Nigel,

Don't know if this helps but the _SCREEN object has a buffermode (at least according to the help file).

>Does anybody know of a command in FoxPro (VFP) to set buffering globally. If you go to tools, options, data; there is an option there to set the buffer mode globally but we can't find a code equivalent. Something like SET BUFFERMODE.
>
>The only thing we found was form BUFFERMODE property. The project we are maintaining here was written with all forms using default data session. If the buffermode property on one form is set to 2 (optimistic) and not set in any forms visited after that, will these forms retain the setting of 2 or use the default of 0? If they are not explicitly set to 0, will they be implicitly set? We've encountered some strange happenings and need some help with this one thing which I've narrowed it down to.
>
>Thanks in advance,