Display an hourglass while your Access application is running

by Mary Ann Richardson | Apr 03, 2007 7:00:00 AM

Tags: Microsoft Office, Databases, Mary Ann Richardson, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Office Suite Access Tips Newsletter

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Takeaway: Access may be loading or executing its macros when opened, but it's often hard to tell where it is in the process. In this tip from Mary Ann Richardson, learn how to set up Access to display an hourglass to let you know when it's safe to begin working.

You've set up your Access application so that when a user opens a form, a macro performs multiple actions first. Do your users complain that they're not sure when they can begin working, pressing keys or clicking menus while your macro is still executing?

Don't keep your users guessing as to how long an operation should take -- let them know when they can begin working by having your macro display an hourglass while it is running and then beep when it's done. Follow these steps:

In the Database window, click Macros under Objects.
Select the macro and click the Design button.
Right-click the first Action row and click Insert rows.
Click the Action cell in the inserted row and select Hourglass from the drop-down list.
Click a blank Action cell after the last command in the macro and select Beep from the drop-down list.
Close and save the macro.

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