In a similar fix, I'm wondering if I can just use a make-table query to produce the new version, aliasing the old field names in the query with the new ones (NewName:[OldName]), swap table names around and then delete the original table. The hard part is fixing up all the references in my forms, queries & reports, but I'm testing Chas Dillon's utility from

http://allenbrowne.com/ser-41.html

for the purpose (requires some VBA facility). I gather that there are good reasons why it's not practical for you to rename Excel columns before import.

Thanks, Alan -- this was exactly what I was looking for and your code worked perfectly.

Yes, Alan, there are some people here that question what someone wants to do in the interest of supplying a "better" answer or deterring "bad habits," and they sound condescending doing it. They may not realize it but the advice is often times good. Sometimes avoiding a method prevents headaches down the line.

In this case, the sentiment is that it's too much of a hassle and highly irregular to change field names using code. In my case, I would just write a make-table query where the input is the linked table in question and the output is my version of the table with the new field names using the calculated method MMcDonal suggested. Then I would work with my version of the table.

As for the condescending tones, I sometimes reply with my own tone or outrightly say, "Could you please dispense your advice without the judgement? It's not necessary." Oh... and then I thank them for the solution... of course!

__________________
Greg Serrano
Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality
Air Quality Division

I can't speak to the person who originally started this thread -- but in my case I had a very good reason to need to rename fields in VBA. I had a list of 163 field names in one column in one file and then a 163 field pipe-delimited data file without a header record in another file. Yes, there are a number of ways I could have achieved success without VBA (and without VBA in access to change field names); but Alan's solution was certainly the least painful -- and even though he posted the solution nearly 5 years ago (!) seemed custom built to my particular problem.

Although I can appreciate those with more experience trying to pass on "best practices" -- My approach in those situations is to just answer the question posed. Then -- turn it around and see if the person was actually asking the "right" question.