How to Gray Out a Check Box in Access
A Microsoft Access database developer or administrator may occasionally want to prevent a user from being able to select a check box on a form. Since many databases primarily use forms for data entry, Access provides tools to control when and where a user may enter information. Graying out a control, also called disabling, is an effective method for doing this. The check box is still visible on the form, but the user is prevented from entering a check mark into it.
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Instructions
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Open the desired Access database. Do this by either double-clicking on the database from your File Manager program; or by opening Access, clicking the "Office Button" and using the "Open File -- Browse" method to locate and open the database.
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Open the form that contains the check box you want to gray out. All objects in the database, including forms, are listed in the left-hand pane titled "All Tables." Right-click the form name and select "Design View" from the menu that appears. The form will open in a format that allows it to be edited in the large right-hand pane.
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Select the check box you wish to disable by left-clicking on it with the mouse. A yellow border will appear around the item. Be careful, it is easy to select the label of the check box by mistake instead of the check box itself.
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Verify that you have selected the correct item on the Property Sheet, a small white window that appears when you open the form in design view. Near the top, the Property Sheet should say "Selection type: Check Box," and the name of the check box will be listed in the drop-down box. If the Property Sheet did not automatically appear, click the "Design" tab on the toolbar at the top of the window and select the "Property Sheet" button inside the "Tools" box located in the upper right-hand corner.
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Click the "All" tab on the Property Sheet. Using the scroll bar on the right, scroll downward until you see the term "Enabled" in the left-hand grid. The right-hand grid will have the word "Yes" listed.
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Left-click on the word "Enabled." The word "Yes" will be highlighted and a small drop-down arrow will appear on the same line to the far right. Click on the drop-down arrow and select "No" from the list that appears. This will gray out the check box.
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Switch the form to "Form View." Right-click the form name in the "All Tables" pane and select "Open" from the menu that appears. This will show the form the way the user sees it. Verify that the check box is grayed out by trying to click into it. It will be inactive.
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Tips & Warnings
This procedure will also work for other controls on an Access form.
