As for your last post, you will get an error if you attempt left(x,-1). Left() expects a number greater than zero or it errors. I don't know why you didn't have this problem with the Access 2000 machine unless your tests never ran across the non-existent dot.
But since you informed me that the machine that works has Access 2000 and the machine that doesn't has 2003, I think you have a different problem. My bad for assuming you were using the same version of Access on both machines. Your bad for not telling us that little difference between the machine that works and the one that doesn't.
Access 2003 has new security (which you probably noticed as a result of the macro prompt when you opened a database) and the new "Sandbox" mode. These new features block macros on forms (as well as in reports, queries, etc). I had to open our book "Access 2003 VBA Programmer's Reference" and read chapter 20 (which I wrote) to refresh my memory on this. Left() and Instr() are both blocked by this new security.
In a nutshell, you need to install Jet SP8 and enable the sandbox mode. See the above mentioned book as well as
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;294698 for complete information about this.
I am confident this will solve your problem. Your error is not exactly the error that Access 2003 gives: "Undefined function 'functionname' in expression". But it is similar enough that I think yours is a variation of the same problem.
I suppose I should admit that since you're telling me you just installed Norton, I'm assuming that you don't go after all of the updates available from MS. May I suggest that you put your project on hold long enough to visit Windows Updates and Office Updates to be sure you have the most current version of everything Microsoft will give you. I recommend going to Windows XP SP2 because of significantly improved security. But you don't have to do that to get the most up-to-date Office applications. And before you go to the Internet to do that, please be sure to enable whatever Firewall protection you have.
