Using the Table Analyzer Wizard
Follow these steps to use the Table Analyzer Wizard.
Click Next > to continue. More explanations appear. Read them, then click Next > again, and the screen shown in Figure 26.1 appears.
A Quicker Start
In Figure 26.1, you see a check box called Show introductory pages? You can bypass the explanation screens the next time by clicking this check box now and removing the check mark.
Figure 26.1. The first thing Access needs to know is which table to analyze.
Choose which table you want to analyze, then click Next >.
When asked if you want the wizard to decide which fields go in which tables, select Yes. That's what you want—the wizard's opinion. Then click Next >.
You're Good Already
After the wizard does its calculations, you may see a dialog box telling you that the Wizard recommends not splitting the table. If that happens, click Cancel and you're done.
The wizard presents you with its recommendations for splitting your table (see Figure 26.2). If you want to modify the recommendations, you can:
Create a new table by dragging fields out of one of the existing tables.
Drag fields between tables.
Rename a table from its generic name (Table1, and so on.) by selecting it, then clicking the Rename Table button (shown in Figure 26.2). If you don't do this, you'll see a warning message when you click Next reminding you to rename.
The Wizard Isn't Always Right
Sometimes the wizard will make suggestions for splitting a table that don't make sense. Make sure you pay close attention to the recommendations.
Click the Next > button to move on. Next you see a screen that looks a lot like Figure 26.2, except now it's asking about the Primary Key fields.
Make sure each table has a primary key field. They appear in bold on the field lists. Set one for each table that doesn't already show one by highlighting the field and clicking the key icon in the dialog box. Then click Next > to move on.
Figure 26.2. The wizard's recommendations are shown in a window resembling the Relationships window.
If you have some records with very similar values, Access lists them and prompts you to make corrections. Do so if needed, then click Next.
Finally, you're asked if you want to create a query that works like the old table. Select Yes, create the query then click Finish.
A Help screen appears explaining the split table; read it and then close the Help window.
When you look on your Tables tab in your database, you now see the new tables that were created. You also see a table with the name of the original table plus _OLD. For instance, mine says Dogs_OLD. This is the query, disguised as a table; it enables you to use the old table just as you always have.