Use an Access file with multiple versions of Access

If your Microsoft Access database is in one file, and you want to use it in several versions of Microsoft Access, convert it to a front-end/back-end application. The data remains in the oldest version of Access, and you use a front end that has been converted to Access 2000 or later.

1. Convert the Access database to Access 2000 or Access 2002 - 2003 file format. When converting, specify a new name for the file.

   How?

   1. Make a backup copy of the Microsoft Access file you're going to convert.
   2. If possible, compile the Access file in the previous version of Access. This reduces the possibility of errors during conversion.
   3. Close the Access file. If the file is a multiuser Access database located on a server or in a shared folder, make sure that no one else has it open.
   4. Start Access.
   5. On the Tools menu, point to Database Utilities, point to Convert Database, and then click the file format you want for the new file.
   6. In the Database To Convert From dialog box, select the database you want to convert and then click Convert.
   7. In the Convert Database Into dialog box, do one of the following:
      • Type a name for the new file.
      • Select a different location for the new file. (You can keep the same name, or change it.)

      You cannot convert an Access database into a file with the same name and location as the original database.

   8. Click Save.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Database Utilities and use the Database Splitter to split the converted database into a front-end/back-end application.
3. Delete the back-end database that the Database Splitter created.

   You want your data to remain in the original database, so you will use the original database as the back-end database. The back-end database should be in the oldest version of Microsoft Access that is being used.

4. On the Tools menu, point to Database Utilities and use the Linked Table Manager to link the new front-end database to the tables in the previous-version database.

   You can then enhance the new front-end database to support new features for users that have upgraded to Microsoft Access 2000 or later. Users of previous versions can continue to use the previous-version database. For example, if the back-end tables are in Microsoft Access version 2.0 format, you can use up several versions of Microsoft Access: Microsoft Access version 2.0 (using the original database), Microsoft Access 95 and 97 (using an enabled version of the original database or a converted front-end database), Microsoft Access 2000 or later (using a converted front-end database).

If your Microsoft Access database is already a front-end/back-end application, you only need to convert the front end to Access 2000 or Access 2002 - 2003 file format.

1. Leave the back-end database alone.
2. Convert the front-end database to Access 2000 or Access 2002 - 2003 file format.

   How?

   1. Make a backup copy of the Microsoft Access file you're going to convert.
   2. If possible, compile the Access file in the previous version of Access. This reduces the possibility of errors during conversion.
   3. Close the Access file. If the file is a multiuser Access database located on a server or in a shared folder, make sure that no one else has it open.
   4. Start Access.
   5. On the Tools menu, point to Database Utilities, point to Convert Database, and then click the file format you want for the new file.
   6. In the Database To Convert From dialog box, select the database you want to convert and then click Convert.
   7. In the Convert Database Into dialog box, do one of the following:
      • Type a name for the new file.
      • Select a different location for the new file. (You can keep the same name, or change it.)

      You cannot convert an Access database into a file with the same name and location as the original database.

   8. Click Save.
3. On the Tools menu, point to Database Utilities and use the Linked Table Manager to link the new Access 2000 or later front-end database to the tables in the previous-version back-end database. You can then enhance the Access 2000 or later front-end database to support new features for users that have upgraded to Access 2000 or later.

You can open a Microsoft Access database created in Access 97 or earlier without converting it.

1. Make sure that the Access database you're going to enable is closed. If the file is a multiuser Access database located on a server or in a shared folder, make sure that no one else has it open.
2. Click Open on the Database toolbar.
3. In the Open dialog box, click the previous-version Access database you want to enable and click Open.
4. In the Convert/Open Database dialog box, click Open Database.

Microsoft Access enables the previous-version database by storing additional information in the file to accommodate the default file format specified on the Advanced tab of the Options dialog box. An enabled database can still be opened with its original version of Microsoft Access.

With one exception, the issues involved when sharing a database employing security features across more than one version of Microsoft Access are the same as the issues for sharing an unsecured database across more than one version. The one exception concerns how to handle the workgroup information files that are used with the security-enabled database.

• Do one of the following:

  • If you want to share a security-enabled database from Access 95 or 97, tell users who will be upgrading to Access 2002 or later to join the appropriate workgroup information file with the oldest version of Access that will be sharing the security-enabled database.

    How?

    Important  If you are setting up user-level security and need to make sure that your workgroup and its permissions can't be duplicated, you should make sure the workgroup information file that defines the workgroup you're joining has been created with a unique workgroup ID (WID). If such a workgroup information file doesn't exist, you should create one.

    1. Start Microsoft Access.
    2. On the Tools menu, point to Security, and then click Workgroup Administrator.
    3. In the Workgroup Administrator dialog box, click Join.
    4. Type the path and name of the workgroup information file that defines the Microsoft Access workgroup you want to join, and then click OK, or click Browse and then use the Select Workgroup Information File dialog box to locate the workgroup information file.

       The next time you start Microsoft Access, it uses the user and group accounts and passwords stored in the workgroup information file for the workgroup you joined.

