I am downloading data from an online database into my access database.

Here is the process:

Save online data as text file
Import text file into access, mapped onto existing table

Here is the problem:

Some of the memo fields are quite long – they are basically three or
four paragraphs of text. Instead of having hard returns, on my
computer in Access I see little squares where the hard returns should
be and the text runs on as one giant paragraph. When I use another
computer in the office, the text also runs on as one giant paragraph,
but it doesn’t show the little squares.

When I copy the text from one of the fields with the offending squares
and paste it into a Word document, the hard returns are back – yahoo!

Problem is, I need to have the data in the cells in access look good
so that they may be easily read within the database and not only when
exported to Word. I have hundreds of these fields and do not have the
time to enter the hard returns.

Here is also what is odd. This process is used for submitting
proposals to present at a conference. We have used this form, and
downloaded it into the same access file, each year for the past three
years. This is the first time that we have had this problem. In the
past years, the data in the memo fields basically looked exactly like
it would in word – hard returns and all between paragraphs.

Guidance would be appreciated.

---

Request for Question Clarification by hammer-ga on 05 Mar 2003 08:20 PST

Have you changed any of the following:
1. Your version of Access?
2. Your web server's OS - for example switched from a Windows server
to a Linux server or vice versa?
3. Changed your method of download? For example, now using a different
FTP client.

Different systems have different characters for what you think of as
"Enter". Some use a carriage return/line feed pair. Some only use a
carriage return. Others only use a line feed. What you are seeing is
likely a mismatch. For example, Access is expecting a carriage
return/line feed pair, but is only getting a line feed.

- Hammer

Sjkistler,
I believe I have good news for you in the form of Microsoft
Knowledgebase Articles that address your problem.  The first article
provides a macro you can use to have Access replace the "square box"
with the type of carriage return that is more visually appealing. 
This should help with the items that you have already imported.  (Note
that while it discusses Excel, the symptoms and solution apply
directly to your situation).

The second article will hopefully give you some additional clues about
why this is happening, and makes suggestions for how you can fix this
in your text editor prior to importing.  This will hopefully make
future imports easier.

Microsoft Knowledgebase Articles:
ACC2000: Imported Excel Carriage Returns Become Square Boxes
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;210372

ACC: Text Import Wizard Doesn't Import Data Correctly
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;149946


I suspect that the reason this is occurring now when it was not an
issue in the past is possibly due to a change in the text editor that
is being used or a slight change in the choice of file type that the
text file is being saved as.  For example, if the machine that is
working differently has been upgraded to Windows XP, the text editor
provided may work differently than those on older versions of Windows.
 It may be as simple as saving the file in a different text format. 
You may want to experiment to see how your result vary when you save
your file in "Text Format" vs. "Text - MSDOS Format" if your text
editor provides those options.


Search Strategy:  Search the Microsoft Knowledgebase for the Access
product
Search Terms:  carriage return character
http://tinyurl.com/6wod


I hope that you have found this information useful and easy to
understand.  If you have any questions about the information provided,
please do not hesitate to post a clarification request before rating
the answer.