Report Looks Like Chinese!

[Debased]

I have a db with many reports and suddenly one of the reports, instead of printing text it comes out with characters that look like Chinese! I have tried deleting the report and then importing the same report from a back up copy to no avail. I have tried renaming the report - no good. I have tried compact & repair, nope. I went to a backup from a month ago and the report ran once ok but when I made some minor design changes to bring the report to it's current state, saved it and ran it again...back to Chinese!!!
Any help greatly appreciated..this really sucks!

 

[KeLsO]

Hello

I just trying to help, so don't shoot me if it looks like a stupid answer (no real whizkid over here )

Did simply you try to change te format of the text ?

In my case i had some headers that would change into strange signs after i opend it on another PC on the network. Try a standard style like Times New Roman and see if it helps...

If it doesn't forget what i said

Greetz KeLsO

 

[Debased]

thanks but it did not help. I think I may have an idea in that the report depends on a query that looks at 8 tables. When I add one more field to the query, the Chinese (Wing Dings? ) appear on the report...not many, just one for each field. When I eliminate that field from the query, the report is ok again. I am going to create some subqueries leading up to the final for the report and see if that helps. Perhaps it is a cache thing? Thank you KeLsO -you are the only one who replied!!

 

[The_Doc_Man]

When you get strange characters (possibly from one of the WingDings or WebDings variants), look at the chosen font for the field. How it gets that way? Don't know.

As a side note, check how many DIFFERENT fonts you use in the same report. Should not be more than two or three. (Not talking font SIZES.) Arial, Courier New, Times New Roman.... that would do it.

You should know this about Access (and other MS variants). KeLsO is right that you should avoid use of "oddball" fonts. They might end up substituted for something else.

BUT... if you happen to remove and re-install a font, you break the link to it sometimes. When that happens, it is a "True Type Font" standard response to try to find the nearest matching font based on characteristics stored in the font header. However, what constitutes "nearest match" is anyone's guess most of the time. And that is how you sometimes get the wrong font selected.

It doesn't matter if you didn't remove a font. If you UPDATED a font, it could have removed an old copy with a newer one. And many MS (and other) packages will install new fonts that might overlap existing ones. I know Word Perfect will do this now and then. Some third-party font collections do it all the time. So a random install could have done it to you.

 

[Debased]

Thanks for the advise, very interesting I will remember this. My report however is set to use only arial 10 pt. And interestingly enough, the wingdings not only appeared on the report but in the query results as well!!
That really blew me mind~!

I think the problem had to do with the query behind the report. It was built using 8 tables. I believe it was using too much memory, tho why this would cause the wingdings I don't have a clue.
What I did is make 4 subqueries, the first of which selected only records needed for the specific report instead of selecting all 10,000 records. Then a series of 3 other subqueries and the final one works fine. (Don't figure anyone cares about the details)
I don't know if this makes sense but it worked!

Thanks again for your replies. I haven't visited your site for some time but whenever I do I learn something new and am reminded what a great bunch of folks hang out here!!

 

[The_Doc_Man]

In turn, your response is interesting. Memory errors are quite rare even when dealing with virtual memory. Usually when you run out of VM, Windows just kvetches at you. (KVETCH is a good Yiddish word - trust me.)

Have you run a CHKDSK on your system lately? You probably have to "schedule" one for a convenient reboot. I wonder if you have a disk with a set of multiply-allocated blocks that happens to include your installed font list.

Another thing I would consider is to run your original report or query that has the problem and then IMMEDIATELY check the system error logs for disk-driver or file-system errors after the problem recurs. The system error logs are DEFINITELY your friends after device errors (because they constitute proof you need a new disk!)

If you have a disk surface validation routine, I would also consider running that, but not all diagnositic package have surface testers so that one might not be possible.

 

[KeLsO]

Hey Debased

Nice to hear that you solved your problem, it's always nice to get it right yourself...

Finally i wasn't able 2 help, nice of The Doc Man to post cause he got way more knowledge then me.

But i was wondering... Try this if you want...it could help.

Try to change the layout of the report to landscape, so you get some more room to enlarge the coloms and look what happens...

I was thinking about excel because there you also get strange symbols if you don't have enough room for the content... And because the problem doesn't appear when you remove a colom, it could be the case of not enough space 4 the content.... ( i know this is a longshot, but you never know....)


Greetz KeLsO

 

[Debased]

KelSo Thanks but it is in landscape mode already...

Doc: I am at my workplace on a server so don't think the disk is the problem...anyway, for now the problem seems to be solved (i hope!)
thanks again for your replies!

 

[The_Doc_Man]

I am at my workplace on a server so don't think the disk is the problem

Your workstation disk could be the problem. Remember, you run Access on your workstation. It runs in your workstation's memory and uses your workstation's swap file. Errors would show up on your workstation log files because that is the context in which the error occurs.

That server is just a file server - unless you actually have a login on that server and use it as a workstation. Which is unlikely but not impossible, I guess.

 

[Debased]

Just getting back to the bulletin board today and thanks Doc, you are absolutely correct. I will pass on your previous threads to my IT guy and go from there. Thanks again Doc for your persisitence in explaining this to a rather ignorant user!