ACC: "Too Many Fields Defined" Error Message Saving Table (128221)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Access 1.0
- Microsoft Access 1.1
- Microsoft Access 2.0
- Microsoft Access for Windows 95 7.0
- Microsoft Access 97
This article was previously published under Q128221
Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.
SYMPTOMS
When you save a table after you add a new field or change the properties
of an existing field, you receive the message "Too many fields defined,"
followed by the message "Errors were encountered during save. Data types
were not changed." You receive these messages even though you have 255 or
fewer fields defined in the table.
NOTE: You also receive this message if you add or modify fields in a report
that is based on a table that has too many fields.
NOTE: This error message generates the Microsoft Jet Database Engine 3.0
Reserved Error number 3190.
This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for
Applications and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the
programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information
about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to your version of the
"Building Applications with Microsoft Access" manual.
NOTE: Visual Basic for Applications is called Access Basic in Microsoft
Access versions 1.x and 2.0. For more information about Access Basic,
please refer to the "Introduction to Programming" manual in Microsoft
Access version 1.x or the "Building Applications" manual in Microsoft
Access version 2.0
CAUSE
The internal column count that Microsoft Access uses to track the number of
fields in the table has reached 255, even though you may have fewer than
255 fields in the table. This can happen because Microsoft Access does not
change the internal column count when you delete a field. Microsoft Access
also creates a new field (increasing the internal column count by 1) for
every field whose properties you modify.
RESOLUTION
To free the internal column count for deleted fields or for fields whose
properties you modify, do one of the following:
- In Microsoft Access 7.0 or 97, click Save As/Export on the File
menu and save the table under a different name. Then, delete the
original table and rename to new table to the original table name.
WARNING: Clicking Save As on the File menu in version 1.x or 2.0
copies only the structure of a table, not the records. Do not delete
the original table until you use an append query to populate the new
table. -
In Microsoft Access 1.x or 2.0, click Save As on the File menu
and save the table under a different name. Populate the new table
with data from the original table. Then, delete the original table
and rename to new table to the original table name.
You can also free the internal column count by compacting the database.
STATUS
This behavior is by design.
REFERENCES
For more information about table specifications, search the Help Index
for specifications, or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.
Modification Type: | Minor | Last Reviewed: | 10/11/2006 |
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Keywords: | kberrmsg kbprb kbProgramming kbusage KB128221 |
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