At work I have a very basic MS Access 2010 database (tables and basic forms, no special coding). At home I have Access 2003 on my XP michine. Is it possible to be able to open and work on the 2010 DB in my 2003 version? Please don't start making the suggestions of upgrading. I have an older machine with XP (yes, I know XP is no longer supported by Microsoft), but at this time don't have the money to buy a new system and new software. Just need to know if (and how) can I work on 2010 version in 2003 version.
Thanks
Kenny
The file format used changed with Access 2007 from using.mdbto.accdband in order to open the file with Access 2003 you would have to save the file in the earlier format. This page has information on how to do this: Save an Access 2010 database in an earlier file format
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I run MS Access 2010 on my home PC and I've been building a database for work.
Most workstations at work don't run Access to build databases, but they do allow us to run MDE files for applications already built.
I saved my database as a 2002-2003 database and then published it as an MDE file. All worked really well. I tested the MDE file on my PC at home and the automatic re-linking to the back end db worked and the database popped up. Awesome.
The problem came when I tried to run it on the workstation. It came up with an unrecognized format and suggest I change the version on the database.
So, back to the drawing board. I did some research and from all indications from other forums and sites, you cant build MDE files for 2002-2003 databases using Access 2007 or 2010, even though the option is clearly there.
Suggestions were to load Access 2003 to the PC an build the database using this. OK, did that, imported all of the items from the 2003 database created in Access 2010 to a blank db created in 2003 and I get nothing but errors. Incidentally the database was originally build from and access 2003 database at work! Unfortunately, I no longer have access to that particular workstation.
So that's the dilemma. The question / discussion im after is how to resolve this and get the database, preferably from my office 2010 suite into a standalone system of some type working from a Windows XP workstation at work.
I need to find a way to be able to build these tools at home and use them at work. BTW, upgrading the workstations at work is not an option. believe me the organisation is too large to even consider a change like that, WAY too much bureaucracy..
As mentioned in one of the comments to your question, if you are targeting an older version of Access then you should be doing your development in that version, not a newer one. Even though Access 2010 allows us to create an .mde file that is in the Access 2003 file format, it may actually create an .mde file that Access 2003 cannot understand due to the contents of the file.
The situation is analogous to the problem of making certain modifications to an Access 2007 database in Access 2010+ that render it unusable by Access 2007. Even though the file format is still "Access 2007 or later", Access 2010 may create database objects within that file that Access 2007 cannot comprehend. Depending on the actual objects involved, Access 2007 may simply ignore what it doesn't understand, but unfortunately in some cases Access 2007 will just give up and say "Unrecognized database format".
I have a Access 2003 database that I want to store in source control on TFS2010. I'll be using the Team Foundation Server MSSCCI Provider 2010. Are there any rules for which versions of Access can create a database from that source? It's possible that Access 2010 and 2007 will be used to edit the source control. I'm curious as to if I should limit the versions of Access touching the source code to just a single version of Access.
The site of MSSCCI states to support Access 2007: http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/bce06506-be38-47a1-9f29-d3937d3d88d6
On the same site, two other references from users can be found. One is stating that this version also works for Access 2003. Somebody else is experiencing that this version of the MSSCCI does not work for Access 2010.
A save bet would be to start your efforts with Access 2003, or if possible better with 2007. At least do an experiment with saving some 2003 stuff and opening it again with 2007 and vise versa. In time, I guess that support for Access 2010 will show up and you can continue from there on with newer version.
how to open ms access 2007 file in ms access 2003
I'd like to add something to Kevin...
Microsoft started using the accdb files in access 2007 (and later in 2010) and older versions does not support it.
The old versions used MDB files - Access 2003 uses MDB files.
If your file is an MDB file you just have to right click it and choose open with access 2003
if the file is accdb you should open it with access 2007 and use the save as option and choose access 2000-2003.
There is some info here:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/convert-a-database-to-the-access-2007-file-format-HA010048406.aspx
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/introduction-to-the-access-2007-file-format-HA010067831.aspx
Please note that going back is not always possible since there are new features in the new features that can not be translated to the old version... Just simple databases will be converted with no problem.
Good luck
That’s an easy one, you cant! Well to add a bit more your cant if it is in the new accdb format. However you can open up MDB files in office 2003 and 2007 so if you need both version to use that database it will have to be in MDB format
can access 2010 open a 2003 database that has the old mdw security
Although User Level Security is not supported for the new ACCDB database format, Access 2010 (just like Access 2007) can still use it with MDB format databases. See what Microsoft has to say on this topic: Introduction to Access 2010 security
I inherited an access 2003 ADP file which uses sql 2000 as it's data source. This is my first access maintenance project and not thinking about the issues involved simply opened it in access 2007 on my dev machine. It of course worked and I proceeded to do the work requested.
I have completed the work and presented the file to the client, which he opens in access 2003 and proceeds to receive several errors, all related to variables not being declared. It is at this point I realize that none of the code files have Option Explicit set. I look at the project in access 2007 again - no errors. The behaviour is as if access 2007 is respecting the Lack of Option Explicit and working as expected, but access 2003 "thinks" Option Explicit is set, even though it never appears in any code files.
I realize I could just re-do the work using only access 2003, but that would be more time-consuming than I'd like.
Weird problem - I can't see how Access 2003 would check for explicit varible declarations without any Option Explicit. Something else must be going on.
Can you reproduce the behaviour on your machine using Access 2003?
How about you actually declare your variables? You should have Option Explicit set regardless.
UPDATE:
Since the goal is to try and get the Access 2003 mdb (saved from 2007) working. I would try one more thing.
Using Access 2003 open the mdb with the /decompile switch
Make a backup of your mdb
Open your mdb (hold the SHIFT key down to stop any code from running) via a short cut: msaccess.exe database.mdb /decompile
Open a module and compile your app
Save and close Access
Open again (SHIFT again) without decompile
Compact and repair database
close Access
This isn't going to help you much, but I learned very quickly when one of my clients switched over to Office 2007 that I should NEVER work on a 2003 db in 2007 and then try to run it in 2003. Developing in 2007 then converting to 2003 doesn't work either. Developing in 2003 and then running the 2003 db (without conversion) in 2007 works pretty well. Most of the time.
A possible answer for the second part of your question:
1. Convert your 2007 db to 2003 format.
2. Open a new empty db in 2003
3. Import all objects from the converted 2003 db. Recompile, and try it on your client's machine.
I had this problem too. I am 2 years into developing an Access 2003 front end that connects to an SQL backend. I started to use Access 2007 thinking all I had to do was save in 2003 format and all would be well.
Not so. All my users still using 2003 reported problems.
The problem was easy to solve in the end. I didn't actually use any 2007 features and so all that was changed was the library references. I had 2 missing references to the Word and Excel 12.0 libraries, which were automatically included just by opening the database in 2007.
Took those references out and I was able to 'fix' my database without having to revert back to an earlier version.