>>Chuck,
>>
>>Try using the InteractiveChange event of the combo.
>
>Thanks for the help. I did indeed try the InteractiveChange event. But I noticed that each time I depressed a key in the edit area of the combo box, the LostFocus event fired; thus moving me out of the edit area before I got an opportunity to complete the required 4-character entry for employee ID.

Chuck,

The you will have to check for that in the InteractiveChange. When the ID is incomplete just let the event return without doing anything, if the code is complete do your thing.