When you're using an ODBC database, such as SQL Server or ORACLE Server, there may be delays because of network traffic or heavy use of the ODBC server. Rather than waiting indefinitely, you can specify how long Microsoft Access waits before it produces an error. To make your program run faster, you can decrease this time-out so that your application regains control sooner. You might do this when you know that a server is always on a local net and should always respond quickly. Regaining control quickly can help avoid having your user reboot because the delay has become so long.
See the Access 2.0 Help on ODBCTimeout for more details on how to use this.