Operation must use an updatable query. (Error 3073)

Question

I have written this query:

UPDATE tbl_stock1 SET 
tbl_stock1.weight1 = (
    select (b.weight1 - c.weight_in_gram) as temp 
    from
        tbl_stock1 as b,
        tbl_sales_item as c 
    where
        b.item_submodel_id = c.item_submodel_id 
        and b.item_submodel_id = tbl_stock1.item_submodel_id 
        and b.status <> 'D' 
        and c.status <> 'D'
    ), 
tbl_stock1.qty1 = (
    select (b.qty1 - c.qty) as temp1 
    from
        tbl_stock1 as b,
        tbl_sales_item as c 
    where 
        b.item_submodel_id = c.item_submodel_id 
        and b.item_submodel_id = tbl_stock1.item_submodel_id 
        and b.status <> 'D' 
        and c.status <> 'D'
    )
WHERE
    tbl_stock1.item_submodel_id = 'ISUBM/1' 
    and tbl_stock1.status <> 'D';

I got this error message:

Operation must use an updatable query. (Error 3073) Microsoft Access

But if I run the same query in SQL Server it will be executed.

Thanks, dinesh

Answer 1

I'm quite sure the JET DB Engine treats any query with a subquery as non-updateable. This is most likely the reason for the error and, thus, you'll need to rework the logic and avoid the subqueries.

As a test, you might also try to remove the calculation (the subtraction) being performed in each of the two subqueries. This calculation may not be playing nicely with the update as well.