Last names 255 characters long? Yeah, right.

Anytime you create a table in Access that includes text fields, the default field size is 255. Well, most people change this (or should!) every time they create a new field; and 255 is almost always bigger than the field needs to be.

Is there a way to change the default to something other than 255?

Of course! Its actually very simple.

1. With Access 2007 open, click on the Office Button in the top left corner.
2. When the menu opens, click "Access Options" in the bottom right corner of the menu.
3. After you have clicked Access Options, a box will open. On the left is a list of option categories - click Object Designers (and that's what you are!)
4. At the very top of these options you will see a line that says "Default Text Field Size: 255" - change that number to anything less than 255! The screen shot below shows this step.
5. That's it!
   
   

To learn more about the basics of tables and working with Access, click here to sign up for our free Access Foundations course.