I am often hired to perform and audit an Access database application that has been built and redeveloped over the years due to:

1. The developer (perhaps a former employee) left the organization and left no documentation.
2. An individual has accidentally locked a database and is unable to gain access, requiring an official ‘hack’.
3. Some of the Access database components have been lost and users need some new features to be added.
4. New administrators have been given a database and do not have enough knowledge to extend the system reports.
5. The client wants an honest opinion on how well (or poorly) designed an Access database has been created and implemented.

But with a bit of training and knowledge, there are some basic but simple tasks users can do on their own to break down and understand an Access database before calling the repairman/woman.

I have 5 common tips to help you on your way:

1. With most well-designed Access database systems, you usually start with a welcome screen (a login form) which will need to be disabled at application start and instead get the database window (Access 2003 or earlier) or the navigation pane (Access 2007 and later). You have to hold the CHANGE keyboard key before launching the application that will ‘Skip’ the startup form and take you to the background environment.
2. With the database window or navigation pane, you need to make sure that all objects are visible (as some might well be hidden). This will require you to turn on the ‘Show Hidden Objects’ switch found in the ‘Tools‘, ‘Options‘menu (Access 2003 or earlier) or the ‘Office/Backstage‘buttons (Access 2007 or later).
3. With the tables visible, find out if they are local (physical) tables or tables linked to other databases (including Microsoft Access). This is easily identified by the icon presented. A simple table icon (which looks like a table grid) is an actual physical table and a link table has a blue arrow pointing to (On the right) with the same icon symbol. If your database uses linked tables, you’ll need to get the database file and audit that system as well (probably first).
4. A useful utility called ‘Database documenter‘ can be run to produce a long, detailed report of all selected objects covering layout elements, indexes, and security (where appropriate). This is a very detailed report, but it shows the technical information needed to understand your database structures. Look in Access Help to learn how to run this tool – it’s easy to use.
5. Another useful utility is to run the ‘object dependency‘ tool for a selected object that displays a window pane showing what other objects have a relationship that depends on the object selected as the source. Again, use the Access help system to find out how to run it.

You will need to set aside some time to carry out the above tasks, especially if it is a fairly large database (for example, more than 100 objects combined), but with patience and determination, you will soon have documented your own database of Access and will take control over it.