How To Add a Custom Icon To ‘Pop Up’ Form and ‘Overlapping Windows’ Forms

Designing a professional Microsoft Access application often comes down to the small details—like the icons that appear on your pop-up and overlapping forms. Custom icons not only enhance the visual appeal of your database but also help users quickly identify forms and maintain a consistent brand identity.

In the following, you’ll learn how to add a custom icon to ‘Pop Up’ forms and ‘Overlapping Windows’ forms in Microsoft Access, step-by-step. Whether you’re creating a sleek front-end for clients or refining your in-house tools, these techniques will help you give your Access database a polished, professional finish.
 
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How to Batch Optimize Images in a Folder Using VBScript and ImageMagick

As the title implies, I wanted to share a small utility script I created to meet my own needs, in the hopes that it might help others who also need to process and optimize all the images in a folder in one go.

My goal was to quickly and efficiently resize images in a folder based on a specified maximum width and height, then output them in multiple formats to achieve the smallest possible file size—typically WebP, but not always.
 
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Experts Exchange: A Community Worth Taking Notice Of

Over the years, many of you have probably seen me share my thoughts, reviews, and experiences across various online forums. Like most things in the digital world, communities evolve, and so do our impressions of them. That is why today I want to take a moment to highlight a platform that has really stood out for me: Experts Exchange.

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Year-End Thoughts and Good Vibes

It’s been a full year of building, fixing, and tinkering with some wins, some weird bugs, and probably a quite a few “why is this even happening?” moments along the way. That’s the life of an Access developer, and honestly, it keeps things interesting.

As we head towards 2026, I just want to say thanks to everyone who drops by, reads a post, shares a tip, or just keeps the Access spirit alive. This community is small but mighty and still making great things happen with a tool that refuses to fade.

Here’s to more curiosity, more creative solutions, and maybe even a little less debugging in the year ahead. Have a restful break and see you all in the new year.

Cheers to you and the Access adventures still to come in 2026!

🎭🎄 *Hear Ye, Hear Ye, O Microsoft!* 🎄🎭

From the depths of the data dungeons, amidst corrupted forms and phantom queries,
a single cry echoes through the frosty cubicles of despair:

“PLEASE. FIX. ACCESS.”

O Great Lords of Redmond, wielders of Excel’s sword and Outlook’s might—
turn your divine gaze upon poor Access,
the forgotten child left under the corporate tree,
wrapped not in ribbon, but in regression bugs and release confusion.

We beseech thee: release thy Release Notes!
Let them descend from the heavens like glittering snowflakes,
each one symbolizing a FIX—clear, concise, comprehensible!

And upon your sacred Roadmap, carve truth anew!
Abandon this cryptic scroll of mystery and myth!
For we no longer wish to divine our destiny from vague prophecies
and whispers in various community channels.

As for your Feedback Portal—
that tragic wasteland of “We’ll consider this someday”—
resurrect it!
Breathe life into the suggestions of your faithful users,
for their cries echo across the night like spectral cries of unmet service tickets!

So we stand, resolute and overcaffeinated,
under flickering fluorescent stars,
hands raised high, chanting through the lag:

“Give us stability! Give us notes! Give us truth!”

And should this wish be granted,
may Access rise like a phoenix—dignified, documented, and, dare we dream…
debugged.

Thus ends our plea, wrapped in tinsel and trauma,
delivered with love (and a touch of madness),
by your ever-loyal, ever-crashing Access community. 💾🔥🎅

Get a Directory Listing Using VBA

Mastering Directory Listings in VBA: Exploring Folders and Subfolders with the Dir Function and FSO

Automating directory listings in VBA is a common requirement for Excel, Access, and other Microsoft Office solutions. Whether you need to list folders, enumerate subdirectories, or recursively scan an entire directory tree, VBA provides multiple ways to interact with the Windows file system each with distinct strengths and limitations.

In this article, you’ll learn how to generate directory listings in VBA using several proven techniques, including the built-in Dir function, the FileSystemObject (FSO) model, Shell.Application, WMI, and even PowerShell integration. We’ll explore when each approach is appropriate, how to handle recursive folder traversal safely, and why certain methods, especially Dir!, fail in nested scenarios.

If you’ve ever searched for “VBA list folders and subfolders”, “VBA recursive directory listing”, or “Dir vs FileSystemObject in VBA”, this guide walks through real-world, production-ready examples you can drop directly into your projects. By the end, you’ll know exactly which technique to use for simple folder scans, deep recursive listings, or advanced system-level automation.

Methods covered in this guide include:

  • Dir function (non-recursive directory listings)
  • FileSystemObject (FSO) for recursive folder traversal
  • Shell.Application for Windows-based folder enumeration
  • WMI for system-level and remote directory queries
  • PowerShell integration from VBA

 
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Break Free from Windows, Why SolydXK Should Be Your Next Desktop

Why SolydXK Might Be Your Easiest Switch from Windows to Linux

Hi there. If you’ve been stuck in the Windows world, you probably know the drill: bloated software, forced updates, and that uneasy feeling your computer is always watching what you do. I was in the same boat not long ago. After switching to Ubuntu and enjoying a much cleaner, more reliable experience, I figured I had found my forever setup. Then I discovered SolydXK, and it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

This distro is fast, stable, and familiar enough that you do not have to be a Linux expert to get comfortable. What really impressed me is how effortless it feels. You just install it and get to work, with no fuss or drama. If you want something that simply works without spying on you or throwing constant pop-ups your way, stick around, because SolydXK might be exactly what you have been missing.

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Using VBA to List Active Processes

Because of some recent work I’ve been doing trying to embed applications within an Access form (so far I’ve managed to embed Brave, Edge, PowerShell ISE, Excel, Word, …) I’ve been working with listing the active computer processes. So I thought I’d share a few procedures I’ve developed to aid me with that task.

I tried a couple different approaches to get the process listing.

Initially, I was using the cmd:

tasklist /fo csv /nh

and although it did work, it was slow and created unnecessary lag in my process (no pun intended). Eventually I turned to my tried, tested and true friend WMI!
 
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Simple & Reliable Methods to Check Internet Connectivity in VBA Using Ping

While working on a client project, I needed a way to check their Internet connection before running any further operations. My goal was to provide a helpful message if no connection was detected, avoiding unnecessary errors during execution.

The first approach that came to mind was the reliable PING command. This long-standing DOS utility checks if a host is reachable, making it perfect for detecting connectivity issues. With Ping, you can:

  • Verify whether a device (server, PC, printer, etc.) is accessible
  • Test if a website or URL can be reached
  • See if there is an active Internet connection

 
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