ACC: Linked Text File Report Causes Error After Closing Access

• Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97

SYMPTOMS

If you create a report based on a linked table that is of the text file type in Microsoft Access for Windows 95, you may receive the following error message when you reopen the report after quitting and restarting Microsoft Access:

   The text file specification '<tablename> Link Specification' does not
   exist. You can't import, export, or attach using the specification.

CAUSE

The linked text table must be opened before you can preview the report.

RESOLUTION

Open the linked text table that the report is based on, and then preview the report.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Access version 7.0.

This behavior has been found to occur in Microsoft Access 97 in the following situations:

• A parameterized query (query parameter or form) based on a linked text table that has not been saved and reopened (or has been changed in any slight way after running successfully).
• A report based on a query being opened without the table that the query is based on being opened beforehand.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Problem

1. Open the sample database Northwind, and click the Tables tab.

2. Select the Employees table, and on the File menu, click Save As/Export. In the Save As dialog box, click to select "To an external File or Database," and then click OK.

3. In the "Save Table 'Employees' In" dialog box, in the File Name box, type MyFiles. In the Save As Type box, select Text Files, and then click Export.

4. When the Text Export Wizard dialog box appears, click Finish.

5. Click OK to the Text Export Wizard message which states that the export process has finished.

6. On the File menu, point to Get External Data, and then click Link Tables.

7. In the Link dialog box, select the exported text file MyFiles.txt, and then click Link.

8. In the Link Text Wizard, click the Next button three times to see the "That's all the information the wizard needs to import your data" box, and type Employees_link for the Linked Table name. Click Finish.

9. Click OK to the Finished Linking Table message in the Link Text Wizard.

10. Create an AutoReport based on this linked table.

11. Close the report, close the database, and quit Microsoft Access.

12. Reopen the database, and then open the report in Preview mode. Note that you receive the error message mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.