Operation must use an updatable query. (Error 3073) Microsoft Access

Question

On some Microsoft Access queries, I get the following message: Operation must use an updatable query. (Error 3073). I work around it by using temporary tables, but I'm wondering if there's a better way. All the tables involved have a primary key. Here's the code:

UPDATE CLOG SET CLOG.NEXTDUE = (
    SELECT H1.paidthru 
    FROM CTRHIST as H1
    WHERE H1.ACCT = clog.ACCT AND
    H1.SEQNO = (
        SELECT MAX(SEQNO) 
        FROM CTRHIST 
        WHERE CTRHIST.ACCT = Clog.ACCT AND 
        CTRHIST.AMTPAID > 0 AND
        CTRHIST.DATEPAID < CLOG.UPDATED_ON
    )
)
WHERE CLOG.NEXTDUE IS NULL;

Envenom

Answer 1

Since Jet 4, all queries that have a join to a SQL statement that summarizes data will be non-updatable. You aren't using a JOIN, but the WHERE clause is exactly equivalent to a join, and thus, the Jet query optimizer treats it the same way it treats a join.

I'm afraid you're out of luck without a temp table, though maybe somebody with greater Jet SQL knowledge than I can come up with a workaround.

BTW, it might have been updatable in Jet 3.5 (Access 97), as a whole lot of queries were updatable then that became non-updatable when upgraded to Jet 4.

--

Chuck

So we have a pretty trivial update statement (UPDATE CLOG SET CLOG.NEXDUE = ... WHERE CLOG.NEXTDUE IS NULL), and the only reason why it does not work is that the query used to compute new value of CLOG.NEXDUE is "too complex". Unbelievable!! I am glad we switched from Jet to SQL Server!!! :-)) – Birefringence

I don't believe your assertion that the SQL you quote could ever produce the "query too complex" error in Jet. You are either mistaken, or for some reason I can't fathom, spreading misinformation about Jet. – Chuck

temp tables were the solution for me. not happy that i'm stuck with jet to begin with, but thank you so much for the work-around. – Bianchi

This answer is 100% correct. Moreover I have to say that Correlated Subqueries seem to be non-updatable too. My workaround this, was joining tables and avoid the subquery. – Honeyhoneybee

this is wrong, it can be done with "DISTINCTROW" – Be

Answer 2

I had a similar problem where the following queries wouldn't work;

update tbl_Lot_Valuation_Details as LVD
set LVD.LGAName = (select LGA.LGA_NAME from tbl_Prop_LGA as LGA where LGA.LGA_CODE = LVD.LGCode)
where LVD.LGAName is null;

update tbl_LOT_VALUATION_DETAILS inner join tbl_prop_LGA on tbl_LOT_VALUATION_DETAILS.LGCode = tbl_prop_LGA.LGA_CODE 
set tbl_LOT_VALUATION_DETAILS.LGAName = [tbl_Prop_LGA].[LGA_NAME]
where tbl_LOT_VALUATION_DETAILS.LGAName is null;

However using DLookup resolved the problem;

update tbl_Lot_Valuation_Details as LVD
set LVD.LGAName = dlookup("LGA_NAME", "tbl_Prop_LGA", "LGA_CODE="+LVD.LGCode)
where LVD.LGAName is null;

This solution was originally proposed at https://mcmap.net/q/584593/-sql-update-woes-in-ms-access-operation-must-use-an-updateable-query

Jandy

Answer 3

The problem defintely relates to the use of (in this case) the max() function. Any aggregation function used during a join (e.g. to retrieve the max or min or avg value from a joined table) will cause the error. And the same applies to using subqueries instead of joins (as in the original code).

This is incredibly annoying (and unjustified!) as it is a reasonably common thing to want to do. I've also had to use temp tables to get around it (pull the aggregated value into a temp table with an insert statement, then join to this table with your update, then drop the temp table).

Glenn

Titian

Answer 4

There is no error in the code. But the error is Thrown because of the following reason.

 - Please check weather you have given Read-write permission to MS-Access database file.

 - The Database file where it is stored (say in Folder1) is read-only..? 

suppose you are stored the database (MS-Access file) in read only folder, while running your application the connection is not force-fully opened. Hence change the file permission / its containing folder permission like in C:\Program files all most all c drive files been set read-only so changing this permission solves this Problem.

