How To Fix Access “Could Not Delete From The Specified Tables (Error 3086)”

Does your Access Database frequently showing “Could not delete from the specified tables” error each time you try to delete any table using the delete query? 

Well if your answer is yes, then this blog will surely be going to help you a lot. As it covers the complete information regarding this specific “Could not delete from the specified tables” MS Access error. Besides that, it also contains ideas to delete records in several ways from the Access Database.

What This Access “Could Not Delete From Specified Tables (Error 3086)” Is?

In MS Access Database you can delete records with the help of many options, but when you want to delete multiple records from a table in one operation then there is a chance that you will receive the following error message:

 “Could Not Delete From Specified Tables”

Error code: Access Runtime Error 3086

At that time you tried to delete data from one or more tables, but the deletion couldn’t be completed.

What Are The Causes Of Access Runtime Error 3086?

Here are the possible causes that lead to generating this specific error code “Could Not Delete From Specified Tables”.

• You don’t have permission to modify the table. So, for this change your permissions assignments and see your system administrator or table’s, creator.
• Maybe the database was opened for read-only access. Here are the reasons because of which Access Database gets read-only.
• • You used the OpenDatabase method and opened the database for read-only access.
  • The database file is defined as read-only in the database server OS or by your network.
  • In a network environment, you don’t have the writing privilege for the database files.
  • In Microsoft VB, you use the data control and set the ReadOnly property to True.

In order to delete the data, close the database, and resolve these read-only conditions. After then reopen the file for read/write access.

In What Condition Access Delete Query Actually Works To Delete Records?

You can successfully delete records using a delete query when it:

• Joints two tables that have a one-to-one relationship.
• It uses a single table that doesn’t have a relationship to any other table.
• Uses a table that is one the “one” side of a one-to-many relationship, and cascading delete is allowed for that relationship.
• Contains both the table on the “one” side of a one-to-many relationship and the table on the “many” side of that relationship.

Note: It is recommended to execute the query two times to delete records from both tables.

How To Fix Access “Could Not Delete From Specified Tables (Error 3086)”?

Your Access database is displaying this kind of error message if you build a delete query with the help of multiple tables and the query’s Unique Records property is set to No. MS Access database shows the error message “Could not delete from the specified tables” when you run the query.

Steps To Set The Query’s Unique Records Property To Yes:

Step 1: Open the delete query in Design view.

Step 2: If the query property sheet is not open, press F4 to open it.

Step 3: Click on the query designer to display the query properties

Step 4: In the query property sheet you have to find the Unique Records property, and set it to Yes.

4 Ways To Delete Records From Access Database

As it is mentioned earlier that “Could Not Delete From Specified Tables (Error 3086)” encounters when anyone uses the delete query. So, maybe the issue is with the delete query so try some other ways to delete the records from the Access Database.

Way 1#Delete Data From A Datasheet

• From the navigation pane, make a double-tap to the table or query that you want to use. This will open the table or query in datasheet view.
• Make a selection for the data that you want to delete.
• You can either highlight a part of the data or just place the cursor in the field.
• If you select the entire data in the field, then press DELETE.

OR

Go to the Home tab, in the Records group, press DELETE option.

Or

If you point the cursor in the field, press the DELETE or BACKSPACE whenever you required doing so.

Way 2#Delete Data From A Form

• Go to the navigation pane and double click the form that you want to use.  This will open the form in form view.

-or-

Or else in the navigation form, make a selection for the form that you want to use, and on the Home tab, in the Views group, tap to the view option. After then tap to the Layout View.

• Make a selection for the data that you want to delete.
• You can either highlight a portion of the data or just place the cursor in the field.
• If you select the entire data in the field, then press DELETE.

OR

Go to the Home tab, in the Records group, press DELETE option.

Or

If you point the cursor in the field, press the DELETE or BACKSPACE whenever you required doing so.

Way 3#Remove Data From A Value List

• In the navigation pane, make a right-click to the table that you want to modify and then click the design view on the shortcut menu.
• In the upper section of the design grid, make a selection for the field which contains the value list.
• While on the upper section of the grid, tap to the Lookup tab and after then search for the Row Source

By default, make double quotation marks surrounding the items in the value list. Use semicolons to separate each item “Excellent”;”Fair”;”Average”;”Poor”.

 As per your requirement, remove the items from the list. But don’t forget to delete a quotation mark that surrounds each deleted item.   

Way 4#Delete An Unrelated Record Manually

• Open the Table Or Query which you want to delete in datasheet view.
• Locate the record, which you want to delete. After then click the Select All button —make a selection for the square located at the left or right end of the record.
• You can make a selection for each individual row and drag to select a contiguous set of rows.
• Or press Ctrl and click the mouse button to select multiple non-contiguous rows.
• Access will place the border around the complete record or block of selected records.
• After then Press to the DELETE option.

-or-

• Go to the Home tab, in the Records group and tap to the Delete

-or-

• Make a Right-click to the Select All button and then tap to the Delete Record.
• If in case you are unable to select all buttons, position the cursor in the field in the records.
• After then on the Home tab, in the Record group, tap to the down arrow next to the delete option and hit the Delete Record
• At last, access will confirm the deletion, and tap to the Yes.

How To Get Back Accidently Deleted Or Corrupted MS Access Records?

Chances are also that while performing the above Access Records deletion tasks you may have lost some important stuff. Or it might have got corrupted somehow. Then in that case you must try the Access Repair N Recovery Software that is particularly designed to repair corrupt or damaged MS Access database files. It comes with a powerful algorithm that scans even severely corrupted access database files.

* By clicking the Download button above and installing Stellar Repair for Access (14.8 MB), I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the End User License Agreement and Privacy Policy of this site.

It also has a highly interactive GUI that helps users to easily operate and repair Access database without making changes in the original structure of the file. It easily restores damaged or corrupt tables, queries, indexes, and other data.

This tool can easily fix all minor and major database errors and problems of MS Access 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2002, 2000 on almost all versions of Windows operating system such as Windows 8/7/Vista/XP/2003. A free trial version is available that you can install to check the features and reliability of the software.

Steps To Use Access Repair N Recovery Software

Conclusion:

After reading the complete post, now you can easily deal with the Access “Could Not Delete From Specified Tables” error. But if in case the errors continue while trying to delete the specified table then also don’t give up.

Just try the other ways of deleting the records mentioned in this post. After trying all the mentioned fixes do share your opinion in our comment section. So, that we can help you more as much as we can…!