Deleting Records in a Table


You can delete records that are out-of-date or no longer needed. It is good practice to periodically purge your database of obsolete records.



To delete records in a table:

  1. With the table open in Datasheet View, select the record or records you want to delete.
  2. Click the Delete Record toolbar button.
  3. Access will warn you that you are about to delete a record and you won't be able to undo the action.
  4. Click Yes to finish deleting the record.


If you have an entire record selected and use the + command to cut the record, you are actually deleting the record. You won't be able to undo the operation or use the Paste command to paste the record back into the table.

Use these same techniques to delete records from a form.

To delete a record, you can also:

  1. Click the record selector to select the entire record.
    • Right-mouse click. Click Delete Record from the shortcut menu.
    • Press the Del or Delete key on the keyboard.
  2. Click anywhere in the record. Click the Delete Record toolbar button.
  3. Click anywhere in the record. Select Delete Record from the Edit menu.