I hope I'm reading your question correctly.  If not please set me straight.

It appears that you were on the right path by storing the photo name separately but then, using the append and concatenation undid your own work.

The best way, in my opinion, is to store the images in a folder underneath your database.
        --MyDatabase
           --Images
That way you can refer to the images in your code not in the actual path in the field.

Watch the following:

Images
Product Catalog

The Access Imaging Seminar shows you how to pick a file on your computer and copy it to your images folder linking it properly.

Hi Scott

No what happened is that I originally created my database to my own local folder with no intentions of sharing the information. So the folder was in a local drive not shared with anyone. (Very much like with Richards Template for the Image Session, which contains images which is no longer linked.)

What I needed to do was move the photos to a shared folder, so that I could give someone a copy of my database (Frontend if needs be), so that they could manage the files if I  am away. This where my lesson came in...having to re-link all the photo's.

This is more a tip for new players and for those who may find that one day they need to move the location of their Photo's. Our Council has just experienced that and again my shared data had to be moved to a Share point location. Removing the split in my database and then Re-splitting  it into SharePoint.

In this case I had over 300 images to re-link, So this is where I am saying to save any hassles I did the following

1) Created a filed just to record that actual photo. Example: MyCat.jpg
2) Created a form and a table that I could drop the new link into. Example From C:\My Path\  to Y:\SharedFolder\MyPhotos...
3) Created a Append Query to concatenate the the path and the images together again, in the table holding the links.

So now all I do is copy the new path, drop the link into the form I created, click the button to run my query and bingo all my photographs are linked to the new path.

In Richards seminar on Images he physically types in the "Photograph" name. In this case the variable is the name of the photograph, the constant is the folder that images resides. When I was faced with moving the link, the photographs had to be relinked to the new path...so either type them all back in or create something ahead of time so that at any moment one has to move the link it is as simple as copy paste click.

Now this is where I am not yet confident and I am certain that to do the move would be quicker using record sets or some VB code rather than creating a query.

I also sharing what I experienced and what I had to do to overcome something that would be daunting for a new player.

Allen what I was (not so clearly) trying to indicate was I would only store the photo name in the field.

Then using a field, say "SystemImagesPath" you could assign the images folder independently.  This would make any future move much easier.

See System Defaults video for reference.

Example1:
In the case of saving the full path in the picture field you would have
C:\Users\sgaxt\Pictures\picture1.jpg,
C:\Users\sgaxt\Pictures\picture2.jpg, etc. in the individual records.
You have to update each record.

Example2:
In the case of setting the path in a SettingsT you would make one change after copying / moving your pictures and all records would be correctly linked.

SystemImagesPath = C:\Users\sgaxt\Pictures
In the future I move to the server.  I make one change to Y:\SharedFolder\MyPhotos

In your form you would reference the path to the photo as

SystemImagesPath & "\" &  ImageFileName

Of course you would need to look up the SystemImagesPath from SettingsT first.

By storing only the file name in the field, that way you make one change in the SettingsT and 300, 500, or 10,999 images are instantly updated instead of having to update the individual records.

I hope that makes sense.

Hi Scott. I see what you are saying now and understand that now a little clearer.

Basically what you are saying that would be fine if it was set up that way initially, with the two fields. What I was saying is that if you follow Richards seminar on storing Images, he uses and demonstrates your example 1.

When I set my original database with that exact format and then ran into a server change. That is when I had to use all my knowledge to avoid having to re-type in and up date every record.

I am also saying that anyone who has set up their database as your example 1 (which is how Richards seminar set it up) will possibly run into that problem, as I had.

The steps taken to fix it is what I was aiming for with my post. I mention how I did it with a query, and was wondering how it would be done and if would be quicker with a record set or VBA code?

Now that you have indicated how it would be easier to avoid the problem by making two separate fields, will become the basis of change to how I set up my database. Much like storing "First name" "Last Name". Totally understand that, just do the same with images.

Yeah - In the earlier images video Richard had to account for people that don't have lots of experience with Access.
The whole topic could become quite confusing as it is.  I figured since you were farther along you could grasp the concept.

For the future - you might want to make note of the Code Vault.
There are a lot of functions in there that Richard has put together that might have saved you some time and headaches.  Although powering through a problem is sometimes more rewarding.

Thank you Scott.

Yes certainly grasp the concept of what you are saying.

I have actually been designing databases for over 20 years, starting off with first PC when we had to use the floppy disks to load Office. Not always great databases, but functional databases all the same. The problem with me is breaking the habit of using Macros and Queries and still have a lot to learn practically.

My post was more to indicate that no matter how you go about doing something, there us always a better way. My way despite all the fuss worked for me still and also quite functional. Your suggestions and advice is more the professional way to do it and I appreciate that very much.

Thank you Scott for you support and comments. It is always good to know a better way and I have taken that onboard for my future designs where I need to keep photographs at hand.

I use multiple TempVars to grab subfolders paths in a settings or constants tables and just store the filename in a field. The TempVars approach makes a very versatile path forward. In such cases as a products table, the product ID can be used along with the subfolder's Tempvar to combined the two for the path of the photo and a dedicated field in the table is not even needed.