Certain Functions Have Stopped Working

[Jim S]

A number of functions that I use regularly in Access, either in
queries or reports, have stopped working within the last couple of
days. They include:

Left()
InStr()
Now()

When run in a query I get an error message that reads:
Compile error.in query expression 'Left()'.
[the same is true for the other functins]

In reports the 'Now()' function returns a '#Name?' error.

I have run the detect and repair tool and have uninstalled and
reinstalled Access though the problem still persists.

I would appreciate any help.

Thanks

Jim S
ji********@yahoo.com

[Allen Browne]

References problem.

See:
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-38.html

--
Allen Browne - Microsoft MVP. Perth, Western Australia.
Tips for Access users - http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html
Reply to group, rather than allenbrowne at mvps dot org.

"Jim S" <ji********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:38**************************@posting.google.c om...

A number of functions that I use regularly in Access, either in
queries or reports, have stopped working within the last couple of
days. They include:

Left()
InStr()
Now()

When run in a query I get an error message that reads:
Compile error.in query expression 'Left()'.
[the same is true for the other functins]

In reports the 'Now()' function returns a '#Name?' error.

I have run the detect and repair tool and have uninstalled and
reinstalled Access though the problem still persists.

I would appreciate any help.

Thanks

Jim S
ji********@yahoo.com

[Tom Travolta]

"Allen Browne" <Al*********@SeeSig.Invalid> wrote in message
news:40***********************@freenews.iinet.net. au...

References problem.

See:
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-38.html

--
Allen Browne - Microsoft MVP. Perth, Western Australia.
Tips for Access users - http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html
Reply to group, rather than allenbrowne at mvps dot org.

"Jim S" <ji********@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:38**************************@posting.google.c om...

A number of functions that I use regularly in Access, either in
queries or reports, have stopped working within the last couple of
days. They include:

Left()
InStr()
Now()

When run in a query I get an error message that reads:
Compile error.in query expression 'Left()'.
[the same is true for the other functins]

In reports the 'Now()' function returns a '#Name?' error.

I have run the detect and repair tool and have uninstalled and
reinstalled Access though the problem still persists.

I would appreciate any help.

Thanks

Jim S
ji********@yahoo.com

I remember the first time I cam across this. Many years ago, on site with a
customer waiting for me to finish a form which stubbornly refused to work.
It took me ages to figure out but after an hour of messing around I stumbled
upon this myself. As you can see, Jim must have spent ages trying too -
including re-installing Access, etc.
I see you answer these newsgroup questions quite often which you would think
would come as a great relief to the OP. But somehow the thanks one gets
does not seem in proportion to the time you must save them - especially when
"Thanks, that's all working now" does not take long to write.
As a matter of interest, what keeps you posting?
Tom

[Allen Browne]

"Tom Travolta" <to*@travolta.com> wrote in message
news:c1**********@titan.btinternet.com...

[snip] the thanks one gets does not seem in proportion to the time
you must save them - especially when "Thanks, that's all working now"
does not take long to write.
As a matter of interest, what keeps you posting?

Hi Tom

Some people are very grateful. Some probably don't read their replies.
Still, there is enjoyment in empowering people to do something they could
not do before.

Being expected to do someone's work for them for free is irksome, but we can
ignore these. The approach does not work for them: they will not get their
application written in a newsgroup reply. Being asked, "How do I make Access
do this?" when the approach is wrong probably won't get a reply either.

If many people get stuck at the same point, the problem is not with them,
but providing an open answer for everyone makes the best use of my time.
That's how my Access website began.

Right or wrong, I have a sense the most posters can take a specific, brief
example and either reuse it in other places in their application, or
(better) learn how to generalize the example. It's all about empowering
people.

--
Allen Browne - Microsoft MVP. Perth, Western Australia.
Tips for Access users - http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html
Reply to group, rather than allenbrowne at mvps dot org.

[Tom Travolta]

"Allen Browne" <Al*********@SeeSig.Invalid> wrote in message
news:40***********************@freenews.iinet.net. au...

"Tom Travolta" <to*@travolta.com> wrote in message
news:c1**********@titan.btinternet.com...

[snip] the thanks one gets does not seem in proportion to the time
you must save them - especially when "Thanks, that's all working now"
does not take long to write.
As a matter of interest, what keeps you posting?
Hi Tom

Some people are very grateful. Some probably don't read their replies.
Still, there is enjoyment in empowering people to do something they could
not do before.

Being expected to do someone's work for them for free is irksome, but we

can ignore these. The approach does not work for them: they will not get their
application written in a newsgroup reply. Being asked, "How do I make Access do this?" when the approach is wrong probably won't get a reply either.

If many people get stuck at the same point, the problem is not with them,
but providing an open answer for everyone makes the best use of my time.
That's how my Access website began.

Right or wrong, I have a sense the most posters can take a specific, brief
example and either reuse it in other places in their application, or
(better) learn how to generalize the example. It's all about empowering
people.

--
Allen Browne - Microsoft MVP. Perth, Western Australia.
Tips for Access users - http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html
Reply to group, rather than allenbrowne at mvps dot org.

That sounds like a well-balanced view to it all. Under another name, I make
numerous postings often including complete functions or subs written for the
OP and get fed up when there is no response at all. Nothing - you don't
even know if they've been read.
Perhaps I just need to take it as being part of the (unpaid) job.
Tom