Find out what triggers the “Reserved error” message in Access, ways to prevent it and helpful tips for dealing with this problem.
MS Access is commonly used to create database systems for organizational use. In most cases, small businesses use it because it’s easy to acquire and deploy. It also doesn’t require you to possess advanced IT skills to master how the software is used. As businesses expand and company records become complex, most organizations transition to superior database software.
Luckily, you can connect your Access database with the new software and transfer records thanks to Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) technology. This data transfer method allows you to access data on your Access database using other applications. You may come across the above-mentioned error when performing such as an operation.
What triggers the error message?
If the record you are trying to access using the ODBC method is corrupt, then the Reserved error response will pop-up. It will be impossible to read such records. Other times the entire table could be affected, making it difficult for you to access any record. Data corruption at the record level in MS Access is often associated with large databases. The risk increases where the number of users of such databases is high.
Records can get corrupted when the connection between a user’s computer and the server hosting the database is poor. If the network between the user’s machine and hosting computer is interrupted when writing instruction is being executed, then the resultant record can be corrupted.
The design of your database tables can also contribute to the corruption of your records. For example, having poorly indexed tables that store related records can affect the efficiency of your database and lead to data corruption.
Ways to prevent corrupting Access database records
It is wise to take precautionary measures to protect your database records from being corrupted. For starters, make sure that your network is secure and working correctly. Perform regular checks and replace any damaged hardware. You can also invest in a power backup system to prevent sudden power outage, so in turn you ensure there’s no sudden shutdown of your database.
When designing a database, observe best practices that ensure the optimal performance of your database. Moreover, compact and repair your database periodically to prevent it from becoming oversized.
What to do when you encounter this error
When you encounter this error, you will need to identify which record is triggering it. You can achieve this by scrolling through the affected tables and manually identifying the damaged records. However, this is a tedious process, especially when dealing with large databases. In this case, consider running a VBA query to identify the affected records. Once you identify the affected records, delete the records, and use your backup files to replace them.
Where the records are extensively damaged and no backup is available, it’s paramount to use an application such as DataNumen Access Repair tool to recover the corrupt data. The best thing about using this tool is that you can restore deleted records. After recovering the affected objects, transfer them to a blank file and restore your database. Always make a copy of the damaged file before you start the recovery process. This gives a fallback plan should you fail to recover the target records.