Oira

If this is a web server, "Network Service" needs write access to the directory containing the database (IIS6, W2003/XP). This error's thrown but is misleading to put it mildly. – Sedimentation

If its Published in Web Server IIS then It may Not has Read-Right Permission Please Give the user " IIS IUSERS " Full permission This solves Problem. – Oira

Answer 5

I know my answer is 7 years late, but here's my suggestion anyway:

When Access complains about an UPDATE query that includes a JOIN, just save the query, with RecordsetType property set to Dynaset (Inconsistent Updates).

This will sometimes allow the UPDATE to work.

Desert

Interesting. I'll have to try that if i ever get back to that code. – Envenom

Answer 6

Thirteen years later I face the same issue. DISTINCTROW did not solve my problem, but dlookup did.

I need to update a table from an aggregate query. As far as I understand, MS Access always assumes that de junction between the to-update table and the aggregate query is one-to-many., even though unique records are assured in the query.

The use of dlookup is:

DLOOKUP(Field, SetOfRecords, Criteria)

Field: a string that identifies the field from which the data is retrieved.

SetOfRecords: a string that identifies the set o record from which the field is retrieved, being a table name or a (saved) query name (that doesn’t require parameters).

Criteria: A string used to restrict the range of data on which the DLookup function is performed, equivalent to the WHERE clause in an SQL expression, without the word WHERE.

Remark

If more than one field meets criteria, the DLookup function returns the first occurrence. You should specify criteria that will ensure that the field value returned by the DLookup function is unique.

The query that worked for me is:

UPDATE tblTarifaDeCorretagem 
   SET tblTarifaDeCorretagem.ValorCorretagem = 
    [tblTarifaDeCorretagem].[TarifaParteFixa]+
    DLookUp(
     "[ParteVariável]",
     "cstParteVariavelPorOrdem",
     "[IdTarifaDeCorretagem] = " & [tblTarifaDeCorretagem].[IdTarifaDeCorretagem]
    );

Zanze

Answer 7

I would try building the UPDATE query in Access. I had an UPDATE query I wrote myself like

UPDATE TABLE1
SET Field1 = 
(SELECT Table2.Field2
 FROM Table2
 WHERE Table2.UniqueIDColumn = Table1.UniqueIDColumn)

The query gave me that error you're seeing. This worked on my SQL Server though, but just like earlier answers noted, Access UPDATE syntax isn't standard syntax. However, when I rebuilt it using Access's query wizard (it used the JOIN syntax) it worked fine. Normally I'd just make the UPDATE query a passthrough to use the non-JET syntax, but one of the tables I was joining with was a local Access table.

Basin

Answer 8

This occurs when there is not a UNIQUE MS-ACCESS key for the table(s) being updated. (Regardless of the SQL schema).

When creating MS-Access Links to SQL tables, you are asked to specify the index (key) at link time. If this is done incorrectly, or not at all, the query against the linked table is not updatable

When linking SQL tables into Access MAKE SURE that when Access prompts you for the index (key) you use exactly what SQL uses to avoid problem(s), although specifying any unique key is all Access needs to update the table.

If you were not the person who originally linked the table, delete the linked table from MS-ACCESS (the link only gets deleted) and re-link it specifying the key properly and all will work correctly.

Bordeaux

No, all the tables involved had a primary key. – Envenom

Answer 9

(A little late to the party...)

The three ways I've gotten around this problem in the past are:

1. Reference a text box on an open form
2. DSum
3. DLookup

Glioma

Temp tables are often faster. – Chuck

Yep, I'm still using Temp tables. I only wish they were really temporary, but I just let them live, and the next time the make table runs, it replaces the previous "temporary" table. – Envenom

Answer 10

I had the same issue.

My solution is to first create a table from the non updatable query and then do the update from table to table and it works.

