ACC: "Object invalid or no longer set" Error Using CurrentDb

• Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97

SYMPTOMS

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

When you refer to properties and methods belonging to objects created with the CurrentDb function, you may receive the following error message:

   Object invalid or no longer set.

CAUSE

When you set an object variable, such as a TableDef object, which requires a reference to a database object, your code refers directly to the CurrentDb function instead of referring to a database object variable that you set with the CurrentDb function.

RESOLUTION

Create a database object variable in your code that refers to the CurrentDb function, rather than using the CurrentDb function directly in Set statements to create other objects, as in the following example:

1. Start Microsoft Access and open the sample database Northwind.mdb.

2. Create a module and type the following procedure:

         Sub CurrentDbSuccess()
            Dim db As Database
            Dim td As TableDef
            Set db = CurrentDb()
            Set td = db.TableDefs("Customers")
            MsgBox td.Name
         End Sub
   
   

3. To test this procedure, type the following line in the Debug window, and then press ENTER:

           CurrentDbSuccess
   
      Note that you receive the message "Customers" indicating the name of the
      Customers table.
   
   

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

The following example attempts to use the CurrentDb function to return a pointer to the database that is currently open in Microsoft Access. Because the code does not assign that database to an object variable, the pointer returned by the CurrentDb function is temporary and becomes invalid after the TableDef object is set. Consequently, any later references in your code to the TableDef object variable will result in an error.

1. Start Microsoft Access and open the sample database Northwind.mdb.

2. Create a module and type the following procedure:

         Sub CurrentDbFail()
            Dim td As TableDef
            Set td = CurrentDb.TableDefs("Customers")
            MsgBox td.Name
         End Sub
   
   

3. To test this procedure, type the following line in the Debug window, and then press ENTER:

           CurrentDbFail
   
      Note that you receive the error "Object invalid or not set."
   

Keywords          : kbprg SynRef
Version           : 7.0 97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Hardware          : x86
Issue type        : kbprb
Solution Type     : kbworkaround