Connect to Microsoft Access database

Describes how to connect to Microsoft Access database files.

Group

Database Connectivity

Links

Database Connectivity, See Also

Description

Supported versions

The AnyDAC native driver supports the Microsoft Access 95, 97, 2000, 2003, 2007 and 2010 databases.

Windows client software

AnyDAC requires one of the Microsoft Access x86 or x64 ODBC drivers to be installed on the workstation:

"Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)" x86 ODBC driver version 3 or higher (often referred to as the Microsoft JET ODBC Driver) for 95-2003 databases. See details. You may also use one of the alternative drivers provided for non-English languages.
"Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb, *.accdb)" x86 and x64 ODBC driver version 12 or higher for 95-2010 databases. See details.

When the Microsoft Access ODBC driver has not been properly installed, you will get an exception when you try to connect:

[AnyDAC][Phys][ODBC][Microsoft][ODBC Driver Manager] Data source name not found and no default driver specified.

When trying to open a DB created with a newer Access version using an older Access driver, you will get an exception:

[AnyDAC][Phys][ODBC][Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] Cannot open database '(unknown)'.
It may not be a database that your application recognizes, or the file may be corrupt.

Linux and Mac OS X client software

AnyDAC does not support Microsoft Access database connection on Linux and Mac OS X.

Driver linkage

To link the driver:

drop a TADPhysMSAccessDriverLink component from the "AnyDAC Links" component palette page;
or include the uADPhysMSAcc unit into the uses clause.

Connection definition parameters

To connect to a Microsoft Access database, most applications will need to specify DriverID and Database.

Note, AnyDAC supports the password protected databases, but the password length must less or equal to 14 characters. With a more long password an application will raise "Not a valid password" exception.

DriverID=MSAcc

Parameter	Description	Example value
Database	The path to the MDB file.	c:\mydb.mdb
SystemDB	The path to the system database file.	c:\mysystem.mdb
ReadOnly	Specify True to open a database in read-only mode. False is the default value.	True
StringFormat	Defines how to represent String values: Choose - represent as ftString / ftMemo on non-Unicode Delphi (D2007 and lower) and ftWideString / ftWideMemo on Unicode Delphi (D2009 and higher) (default); Unicode - always represent as ftWideString / ftWideMemo; ANSI - always represent as ftString / ftMemo.	Unicode
ODBCAdvanced	Allows you to specify any other additional ODBC connection parameter value. The default value is "ExtendedAnsiSQL=1".	IMPLICITCOMMITSYNC=NO

Usage cases

Open Microsoft Access database

DriverID=MSAcc
Database=c:\mydata.mdb

Open the Microsoft Access database using the system database.

DriverID=MSAcc
Database=c:\mydata.mdb
SystemDB=c:\system.mdb
User_Name=usr
Password=pwd

Open the Microsoft Access password protected database. Note, the password length must be less or equal to 14 characters.

DriverID=MSAcc
Database=c:\mydata.mdb
Password=pwd

Note: to drop/create, encrypt, compact and repair the database use TADMSAccessUtility component.