ACC95: How to Optimize MS Access 95 Performance

• Microsoft Access version 7.0

SUMMARY

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

This article lists tips that you can use to optimize the performance of Microsoft Access for Windows 95 version 7.0. Much of this information is taken from the Microsoft Access for Windows 95 Help file. For a more detailed discussion of this topic, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   Article-ID: Q142466
   Ttile:      ACC95: Achieving Optimal Performance Paper Available on MSL

MORE INFORMATION

To optimize the general performance of Microsoft Access 7.0, use these tips:

• Make more memory available by closing programs that you are not using.
• Increase the random-access memory (RAM) on your computer. Microsoft Access requires a minimum of 12 megabytes of RAM, but additional RAM may improve performance.
• Do not use any of the RAM for a RAM disk.
• Periodically, delete unnecessary files, compact your databases, and then defragment your hard disk with the Disk Defragmenter. Defragmenting keeps files in contiguous clusters on your hard disk, making file access quicker. If you do not defragment your hard disk, the time it takes for Windows to retrieve your files may increase because Windows may have to go to several physical locations on the disk to retrieve the entire file.

  To run the Disk Defragmenter, on the taskbar, click the Start button, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.

• The default virtual memory setting used by Windows should perform optimally. However, in some situations, adjusting virtual memory parameters can improve performance. If you have already tried deleting unnecessary files, and you still have a performance problem, try changing the default virtual memory setting if:

      - You do not have much disk space available on the drive that is
        currently being used for virtual memory, and another local drive with
        space is available.
  

      - Another local drive is available that is faster than the current
        drive (unless that disk is heavily used).
  

  You may also get better performance by specifying that the disk space available for virtual memory cannot be less than 25 megabytes (MB), minus available RAM. For example, if your computer has 8 MB of RAM, you should specify at least 17 MB of virtual memory. You may want to specify more if you are running several large programs.

  To change the virtual memory parameters, in Control Panel, double-click the System icon. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Performance tab, click the Virtual Memory button, and then click "Let Me Specify My Own Virtual Memory Settings." Specify a different hard disk, or enter a value in the Minimum box that is no less than 25 minus your available RAM.

• When you are using databases that other users do not need to share, install Microsoft Access and all your databases on your local hard disk rather than on a network server.
• Create only as many indexes as necessary. Although indexes can speed access to data, it is possible to have so many indexes on a table that it is slow adding, deleting, and updating records.
• Create indexes for joined fields.
• In a multiple-field index, use only as many fields in the index as necessary.
• If you have a wallpaper (full-screen background) bitmap on your Windows desktop, replace it with a solid color or pattern bitmap, or no bitmap at all.
• Open a code module window and on the Run menu, click Compile All Modules. Then, on the File menu, click Save All Modules.
• Open a code module window, choose Compile All Modules from the Run menu, and then choose Save All Modules from the File menu.

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