change data type of a linked table in access

[BP1990]

I get the below messages in access:
Table is a linked table whose design can't be modified. if you want to add or remove field or change their properties or data types you must do so in the source database.

I want to change the source data types, how do I do that?

 

[Joe4]

Welcome to the Board!

You cannot do that in Access. You cannot change any Table properties of a linked table. It has to be done in whatever you are linking from.

What is the table linked to? SQL, Oracle, Excel?

If you cannot do that, you will probably need to make a copy of the linked table (so it is a native Access table), and work from that.
If it is an Excel table, it is very difficult to define the data type, as Excel really does not have defined data types. So Access looks at the first 10 tens of the Excel file, and tries to "guess" what the data type is. Unfortunately, you cannot override that behavior.

 

[BP1990]

HI Joe,

Thanks for the prompt replay. Because of your answer I started thinking and I manged to find a solution.

Thanks!

 

[Joe4]

Excellent! Out of curiosity, what did you end up doing?

 

[BP1990]

I tried to link a Excel powerpivot table. The first 10 top rows where empty, therefore Access was reading it as a short text instead of a number or currency. I solved it to put in the top rows 0. The data type is then changed into number or currency and I will filter out the 0 in Access.