VBA error 462 when updating table in Access from Excel - excel

Question

I'm getting the 462 runtime error when updating an Access table from Excel VBA. I think the references are correctly qualified with the object variable as described here and here, but I'm still getting an error on the line where the number of records is assigned to dbImageCount using DCount.
Run-Time error '462': The remote server machine does not exist or is unavailable
Public AppAccess As Access.Application
...
Sub btnSave2Access_Click()
Dim MyRow As Long, LastCaptionRow As Integer
Dim sPath As String, STblName As String, CatalogNum As String, LotNum As String
Dim i As Integer, dbImageCount As Integer
CatalogNum = Trim(Sheets("Tier2Worksheet").Range("B2"))
LotNum = Trim(Sheets("Tier2Worksheet").Range("B3"))
LastCaptionRow = Range("E1000").End(xlUp).Row
sPath = Sheets("Settings").Range("B16")
STblName = "tblProductPictures"
Set AppAccess = New Access.Application
With AppAccess
.OpenCurrentDatabase sPath
For i = 1 To LastCaptionRow
'error in next line
dbImageCount = DCount("[SortOrder]", STblName, "[CatalogNum] = '" & CatalogNum & "' AND [LotNum] = '" & LotNum & "'") 'get current image count in DB for catNum/LotNum combo
While dbImageCount < LastCaptionRow 'adds record to picture table when required
dbImageCount = dbImageCount + 1
.DoCmd.RunSQL "INSERT INTO " & STblName & " (CatalogNum, LotNum, SortOrder) VALUES ('" & CatalogNum & "','" & LotNum & "','" & dbImageCount & "');"
DoEvents
Wend
With .DoCmd
.SetWarnings False
.RunSQL "UPDATE " & STblName & " SET PicPath='" & Range("E" & i) & "' Where [CatalogNum]='" & CatalogNum & "' and [SortOrder]='" & i & "' and [LotNum]='" & LotNum & "';"
.RunSQL "UPDATE " & STblName & " SET FullCaption='" & Range("D" & i) & "' Where [CatalogNum]='" & CatalogNum & "' and [SortOrder]='" & i & "' and [LotNum]='" & LotNum & "';"
.SetWarnings True
End With
Next i
.CloseCurrentDatabase
.Quit
End With
Set AppAccess = Nothing
Application.StatusBar = False
End Sub
Manually setting the value of dbImageCount on the fly during debug (commenting out the DCount line) properly updates the database with the new picture data.
It's important to note that this problem does not occur consistently. After months of use, the error did not creep up until this week and even then it didn't happen for every update attempt. In addition, it never happened during development (on a different system).
At first, I thought it was a network glitch or something of the like, but then I read that the 426 error is specifically an Office automation problem, so I expect that we will see it again soon.

Answer 1

You need to use DCount as a method of the Access Application:
With AppAccess
.OpenCurrentDatabase sPath
For i = 1 To LastCaptionRow
'error in next line
dbImageCount = .DCount("[SortOrder]", STblName, "[CatalogNum] = '" & CatalogNum & "' AND [LotNum] = '" & LotNum & "'") 'get current image count in DB for catNum/LotNum combo
While dbImageCount < LastCaptionRow 'adds record to picture table when required
dbImageCount = dbImageCount + 1
.DoCmd.RunSQL "INSERT INTO " & STblName & " (CatalogNum, LotNum, SortOrder) VALUES ('" & CatalogNum & "','" & LotNum & "','" & dbImageCount & "');"
DoEvents
Wend
With .DoCmd
.SetWarnings False
.RunSQL "UPDATE " & STblName & " SET PicPath='" & Range("E" & i) & "' Where [CatalogNum]='" & CatalogNum & "' and [SortOrder]='" & i & "' and [LotNum]='" & LotNum & "';"
.RunSQL "UPDATE " & STblName & " SET FullCaption='" & Range("D" & i) & "' Where [CatalogNum]='" & CatalogNum & "' and [SortOrder]='" & i & "' and [LotNum]='" & LotNum & "';"
.SetWarnings True
End With
Next i
.CloseCurrentDatabase
.Quit
End With