A couple of points: First, "Messages" is a reserved word. VFP may be getting confused. Can you change the table name?

Second, load the debugger just after you make sure that Messages is selected, and check for EOF(). It's possible that somewhere you got your record pointer offset.

Finally, code on a UT page is easier to read if you surround it with the < pre > and < /pre > tags as I've done for yours below. Click "Reply" to see the tags without the spaces I put in above.

HTH
Barbara

>Yes, I set buffering OFF when I built the form, it is a single work station, single user app, so there are no contention problems, I wanted it as simple as possible so that it can be used at other bases without my being the helpdesk for it. Actually I am writing to replace an app I am the helpdesk for anf the darn thoing works very poorly. Of course, it is written in access, so no wonder it does not work well:-)
>In code,

>SELECT messages
>scatter memvar memo
>
>bunch of stuff, including some selects from other tables, about 100 lines worth...
>
>if ALIAS() <> "Messages"
>  select messages
>endif
> m.sent = .T.
>gather memvar && the above is the only field updated
>if !EOF()
> skip 1
>ELSE
> IF !BOF()
>  skip -1
> else
>  thisform.release && all done, no longer need the form
> endif
>endif
>close tables all

>According to the help files, with bufferring off, navigation should commit changes. It did not. I set buffering to optimistic, and added =tableupdate(.T.) after the gather and it was fine.