    Access 2002 or later can use workgroup information files that have been created with any previous version. With one exception, a previous version of Access can't use a workgroup information that was created in a later version. The exception is Access 2000, which can use a workgroup information file that was created in Access 2002 or later if that workgroup information file is in Access 2000 file format.

    Important  If users will be sharing a security-enabled database from Microsoft Access 95 or 97, you should compact the current workgroup information file with Access 2002 or later before using it. Compacting the file by using Access 2002 or later does not change the file format, so the file can continue to be used by any Microsoft Access 95 or 97 users who are not upgrading.

  • If the shared database is Microsoft Access version 2.0, convert the workgroup information file that will be used with the security-enabled database.

    How?

    You do not need to convert a Microsoft Access 2000 workgroup information file to Access 2002 or later. However, to take advantage of security and performance improvements, you should re-create workgroup information files from Access 97 or earlier as described below.

    1. Create a new workgroup information file, making sure to enter the exact, case-sensitive name, company name, and workgroup ID that was used to create the original file. Failure to re-enter the exact entries that were used to create the original file will create an invalid Admins group.

       How?

       A Microsoft Access workgroup information file contains a list of users who share data, also know as a workgroup. Users' passwords are also stored in the workgroup information file. To control who has access to your database, you must create a new workgroup information file.

       1. Start Microsoft Access.
       2. On the Tools menu, point to Security, and then click Workgroup Administrator.
       3. In the Workgroup Administrator dialog box, click Create.
       4. In the Workgroup Owner Information dialog box, type your name and organization, and then type any combination of up to 20 numbers and letters for the workgroup ID (WID).

          Caution  Be sure to write down your exact name, organization, and workgroup ID— including whether letters are uppercase or lowercase (for all three entries)— and keep them in a secure place. If you have to re-create the workgroup information file, you must supply exactly the same name, organization, and workgroup ID. If you forget or lose these entries, you can't recover them and might lose access to your databases.

       5. Type a new name for the new workgroup information file. By default, the workgroup information file is saved in the language folder. To save in a different location, type a new path or click Browse to specify the new path.
       6. Click OK.

       The new workgroup information file is used the next time you start Microsoft Access. Any user and group accounts or passwords that you create are saved in the new workgroup information file. To have others join the workgroup defined by your new workgroup information file, copy the file to a shared folder (if you didn't already save it in a shared folder in step 5), and then have each user run the Workgroup Administrator to join the new workgroup information file.

    2. Re-create any group accounts, making sure to enter the exact, case-sensitive group name and personal ID (PID) for each group.

       How?

       As part of securing a database, you can create group accounts in your Microsoft Access workgroup that you use to assign a common set of permissions to multiple users.

       To complete this procedure, you must be logged on as a member of the Admins group.

       1. Start Microsoft Access by using the workgroup in which you want to use the account.

          Important  The accounts you create for users must be stored in the workgroup information file that those users will use. If you're using a different workgroup to create the database, change your workgroup before creating the accounts. You can change workgroups by using the Workgroup Administrator.

       2. Open a database.
       3. On the Tools menu, point to Security, and then click User And Group Accounts.
       4. On the Groups tab, click New.
       5. In the New User/Group dialog box, type the name of the new account and a personal ID (PID).

          Caution  Be sure to write down the exact account name and PID, including whether letters are uppercase or lowercase, and keep them in a secure place. If you have to re-create an account that has been deleted or created in a different workgroup, you must supply the same name and PID entries. If you forget or lose these entries, you can't recover them.

          Note  A user account name cannot be same as an existing group account name, and visa versa.

       6. Click OK to create the new group account.

       Note  The PID entered in step 5 is not a password. Microsoft Access uses the PID and the user name as seeds for an encryption algorithm to generate an encrypted identifier for the user account.

    3. Re-create each user account, making sure to enter the exact, case-sensitive user name and PID for each user.

       How?

       To complete this procedure, you must be logged on as a member of the Admins group.

       Note  It is usually easier to manage security if you organize users into groups, and then assign permissions to groups rather than to individual users.

       1. Start Microsoft Access by using the workgroup in which you want to use the account.

          Important  The accounts you create for users must be stored in the workgroup information file that those users will use. If you're using a different workgroup to create the database, change your workgroup before creating the accounts.

       2. Open a database.
       3. On the Tools menu, point to Security, and then click User And Group Accounts.
       4. On the Users tab, click New.
       5. In the New User/Group dialog box, type the name of the new account and a personal ID (PID), and then click OK to create the new account, which is automatically added to the Users group.

          Caution  Be sure to write down the exact account name and PID, including whether letters are uppercase or lowercase, and keep them in a secure place. If you ever have to re-create an account that has been deleted or created in a different workgroup, you must supply the same name and PID entries. If you forget or lose these entries, you can't recover them.

       Notes

       • A user account name cannot be same as an existing group account name, and visa versa.
       • The PID entered in step 5 is not a password. Microsoft Access uses the PID and the user name as seeds for an encryption algorithm to generate a encrypted identifier for the user account.

    Tell only users who are upgrading to Microsoft Access 2000 or later to join the converted workgroup information file. All users who are not upgrading from version 2.0 must continue to use the workgroup information file produced with their original version.