Query not updateable

[melody.charlesworth]

I link fields in tables 1 and 2 (one to one or unmatched) in order to
update fields in table 2 with others from table one. If I use criteria
from one of these tables there is no problem but if I link in a 3rd
table in order to retrict the action, I get an error message saying
that the query is not updateable (if not something to do with ambiguous
outer joins!!). :)

Can anyone tell me why this may be happening and if there is any way
around it other than to do a make-table first using the criteria and
then just do a straight update?! Is there any way to do it all in one
query??

Thanks,
Mel

[Michael Theymann]

Hi, Mel!

Melody Charlesworth wrote...

>I link fields in tables 1 and 2 (one to one or unmatched) in order to
update fields in table 2 with others from table one. If I use criteria
from one of these tables there is no problem but if I link in a 3rd
table in order to retrict the action, I get an error message saying
that the query is not updateable (if not something to do with ambiguous
outer joins!!). :)

Can anyone tell me why this may be happening and if there is any way
around it other than to do a make-table first using the criteria and
then just do a straight update?! Is there any way to do it all in one
query??

This happens because you don't have a primary key or an index in one of the
tables (apparently the 3rd one). Access can't determine exactly which entry
of your tables you want to change. And if Access doesn't know exactly in a
table containing 300 entries or so which one to change, it decides to stop
the changing of any entry immediately.

Just try to index a field in table 3 and you should be able to change
something.

Regards

Michael