Weekly Computer Tip # 241
8 August 2008


Display your open database objects in separate document tabs
(Access 2007)

Microsoft Access 2007 provides a new way of working with your tables, forms, reports, and queries. Instead of opening each object in a separate - overlapping! - window, all databases created in version 2007 now show each open object in separate tabs. Great! So what if you open a database you created in a previous version of Access? Well, document tabs are turned off by default. But don't worry ... you can turn them on.

Here's how:

  1. Click the Microsoft Office Button. (The big blob in the left hand top corner.)
  2. Click Access Options. (If you're only just getting used to v2007 ... it's in the right hand corner of the Access Options dialog box.)
  3. Click Current Database.
  4. In the Application Options section, tick the Tabbed Documents radio button. (Make sure the "Display document tabs" check box is selected.)
  5. Click OK.

Next time you open that specific database you see the slick new tabs rather than the confusing overlapping windows, so you will no longer have your table buried at the bottom of a stack of query, forms or report windows.

By the way, if you preferred the old look and feel ... you can also use this procedure to hide the document tabs of your databases created in version 2007. Simply follow the steps described above, but select the Overlapping Windows radio button.

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