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Fix an Access Combo Box That Shows Only One Item

Amos Gikunda Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to fix a combo box in Microsoft Access that only displays the first item and fails to accept new list entries.

How to Fix an Access Combo Box That Shows Only One Item

Product: Microsoft Access
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: A user is interacting with an Access form and attempts to select an item from a drop-down combo box or type a new value into it.
Observed behavior: The drop-down list incorrectly shows only one item instead of multiple values, and it stops allowing users to add new entries to the list.

Before you start

Open your Microsoft Access database in Design View and ensure you have developer permissions to modify Form properties and view the underlying VBA code.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Row Source and Combo Box Properties

Check the core property settings of the combo box to ensure it is correctly reading and displaying multiple columns and rows from your data source.

A combo box may appear to show only one item if the column widths are set incorrectly (hiding the data) or if the Row Source query is broken.

Adjusting the Limit To List property will also determine whether users are permitted to type new values.

Open Property Sheet

Right-click your form in the navigation pane, select 'Design View', click on the problematic combo box, and press F4 to open the Property Sheet.

Check Row Source

Navigate to the 'Data' tab. Ensure 'Row Source Type' is set to 'Table/Query'. Click the ellipsis (...) next to 'Row Source' to verify the underlying query actually returns multiple records.

Adjust Column Settings

Switch to the 'Format' tab. Verify that the 'Column Count' matches the number of fields in your query. Check 'Column Widths' to ensure the text column you want to see isn't set to 0 (e.g., change '0";0"' to '0";1"').

Modify Limit To List

Go back to the 'Data' tab and look for the 'Limit To List' property. Set it to 'No' if you want to allow users to type in values that do not currently exist in the drop-down list.

Verify Row Source and Combo Box Properties

Data Connection: If your Row Source relies on another field on the form (cascading combo box), ensure the parent field has a value selected.

Solution 2

Debug the NotInList VBA Event

If you use code to automatically add new typed items to the underlying table, the VBA NotInList event procedure may be failing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Access combo box completely blank when I click the dropdown?

This usually happens if the 'Row Source Type' is incorrectly set to 'Value List' when it should be 'Table/Query', or if the underlying table or query currently contains zero records.

How do I allow multiple selections in an Access combo box?

To enable multiple selections, open the combo box properties, navigate to the Data tab, and set the 'Allow Multiple Values' property to 'Yes'. Note that this requires the underlying table field to be configured as a multi-valued lookup field.

What does the 'Limit To List' property do in Access?

The 'Limit To List' property restricts users to selecting only the items that currently exist in the combo box's drop-down menu. Setting this property to 'No' allows users to type in custom values.

How can I refresh the combo box list after adding a new item to the table?

You can requery the combo box by using a simple VBA command. Add 'Me.YourComboBoxName.Requery' in the AfterUpdate event of the form or control where the new data was entered.

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