Microsoft Access problem

Have you checked the _Click() event for the button?
Go into editor mode, and double-click the button; this should open up a VBA window, and show you the function that is called when you click the button (like cmdButton1_Click(...)).

Is there any code here? If not, you can just call your macro by typing something like this: Call Macro1()

Except use you own macro name, of course.

When I build a macro & attach it the command button, go to Properties, OnClick - there is the macro under the name I gave it - when I use the wizard, go to Properties, OnClick shows an Event Procedure, & when I go to that, the macro is identical to the first macro - except the one built with the wizard merely depresses when selected in form view - it doesn't run the macro. I'm talking simply macros, like Print Report, or Find Record. The macro built with the wizard is there, attached to the button, but it just won't run. The one built without the wizard is identical, but it runs. Suggestions?

did you happen to rename the command button after connecting the macro the first time. access will not update the connection if you rename the command button.

No - no renaming involved. In design view, I click on the command button on the toolbox, draw the button on the form making sure the wizard button is depressed, and I get the "Command Button Wizard" popup - then I select one from column A, like Record Navigation, and one from column B, like Find Record, select Next, select the picture for the button, accept the name, or create a new one - doesn't matter - then Finish, return to Form view, click the button, it depresses, but nothing then happens. Like I said in my initial question, it's as if I have unknowingly turned off a switch that prevents all wizard created buttons from running.

To build better Access DB's try to avoid wizards. They work OK for very simple applications but make it very difficult to change things. Also, using macros for every command button can get very confusing as well. If you have many forms and buttons you can end up with hundreds of macros. I suggest using the code builder in the "On Click" property. It is very simple once you know how it works. All macros are docmd for example docmd.opentable "table name". Or docmd.gotorecord. VBA will pop up choices to help you along. It is a little more difficult at first but ends with much more flexible databases that are very easy to follow and troubleshoot. I'm sure a little google search would help you with the docmd's.

I appreciate what you say - I have done some vba applications - but that still doesn't answer the question - why does it work in one database & not another?

Why don't you just admit it... Windows is just too sophisticated for you. Go back to Linux.