How to Display a Form Automatically when your Application Opens

This is a quick tip on how to automatically display a form when the user opens your Access Application.  In addition to improving User Friendliness, your database design will also appear much more professional.  The step by step instructions below will display the Switchboard form in figure 1 immediately upon the application opening.  This will give them a good start point from which to navigate your system.

Figure 1: Switchboard Form opens Automatically
when the Application Opens.

1. Open the Database and create a Switchboard Form similar to that in figure 1 above.  Call the form frmSwitchboard.
2. Click the MICROSOFT OFFICE button in the top right hand corner of the Access Screen.  
   
3. Click the ACCESS OPTIONS button at the bottom of the open pane.  This opens the ACCESS  OPTIONS dialogue form.
4. Select CURRENT DATABASE from the menu on the left side of the dialogue form.  This displays the Options for the Current Database (see figure 2 below).

   

   Figure 2: Options for the Current Database.

5. The fourth option down from the top is DISPLAY FORM.  Click the Combo Box arrow and select frmSwitchboard from its drop down list, 
6. Click OK to close the ACCESS OPTIONS form.
7. Close the database.

The next time you open your application, the Swichboard is displayed automatically without the user needing to select it from the Navigation Pane.