databases

CRT-era restriction dragged into the widescreen age after 34 years

Microsoft has demonstrated that there is life in the old dog yet with an update to the Access relational database management system that addresses a limitation stemming from the days of cathode-ray tube monitors.

The fix, currently in beta and set to roll out in the Current Channel preview by July 21, 2026, removes a 22-inch form-size limitation dating back to the era of cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitors.

It's a weirdly restrictive limitation, considering that widescreen monitors have been around for years, and one that has resulted in some crowded interfaces as designers tried to meet business requirements while bumping up against Microsoft's decree that 22 inches should be enough for anyone.

The restriction also harks back to a different time, when developers had to ensure their forms would work at lower resolutions. The 640 x 480 pixels of the Video Graphics Array (VGA) standard might be scoffed at by modern engineers, but represented a real challenge in the early days of Windows. Microsoft Access dates back more than 30 years to 1992, so it's somewhat comforting to know that the limitations of decades past still haunt today's products.

While Microsoft Access has been eclipsed in terms of databases, it is often found gluing corporate systems together or lurking behind the scenes in small businesses. The form-size limitation has become increasingly frustrating as screens have grown, while the area for data entry and display has felt more and more cramped. "Larger form designs allow more flexibility in presenting information, increasing spacing between controls, displaying larger text, and reducing visual clutter," Microsoft said.

More likely, it will simply encourage users to cram more into the available space – assuming anyone is willing to tinker with Access forms in the first place. Enterprise users tend to take a firmly conservative "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach.

According to Microsoft, the removal of the forms limit is "one of the most highly requested enhancements from the Access community and a top-voted request on the Access feedback forum." Other popular requests include a Mac-native version – almost certainly a nonstarter – and modern controls.

Still, it's good to see the old warhorse getting some attention. After Publisher was dropped from the Office suite (support for the perpetual version ends October 1, 2026), thoughts will inevitably turn to the fate of Access, which has so far escaped the Copilot treatment inflicted on so many of Microsoft's other products. ®