So I was trying to debug a rather convoluted report-generating VBA module in Access 2007 (code which I did not write, but which I have inherited for pro-bono support). But no matter what I tried, Access would not stop for debugging breakpoints.
I did my normal Google searches to see if this was an issue, and I was finding nada on the subject, until I came across this lovely little post.
Turns out there’s a little setting in the Current Database options screen called “Use Special Access Keys.” The little help icon seems to indicate that this setting controls whether or not the special key combinations to bring up the database window, etc., will be enabled (you might disable this normally for end-users using an Access app, for instance). But what it fails to mention is that this setting also controls whether or not the debugger is active!
Check the box, close and re-open the database, and voila, breakpoints. Now I have to go back and remove all those message boxes that I was using when I couldn’t get debugging to work…
I swear that the person who developed the Options dialog for Access 2007 was on drugs. There are a whole bunch of little gotchas like this one where an option controls something that its name would not imply, or (more commonly) where the choice of which screen should contain a particular option is completely counter-intuitive.
I was trying to solve this problem for a couple of hours until I came across your blog post. It’s a life saver. Thanks!
I wasted my hours, but you saved my days.
Thanx alot!
What a dumb access options…
This access 2007 is the most stupid thing I have ever seen. MS is getting worst or what.
Thanks for the post. It saves me lots of time.
Thanks…It was driving me nuts trying to figure this out.
These guys from Microsoft just want us to stop using their products. I’m having the same problem and this fix didn’t help me. I don’t know what to do, maybe switch to PHP and forget about Microsoft
This post was awesome! Solved my problem and let my code free from so many message boxes. Thanks a lot from Brazil!
Thanks. Thought I was going CRAZY. Another hour shot on Microsoft stupidity.
Amazing – have just spent over a day trying to get to the bottom of this one. Microsoft are just taking the p***
Thanks a lot!!!
This post is now 5yrs old and still saving the day! Glad it came up on google!!