MS Access: How can I find out where Tables, Queries, Macros etc. are used?

Question

We've inherited an MS Access db/application (Office 2002) with great names such as NewTable, Subform or Macro1. Unfortunately, when we change these to more meaningful names, the references (in other Queries, Forms or Actions) are not updated.

How can we find out where a specific object is used?

Answer 1

MsAccess has an OBJECT DEPENDENCIES checker. in Access 2007, for example, you must:

1. click on object (a table, for example);
2. click on the DATABASE TOOLS tab;
3. click on the OBJECT DEPENDENCIES (if asked to update dependencies info, click YES)

this whitepage details the process and recommends additional steps that you might wish to take.

In access 2003 and 2000, the process is slightly different, for the interface changed significantly from 2007 onwards

Answer 2

There is this small add-in, free and usefull vtools, that, among other possibilities, specifically allows you to search for values in all access objects (tables, queries, code, forms, ...).