Switchboards

Access tip:

Create a custom Close button on a Form

By default, Forms that you create in Access have a full set of control buttons, that is, a title bar with Minimize, Maximize and Close buttons in the top right-hand corner and a Control Menu in the top left-hand corner.



Sometimes Access needs to follow certain procedures or events as users close a Form (such as automatically opening another Form perhaps). So it is often a good habit to create a custom Close button on a Form for everyone to use, rather than the standard closing cross.



To create a custom Close button:

1) In Form Design View, draw a Command Button onto the Form.

2) Use the Command Button Wizard to select Form Operations under Categories, and Close Form under Actions.

3) Choose Finish.



Access then creates the button and code to close the form for you. You can add any extra code that needs to run as the Form closes to the same Close procedure.



However, the creation of a custom Close button is pointless if the closing X in the top right-hand corner of the Form remains active. To make the closing X inactive, open the Form Properties box then on the Format tab set the Close Button setting to No. This will grey out the closing X leaving it visible, but inactive.

View all Access hints and tips