ACC2000: Converted Access 2.0 Report Has Slightly Different Margins

You may receive the following error message when you try to print or preview a Microsoft Access report that has been converted from Access version 2.0: If you expand the page to the maximum size (usually 8-by-10.5-inches), you won't see the error message. However the controls that touch the nonprintable region are not printed, despite appearing in Print Preview.

The default nonprintable region for the default printer is used in the conversion process to prevent an error. When you convert an Access 2.0 report that has some of the margins set to zero, the margins in Access 2000 are not set to zero. Instead, they are set to the minimum margin that is valid for the default printer.

The workaround is described in the solution part of the error message. You should reduce the column width, the column spacing, or the number of columns until the addition of these plus the default margins is less than the width of your paper.

For example, if Access defines the left margin at .263 inches and the right margin at .266 inches, then you have used: If you then define the column width at 3.8 inches, the column spacing at .15 inches, and column count at 2, you are now under the 8.5-inches width limit. If all these components add up to less than the page width, you can print the report without an error.

This behavior is by design to prevent the report from printing data in the nonprintable region of the printer.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Open Access 2000.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Database Utilities, Convert Database, and then click To Current Access Database Version.
3. In the Database To Convert From dialog box, click the 2.0 version of NWIND.MDB. By default, this file is installed to \Access\Sampapps folder.
4. Click Convert.
5. In the Convert Database dialog box, type NewNwind.mdb.
6. Click Save.
7. When the conversion is complete, on the File menu, click Open Database.
8. In the Open dialog box, click NewNwind.mdb, and then click Open.
9. Open the Customer Mailing Labels report in Design view.
10. On the File menu, click Print Preview. Note that you receive the following error message:
    Some data may not be displayed. There is not enough horizontal space on the page for the number of columns and spacing you specified.
11. Click OK.
12. In the Country Filter dialog box, click Cancel. Note that you are returned to the report in Design view.
13. On the File menu, click Page Setup.
    
    NOTE: In Microsoft Access 2.0, the right and bottom margins are set at 0, but now, the margins are set to the minimum allowable margin for the default printer (usually .2" to .26").
14. Click the Layout tab in the Page Setup dialog box.
15. Reduce the width of the Columns from 4" to 3.5".
16. On the File menu, click Print Preview. Note that you will no longer receive the error message when you preview or print the report.

For more information about changing page setup properties, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type "How Do I Set margins, page orientation, and other page setup options" in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.