A form in MS-Access that has worked since 2016 now fails on the report field with =Date() as the control

Hi @Neville Williams,

The =Date() function is a standard built-in Access function and would not normally stop working without an underlying cause. Since this expression has been working reliably in your reports for many years, it's worth carrying out a few troubleshooting steps before concluding that an update is responsible.

I recommend first performing some troubleshooting within Access:

1. Confirm that the affected control is still an unbound text box and that its Control Source property remains set to: =Date()
   • Open the report in Design View.
   • Click the control that should display the current date.
   • Press F4 if the Property Sheet is not already visible.
   • On the Data tab of the Property Sheet, verify that the Control Source property is set to: =Date()
   • Confirm that the control is an unbound text box and is not linked to a field from the report's record source.
   • On the Format tab, temporarily clear any custom formatting to ensure the value is not being hidden by an invalid format setting.
   • Switch to Print Preview or Report View and verify whether the current date is displayed correctly.
2. Create a new blank report and add a new text box with =Date() as the Control Source. If the new report displays the date correctly while the original report does not, the issue is likely specific to the report or control configuration rather than the Date() function itself.
3. Test other date/time functions such as =Now() to see whether they return values correctly.
4. Run File > Info > Compact & Repair Database to rule out potential database corruption.
5. If the database is split or stored on a network location, test with a local copy to determine whether the issue is environment-specific.

If the issue persists, I would recommend repairing Microsoft 365 Apps:

• Close all office apps completely.   
• Go to Control Panel > Program > Programs and Features   
• Right click on the Microsoft Office you've installed > Change.   

• Select Quick Repair first (fast and doesn’t require internet).   

• If the issue persists, run Online Repair (requires internet and takes longer).   

If the issue continues after an Office repair, and you have presumably confirmed that the behavior started following a Microsoft 365 update, then it would be reasonable to investigate the possibility of an update-related regression. In that case:

• Record the exact Access version and build number from File > Account > About Access.
• Gather details of any errors displayed (for example, #Name?, #Error, blank output, or report generation failures).
• Submit the findings through Microsoft's feedback so the product team can review the behavior.

As a temporary workaround, you may also consider rolling back Microsoft 365 to a previously known working build. If the issue disappears after the rollback, that would help confirm whether a recent update introduced the problem and provide useful information for Microsoft's investigation.

If you need any further assistance, please don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Kind Regards,