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Error: 'Operation must use an updateable query'

Item: #1
Date: 24 Jul 2001
Applies to
v3
v4
v5
v6

Question

Most pages work fine, but when I try to modify, delete or add new items in the back end, I get an error. Also, some pages on the front end also give the same error:

Microsoft JET Database Engine (0x80004005)
Operation must use an updateable query.

Why is this and how do I fix it?

Answer

This error is common. Some pages of the site will appear fine, but certain pages will fail with this error. On further investigation it will be apparent that only pages where the database is being written to are affected.

The usual cause is that the Internet Guest Account (the Windows user account that the web server uses, sometimes called IUSR_...) only has read access to the database and folder that it is in.

If you are getting the problem on your web host's machine, you will need to contact them to have permissions set correctly.

If you are getting this problem on your own machine, you will need to set the permissions for the web to 'full control' as follows:

Windows NT/2000
Navigate to the folder in Windows Explorer (*not* Internet Explorer!). Right-click it and go to properties > security tab and find the properties for the Internet Guest Account (IUSR_...); set these to full control.

Windows XP
Find the folder containing your web in Windows Explorer (*not* Internet Explorer). Right-click and select 'properties' (bottom of menu). A dialogue box appears. Click the 'security' tab. Several user accounts will be listed. If IUSR_... is not there, this needs to be added first. Click the 'add' button just under the list of users. In the text area that pops up, type 'IUSR' and click the 'check names' button. You should find that it shows the complete name of the IUSR account. Click ok. Now you have this user in the list, select it and check the full control box, then click ok.

If you are using XP Pro but don't see a 'security' tab when you right click the folder above, see this KB article:

http://www.cactushop.com/support/viewitem.asp?recor=0&ID=591

Once permissions have been set, the error should disappear.

Another, much rarer, reason this can occur is if you're running on Access and have your cursor type set to something other than '3'. Open up the config.asp file and check that CursorType (or numCursorType) is 3.

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