Retaining data items in previous entries after the item has been discontinued.

[solminex]

Can anyone help here please. I seem to be have trouble resolving an issue whereby data entered via a combo box based on another combo box from separate tables/queries is not able to be retained when the data in the original table has been "discontinued". The database in question has changing items that are continually updated and/or discontinued. However when these items have been checked as "discontinued", the old entry data is then updated and the fields are empty.
There is probably a simple explanation to this and I would greatly appreciate any help.

[June7]

This is known to happen in continuous or datasheet forms where comboboxes use alias lookups. You are saving ID but want to display descriptor (the 'alias'). If the ID is excluded from the combobox RowSource the descriptor is not available. One solution is to include the lookup table in the form's RecordSource and bind a textbox to the related descriptor. Set it as Locked Yes, TabStop No. Another is to use DLookup() in textbox expression. Or instead of saving ID, save the descriptor. Are the descriptor values very short?