“Your Network Access Was Interrupted” in Microsoft Access
The full message reads: “Your network access was interrupted. To continue, close the database, and then open it again.” It means Access lost its connection to the database file on the network, even if only for a second. Access needs a constant, stable connection to a shared back-end file, and it doesn’t recover gracefully from drops.
This error matters because the same interruption that causes it is also the most common cause of database corruption.
Common causes
- Users connecting over Wi-Fi instead of a wired connection
- Running the database over a VPN from home or another office
- Network adapters or computers going into power-saving or sleep mode
- Antivirus software scanning the database file while it’s in use
- A busy or unreliable file server
How to fix it
- Close Access completely and reopen the database. This clears the immediate error.
- Check the database for damage. If anyone was editing data at the time, make a copy of the back-end and run Compact and Repair on it after hours.
- Use a wired connection for anyone who uses the database regularly.
- Turn off power saving on network adapters. In Device Manager, open the network adapter’s properties, go to Power Management, and uncheck “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.”
- Ask IT to exclude the database files (.accdb, .laccdb) from real-time antivirus scanning, if your security policy allows it.
- Stop running the back-end over VPN. Have remote users connect through Remote Desktop instead, so the database traffic stays on the office network.
If it keeps happening
Frequent interruptions usually mean the database has outgrown a shared-file setup. Moving the data to SQL Server or Power Platform removes this problem entirely. Book a free diagnostic to see which option fits.