancy.

    Understanding Microsoft Access VBA Class Modules

  6. 28 Ιουλ

    Microsoft Access Basics Quiz: Tables, Orders, Forms, and Reports

    Test your Microsoft Access fundamentals with five beginner-friendly questions covering the building blocks of a well-designed database. Learn why tables store data, why customer orders belong in a separate orders table, and why splitting first and last names can make sorting, filtering, and personalized letters much easier. The quiz also clears up the practical difference between forms for on-screen data entry and reports for printed output like invoices and labels. A quick, useful refresher for new Access users who want to avoid common database design mistakes.

    Microsoft Access Basics Quiz: Tables, Orders, Forms, and Reports

  7. 22 Ιουλ

    Windows Two-Digit Year Cutoff: Why Dates Become 2040 and How to Change It

    Why does entering a date like 11/40 in Excel or Microsoft Access turn into 2040 instead of 1940? The answer is Windows' two-digit year cutoff, a system setting that decides which century a two-digit year belongs to. This episode explains why the cutoff exists, why Excel and Access can interpret dates the same way, and why the default behavior may be a problem for medical offices, genealogy work, museums, cemetery records, and other historical data entry. Learn when changing the Windows cutoff may make sense, why relying on two-digit years can create inconsistent data between computers, and why entering a full four-digit year in ISO format is still the safest habit.

    Windows Two-Digit Year Cutoff: Why Dates Become 2040 and How to Change It

  8. 21 Ιουλ

    Going Online: Migrating Microsoft Access Databases to SQL Server

    Ready to take your Microsoft Access database from your office desktop to a fully online solution? In this episode, we explore one of the most practical challenges for Access users: connecting your Access data to SQL Server and making it accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. Your host, Richard Rost from Access Learning Zone, walks you through the whole process, highlighting the tools you will need, common pitfalls, and tips for smooth sailing. You will learn what SQL Server Management Studio actually does, why ODBC connections matter, and how to think about security and performance as you transition. With clear explanations, seasoned advice, and some honest opinions about Microsoft tools (like the Migration Assistant), this episode strips away the confusion and shows what actually matters along the way. Whether you are a business owner trying to enable remote work, an Access veteran ready to scale up, or just curious about bringing legacy databases into the cloud era, this episode is a friendly and realistic guide to making your move. Get insights into linking tables, optimizing for speed, and keeping your data secure as you bring Access and SQL Server together.

    Going Online: Migrating Microsoft Access Databases to SQL Server
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Σχετικά με το podcast

Richard Rost is a Microsoft MVP and President/CEO of Computer Learning Zone. He creates video tutorials to teach you how to use your computer, specializing in Microsoft Access.

Πληροφορίες

  • Δημιουργός
    Richard Rost
  • Έτη παρουσίας
    2026
  • Επεισόδια
    94
  • Καταλληλότητα
    Κατάλληλο
  • Πνευματικά δικαιώματα
    © Richard Rost
  • Ιστότοπος εκπομπής
    Computer Learning Zone