How to explicitly save or close a recordset when a form deactivates? - forms

Question

I apologize if this is too vague a question, but we're having the following problem:
We use a search form to find a record, then load it in a bound-control form where changes are made. Then we return to the search form and open another record. When we do that, the form's BeforeUpdate property fires a 3020 error, "Update without Add New or Edit" and stepping through the code it's referring to the FIRST opened record. This is strange because there is no explicit update call, but after much trial and error I think the error is thus:
Record #1 is opened via the form and changes are made. Record #2 is opened on that same form without closing the first recordset. Even though we now re-opened the form with the second record, Access still assumes we're editing record 1, i.e. that we're trying to edit 2 records concurrently. Same as though we had a datasheet form and we edited one row and then tried to edit a second row without saving the first. What I want to be able to do is have it automatically do an update on the first record when the form deactivates so loading a new record doesn't cause this conflict.
So the bottom line is this: **Is there a way, on say the form's Dirty or Deactivate event, that we can force the form's recordset to update and close ** before loading a second record?
I hope I made this clear enough, it's a complex problem, so any small guidance would help. Btw, you may ask, "Why are you running the same code to open the same form twice?" Good question! Hey it's an old and badly written app (the thing has GoSubs in it for Pete's sake) but I have no choice but to make the best of a bad situation.
EDIT: I was asked to post code, which is reasonable, but it's in several different places. So I have the data form, it has a "Search" button to go back to the search form for opening another record. The search button on the data entry form is:
Private Sub CommandSearch_Click()
On Error GoTo Err_CommandSearch_Click
DoCmd.OpenForm "Reference Form", acNormal 'This is the form that does the searching
Exit_CommandSearch_Click:
Exit Sub
Err_CommandSearch_Click:
MsgBox Err.Description
Resume Exit_CommandSearch_Click
End Sub
When a record is selected on that search form, then the new form is opened with this code. Now this is where it gets tricky. I'm not the original programmer, as I said I think it was written in Access 97 by someone after taking an hour to read "Access for Dummies" :). But it always looks like only one copy of the form is open, so maybe it's re-opening it?
Public Sub CommandLoadCase_Click()
Dim LoadUTUCaseNumber As String, lengthUTUCaseNumber As Integer
lengthUTUCaseNumber = InStr(Forms![Reference Form]![Reference Query SubForm]![UTU Case Number], "-") - 1
If (lengthUTUCaseNumber = 0) Then
LoadUTUCaseNumber = ""
Else
LoadUTUCaseNumber = Left$(Forms![Reference Form]![Reference Query SubForm]![UTU Case Number], lengthUTUCaseNumber)
End If
On Error Resume Next
Forms![Case Appeal_Add-On Form].UTUCaseKeyToFind = LoadUTUCaseNumber
DoCmd.OpenForm "Case Appeal_Add-On Form", acNormal, , , , , LoadUTUCaseNumber
'Case Appeal Add On Form referred to here is the data entry form I refer to above.
End Sub
Finally, the Error 3020 (Update without Add/Edit) is occurring after it executes this line on the data entry form. (I know the code is complicated which is why I didn't enter it at first).
Private Sub Form_BeforeUpdate(Cancel As Integer)
[UTU Claim Sequence Key] = [UTU Claim Alpha Sequence] & CStr([UTU Claim Numeric Sequence])
End Sub