Ok, I believe I have discovered and solved the solution.
Bizarrely, another problem manifested itself as well. I was getting an 800029 Exception at Line 581 in register.asp when a new user would sign up. Looking through the code, this referenced the Group tables. I checked out the table via Navicat to make sure that there was no corruption of data (obvious corrupt). I didn't think there was any since the rest of the forum appears to function properly.
So what I did, was I went through each Group setup, and just updated them all. Didn't make any changes, just went through the motion of updating each one.
Then to make sure that I actually made changes to the database entry for the default group, I briefly changed it from one to another.
This fixed the sign up error and now users can sign up.
And bizarrely enough, the search now functions!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALL!
It appears that the database conversion from Access to MySQL using the NaviCat method, you have to get the program to 'update' the database fields at least one time for them to really kick in. I think I've had to do this for most every type of setting, but it works and I am so very happy that I made the switch.
Word to the newbies... Do not go down the Access DB path. I can understand us cabbage patchers that have been using WebWiz since the dinosaurs, but it's like buying a Lamborghini with a lawn mower engine.
Thanks DJ Air and Borg for the time you put in to this odd issue.