How to Enter Data From a Combo Box in Access

Combo boxes in Microsoft Access allow a user to enter data into a database without typing. A combo box allows a user to scroll through a list of valid values, and then pick the value that is to be entered into the database.

Combo boxes allow for accurate data entry and permit the user to add no new values beyond the available selections. This, in turn, reduces errors in the database.

Instructions

1

Double-click the Access database file. Select "Tables" from the Access startup menu. Select "Create table by entering data." Enter the values you want to appear in the combo box. Save and close the table.

2

Select "Forms" from the Access startup menu, and double-click "Design View." Select the "Control Wizards" button (which looks like a magic wand). Click the "Combo Box" tool in the "Control Wizards" menu, and move the mouse cursor to the place in the form where you wish the combo box to appear. Select the "I want the combo box to look up the values in a table or query," and click "Next."

3

Select the table that contains the valid values you wish to use in the combo box (i.e. "Table1"), and click "Next." Select the field in the table that contains the values you wish to use (i.e. "Field1"), and click "Next." Adjust the column width if necessary, and click "Next." Click "Finish" when prompted.

4

Right-click the combo box, and click "Properties." Click the "Control Source" field, and choose the field you wish to have the combo box populate. Close the "Properties" box, and select "Form View."