Access freezes when you open a linked table to a SharePoint list

  • Article
  • Applies to:
    Access 2016, Access 2013, Access for Microsoft 365, Access 2019

Symptoms

In a Microsoft Access desktop database, when you try to open a table that's linked to a SharePoint list, Access stops responding.

Cause

The issue occurs when the user who tries to open the existing linked table in Access doesn't have locally stored credentials for the SharePoint site that contains the list. A stored credential may be either a credential in Windows Credential Manager or a persistent cookie in Internet Explorer.

Resolution

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Add the EnableLegacyListAuth registry entry

Note For Access 2016, you must have Click-to-Run version 1804 (build 9226.2114) or MSI version (build 16.0.4690.1000) or a later version installed to use this method. To add the EnableLegacyListAuth registry entry, follow these steps:

  1. Open Registry Editor, and then locate and select the following registry subkey:

    For 32-bit Office on 32-bit Windows or 64-bit Office on 64-bit Windows

    • For Access 2013

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\15.0\List

    • For Access 2016

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\List

    For 32-bit Office on 64-bit Windows

    • For Access 2013

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\15.0\List

    • For Access 2016

      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\16.0\List

  2. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.

  3. Type EnableLegacyListAuth, and then press Enter.

  4. Right-click EnableLegacyListAuth, and then click Modify.

  5. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.

  6. Locate the following registry key:

    • For Access 2013

      HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Common\Identity

    • For Access 2016

      HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Common\Identity

  7. Make sure that the value of EnableADAL is 0.

  8. Exit Registry Editor.

Method 2: Refresh the list

To refresh the list, follow these steps:

  1. Open Windows Task Manager, select Microsoft Access, and then click End task.
  2. Reopen the database.
  3. Right-click the linked table in Access, and then select More Options > Refresh List.
  4. Log on by using your credentials.

To relink the list, follow these steps:

  1. Open Windows Task Manager, select Microsoft Access, and then click End task.
  2. Reopen the database, and create a new module.
  3. In VBA code, use the RefreshLink method of the TableDefs collection for the linked tables:
Public Function TableRelinkSample()
           CurrentDb.TableDefs("<TableName>").RefreshLink
     End Function

Note If you have multiple linked SharePoint lists, you have to call RefreshLink only one time for any one of the tables.

  1. Call the TableRelinkSample() function from the AutoExec macro or other startup code in the database.

    TableDef.RefreshLink Method (DAO)