Create a Smart Folder Monitoring System Using PowerShell’s FileSystemWatcher

Have you ever wanted to build a responsive process to a folder’s content?

In my case, I wanted to create a process in which I could dump an image file in a folder and automatically resize the image and save it in 4 different formats (gif, jpg, png, webp).

I’ve previously discussed using ImageMagick to do this, but until now, this still required human intervention as you needed to manually open some automating utility (Excel, Access) and I was hoping for a process that just did it on its own without me needing to do a thing.

Now I did some digging and found mention of creating a Windows Service. This is messy, requires Visual Studio, Advanced coding, Installation Permission, Code Signing, … It will works, but no thank you, not for what should be a simple thing to do (at least in my mind).

That’s when I started digging into PowerShell. It is truly amazing what PowerShell will allow us to do.

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Microsoft Increases Its Microsoft 365 Consumer Plan Prices

Microsoft has announced a significant price increase for its Microsoft 365 consumer (what it commonly refers to as ‘Home’) subscriptions.

This price hike comes as Microsoft integrates its Copilot AI assistant into various applications within the Microsoft 365 suite.

The new pricing structure is as follows:

Microsoft 365 Family is now $129.99USD/year, up from $99.99USD/year equating to a 30.00% increase!
Microsoft 365 Personal is now $99.99USD/year, up from $69.99USD/year equating to a 42.86% increase!

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Renaming Macros in External Microsoft Access Databases Using VBA

I thought I’d simply share a function I devised to help someone out on UtterAccess in case it could help someone else out there.

The question that was originally asked was:

I’d like to be able to disable the autoexec macro in an external database by renaming it using VBA

So, basically asking how can we rename a macro in an external database.

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How to Use PowerShell to Change File Creation and Modification Dates

A while back I demonstrated how we could use VBScript or VBA to alter a file’s ‘Date Created’ or ‘Date Modified’ properties, refer to:

VBA - Change File's Date Created or Date Modified

Have you ever needed to change a file’s Date Created, Date Modified, … For the later it is simple! For the former, things are much more complicated.

I was recently helping someone out on Experts Exchange who was asking to do the same through PowerShell and thought I’d share the code here as well in case it could help a few of you out there.

If you’re looking to modify a file’s creation or modification dates, PowerShell makes this task incredibly easy.

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Choosing Between & and + for String Concatenation in VBA

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is a powerful tool for automating tasks in Microsoft Office applications. One common requirement in programming is to concatenate strings, especially when dealing with names. However, handling null values can lead to unexpected results. In this article, we will explore two methods of concatenation in VBA: using the ampersand (&) and the plus sign (+). We will also discuss how to manage null values effectively.

The Basics of Concatenation

Concatenation is the process of joining two or more strings together. In VBA, this can be achieved using either the `&` operator or the `+` operator. While both operators can be used for string concatenation, they behave differently when encountering null values.

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Moving from Microsoft Access to PHP Web Applications, Why?

I’ve been debating about writing such an article for a long, long time now, but with the incessant issues with Access, Microsoft effectively killing Outlook, I believe the time has come to stop beating around the bush on this one.

Today, I wanted to present to you a few of the main reasons why considering a move to Web Application development may be the better choice. I am primarily focusing here on PHP, however most comments below would just as easily apply to .net, … or any other proper web development language.

Okay, let’s dive in!

Moving from Microsoft Access to PHP web applications offers several significant advantages for businesses and developers.

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MouseWheel Bug in Microsoft Access Version 2412

A new issue has emerged in Microsoft Access Version 2412 (Build 18324.20092 Click-to-Run) that affects users relying on the MouseWheel event. This bug could impact scrolling functionality in various applications.

Key Details

Version Affected: Microsoft Access Version 2412 (Build 18324.20092 Click-to-Run)
Issue: The ‘Count’ value in MouseWheel events is reportedly always returning zero (0) instead of -1 (scroll up) and +1 (scroll down). Others are now stating the all Mouse events seems to be impacted beyond just the Count value.

A Fix To The Issue

Update 2025-01-22 – A Proper Fix On The Horizon

The Dev Team has just informed us that the fix to this issue will be part of Version 2501.

Update 2025-01-28

The Good news is that people have stated that the update is out, so update your systems and you should get Version 2501 (Build 18429.20044 Click-to-Run) installed.

The BAD news is several people in the discussions and in the Feedback Portal suggestion comments have already stated the update to 2501 did not fix this issue.

Update 2025-01-30

A Proper Fix!

After a month’s wait, we finally have a fix.

Version 2501 (Build 18429.20132 Click-to-Run) appears to resolve this issue as confirmed by multiple sources now. So be sure to update your Office installation to this latest build.

Reports of the Issue

The original report of the issue was made by Ross Story dated 2024-12-26, now others have added their voices to his discussion on the matter, and can be found in the following post on Microsoft Answers:

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Is Indexing Boolean Fields Worth It? Performance Insights and Best Practices

Indexing boolean fields in databases is a topic that often generates debate among database administrators and developers. The primary question revolves around whether the performance benefits of indexing these fields outweigh the potential downsides, particularly in terms of write performance and storage efficiency. This article explores the nuances of indexing boolean fields, examining when it is advantageous and when it may be counterproductive.

Understanding Boolean Fields

Boolean fields are data types that can hold one of two possible values: true or false. Given their binary nature, one might assume that indexing them would be straightforward; however, the effectiveness of such indexes can vary significantly based on several factors, including data distribution and query patterns.

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Real-Life Example Of Using Virtual In-Memory Recordsets in VBA

Last week, I introduced the concept of Virtual, or In-Memory, Recordsets. These recordsets are created entirely in memory and are not linked to any data sources, which means they do not require any I/O operations.

If you missed my introduction on the topic, be sure to check out:

Utilizing In-Memory Virtual RecordSets in Microsoft Access

Some time ago, I wrote an article about creating Virtual Queries, which you can find here: Today, I’d like to delve into the topic of Virtual Recordsets, commonly known as In-Memory Recordsets. While working on a personal project, I needed to display a list of files without repeatedly importing this data into Access. Constantly importing would lead to unnecessary data duplication and bloat in the database. Instead, I realized that using a Virtual Recordset would be an ideal solution. This approach allows me to manage and manipulate the list of files dynamically without cluttering my Access database, ensuring that my…

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and also

Decoding the Cryptic ADODB Virtual RecordSet Error Message

Have you ever encountered an error message that left you scratching your head? Let me share a perplexing experience I had recently while testing a database application. I was working on a personal project in which I decided to use Virtual Recordsets, upon which I created my most recent article: and during some testing I started to experiencing issues. The Mysterious Error Out of nowhere, I started receiving this cryptic error:

as well as

Setting a Variable Equal to an ADODB Recordset, Not So Obvious!?

In my ongoing exploration of ADODB recordsets I would like to share an interesting aspect of working with them.

The Premise

Until now, the examples have been somewhat theoretical. Today, I want to present a practical, real-world example of how this can be implemented in a VBA solution.

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Determining the Currently Selected Ribbon Tab

I recently came across a thread on UtterAccess where a user was inquiring about how one could identify the currently selected ribbon tab in their application.

How can I tell which ribbon tab is currently selected?

Seeing that no one was nibbling, I decided to give my two cents.

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