Query Does Not Appear to Delete Records from dBASE Table

• Microsoft Query for Windows, version 1.0

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Query version 1.0 for Windows, you may have a problem deleting records from within Microsoft Query even if the Show Deleted Records option is cleared (not selected) in the ODBC setup dialog box for the dBASE driver. In Microsoft Query, when you delete the records, the records may still be displayed even though Show Deleted Records is not selected.

CAUSE

During the setup for Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for Windows , when the ODBC drivers and the ODBC Control Panel setup are installed, the "Show Deleted Records" is not selected in the setup dialog box for the ODBC dBASE Setup dialog box. However, contrary to what the dialog box displays, the option to "Show Deleted Records" is in fact turned on in the ODBCISAM.INI file which is located in the Windows directory. Therefore, when you delete dBASE records from within Microsoft Query, they are still displayed, but they are marked for deletion.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Excel for Windows version 5.0c.

WORKAROUND

To correct this situation, do the following to modify the ODBCISAM.INI file:

1. In Windows Program Manager, choose Run from the File menu.

2. In the Command Line box, type ODBCISAM.INI, and choose the OK button.

3. The [dBase ISAM] section will contain the entry

         Deleted = on
   

       change this reference to the following:
   

            Deleted = off
   
   

4. Save the ODBCISAM.INI file and restart Microsoft Query for this change to take effect.

MORE INFORMATION

With dBASE files you have the option of displaying or not displaying deleted records. When a record is deleted in a dBASE file, the record is marked as deleted so that when the option "Show Deleted Records" is not selected, those records marked for delete are not displayed. To either actually delete records that are marked for delete in dBASE files or to remove the delete mark from records in dBASE files, you must use an application or utility that will provide these features. Microsoft Query version 1.0 does not provide these features.