Incandescence

Answer 11

You can always write the code in VBA that updates similarly. I had this problem too, and my workaround was making a select query, with all the joins, that had all the data I was looking for to be able to update, making that a recordset and running the update query repeatedly as an update query of only the updating table, only searching the criteria you're looking for

    Dim updatingItems As Recordset
    Dim clientName As String
    Dim tableID As String
    Set updatingItems = CurrentDb.OpenRecordset("*insert SELECT SQL here*");", dbOpenDynaset)
    Do Until updatingItems .EOF
        clientName = updatingItems .Fields("strName")
        tableID = updatingItems .Fields("ID")
        DoCmd.RunSQL "UPDATE *ONLY TABLE TO UPDATE* SET *TABLE*.strClientName= '" & clientName & "' WHERE (((*TABLE*.ID)=" & tableID & "))"
        updatingItems.MoveNext
    Loop

I'm only doing this to about 60 records a day, doing it to a few thousand could take much longer, as the query is running from start to finish multiple times, instead of just selecting an overall group and making changes. You might need ' ' around the quotes for tableID, as it's a string, but I'm pretty sure this is what worked for me.

Valona

That approach definitely works. A faster approach is to create a temporary table with the answers in it, and then join the final table to the temporary table updating to the final table. – Envenom

Answer 12

Mine failed with a simple INSERT statement. Fixed by starting the application with 'Run as Administrator' access.

Homelike

Answer 13

MS Access - joining tables in an update query... how to make it updatable

1. Open the query in design view
2. Click once on the link b/w tables/view
3. In the “properties” window, change the value for “unique records” to “yes”
4. Save the query as an update query and run it.

Abaca

Answer 14

In essence, while your SQL looks perfectly reasonable, Jet has never supported the SQL standard syntax for UPDATE. Instead, it uses its own proprietary syntax (different again from SQL Server's proprietary UPDATE syntax) which is very limited. Often, the only workarounds "Operation must use an updatable query" are very painful. Seriously consider switching to a more capable SQL product.

For some more details about your specific problems and some possible workarounds, see Update Query Based on Totals Query Fails.

Lipinski

Answer 15

I kept getting the same error until I made the connecting field a unique index in both connecting tables. Only then did the query become updatable.

Philip Stilianos

Tachymetry

You may wish to read this article on when queries can be update: msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa198446.aspx – Paba

Answer 16

I kept getting the same error, but all SQLs execute in Access very well.

and when I amended the permission of AccessFile.

the problem fixed!!

I give 'Network Service' account full control permission, this account if for IIS

Mawkin

Answer 17

When I got this error, it may have been because of my UPDATE syntax being wrong, but after I fixed the update query I got the same error again...so I went to the ODBC Data Source Administrator and found that my connection was read-only. After I made the connection read-write and re-connected it worked just fine.

Spermatozoid

Answer 18

Today in my MS-Access 2003 with an ODBC tabla pointing to a SQL Server 2000 with sa password gave me the same error.
I defined a Primary Key on the table in the SQL Server database, and the issue was gone.

Centeno

Answer 19

There is another scenario here that would apply. A file that was checked out of Visual Source Safe, for anyone still using it, that was not given "Writeablity", either in the View option or Check Out, will also recieve this error message.

Solution is to re-acquire the file from Source Safe and apply the Writeability setting.

Maureenmaureene

Answer 20

To further answer what DRUA referred to in his/her answer...

I develop my databases in Access 2007. My users are using access 2007 runtime. They have read permissions to a database_Front (front end) folder, and read/write permissions to the database_Back folder.

In rolling out a new database, the user did not follow the full instructions of copying the front end to their computer, and instead created a shortcut. Running the Front-end through the shortcut will create a condition where the query is not updateable because of the file write restrictions.

Copying the front end to their documents folder solves the problem.

Yes, it complicates things when the users have to get an updated version of the front-end, but at least the query works without having to resort to temp tables and such.

Foetation

Answer 21

check your DB (Database permission) and give full permission

Go to DB folder-> right click properties->security->edit-> give full control & Start menu ->run->type "uac" make it down (if it high)

Mounts

Answer 22

The answer given above by iDevlop worked for me. Note that I wasn't able to find the RecordsetType property in my update query. However, I was able to find that property by changing my query to a select query, setting that property as iDevlop noted and then changing my query to an update query. This worked, no need for a temp table.

I'd have liked for this to just be a comment to what iDevlop posted so that it flowed from his solution, but I don't have a high enough score.

Zamudio

Answer 23

I solved this by adding "DISTINCTROW"

so here this would be

UPDATE DISTINCTROW CLOG SET CLOG.NEXTDUE 

Be