An Access project is an Access file (.adp) that provides a direct, efficient connection to a Microsoft SQL Server database through the OLE DB component architecture. Microsoft Access 2007 and 2010 allow you to create new Access project (.adp) files and work with existing Access projects that you created in earlier versions of Access. This article provides a brief explanation of Access projects, tells you how Access projects work in Access 2007 and 2010. It also covers how to create a new Access project in Access 2007 and 2010 and how to connect an Access project to an existing SQL Server database.
Note:Access 2010 is the last version of Access that supports working with Access project (.adp) files.
In this article
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Overview of Access projects
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Compatibility between Access and SQL Server versions
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Unsupported features
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Recommendations for Access projects in Access 2010
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Create an Access project
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Connect an existing Access project to a different SQL Server database
Overview of Access projects
Creating an Access project provides several advantages over linking to SQL Server tables or views. For example, in an Access project, you can make design changes to SQL Server objects, such as tables and views, and you can create, edit, and use other SQL Server features, such as database diagrams, stored procedures, and user-defined functions. In contrast, when you link to a SQL Server database, you cannot make design changes to any SQL Server objects, and you can only link to SQL Server tables and views. However, linking allows you to connect to multiple SQL Server databases, whereas an Access project (*.adp) file can only connect to a single SQL Server database.
For more information about linking to a SQL Server database, click the article Link to or import from an SQL Server database.
An Access project does not contain any data or data-definition-based objects. Instead, these objects are stored in the SQL Server database. However, working with an Access project is still very similar to working with an Access database. The process of creating forms, reports, macros, and modules are virtually the same as that used to create an Access database.
In Access 2007 and 2010, you can create new Access projects and use projects that were created in earlier versions of Access. In addition, you can take advantage of many of the new features of Access 2007 and 2010, such as the improved form and report design tools, the new macro designer, improved conditional formatting tools, and ribbon customization. However, certain newer Access features are not available in Access projects, such as attachments, multivalued fields, the Navigation Control, or the Web Browser Control. In addition, Layout View is not available for designing forms and reports.
Compatibility between Access and SQL Server versions
Access 2010 .adp files are compatible with SQL Server 2008 and earlier. Later versions of SQL Server may also be compatible with Access 2010 .adp files, but as a general rule of thumb, if you want to modify SQL objects from within an Access .adp file, the Access version must be higher than the SQL Server version. For example, you cannot modify objects in a SQL Server 2008 database by using Access 2007. Likewise, you cannot modify objects in a SQL Server 2005 database by using Access 2003.
Important:Before upgrading to a new version of Access or SQL Server, always test your Access project with the new version(s) to be sure all the features work correctly.
Data type and diagram support
Date/time data types
Access 2010 provides limited support for four new date/time data types that were added in SQL Server 2008:
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TIME
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DATE
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DATETIME2
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DATETIMEOFFSET
(Video) Project Management in Microsoft Access
In an Access project, you can create and design tables and views that use these new data types. However, on forms and reports, fields of these data types behave as if they are text fields. As a result, you cannot use date formats or the date pickers with these data types.
Variable-length data types
The following variable-length data types can be used in Access 2010 projects:
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VARBIN(MAX)
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VARCHAR(MAX)
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NVARCHAR(MAX)
However, you cannot add or modify fields that use MAX specifiers from within an Access project.
BIGINT data type
Access 2010 supports the SQL Server BIGINT data type. However, the Access user interface enforces a lower limit of -999999999999999999 (approximately -2^60) as opposed to the actual lower limit of -2^63. The upper limit in the Access user interface is 2^63-1, the same as in SQL Server.
Unsupported features
Data types
The following new SQL Server 2008 data types are not supported in Access projects:
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GEOGRAPHY
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GEOMETRY
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HIERARCHYID
Access blocks design mode for tables or views that use these types.
Database diagrams (relationship view)
As a result of the three unsupported data types listed in the previous section, you cannot open SQL Server 2008 database diagrams in an Access project.
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Recommendations for Access projects in Access 2010
We continue to support creating and working with .adp files in Access 2010. However, we recommend that developers use the SQL Server design tools provided in SQL Server Management Studio to design database objects such as tables, views and stored procedures, and then use the Access interface to design the forms, reports, macros and modules that connect to those objects. The tools provided by SQL Server provide the most powerful interface for creating SQL Server objects.
Create an Access project
Use this procedure to create a new Access project (.adp) file in Access 2007 or 2010.
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On the File tab, click New. If you're using Access 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button and then click Open.
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Do one of the following:
Create an Access project in the default file location
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Under Blank Database, type a name for the project in the File Name box using the .adp file name extension.
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Create an Access project in a different file location
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Under Blank Database, click Browse for a location in which to save your database.
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In the File New Database dialog box, browse to the location where you want to save the project, or accept the default location.
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Type a file name for the project in the File name box.
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In the Save as type list, select Microsoft Office Access Projects (*.adp), and then click OK.
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Under New Project, click Create.
Access prompts you with the following message:
Do you want to connect to an existing SQL Server database?
If you want to connect to an existing SQL Server database, click Yes and continue with step 4; otherwise, click No and skip to step 5 to create a new SQL Server database.
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Connect to an existing SQL Server database
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In the Data Link Properties dialog box, enter the required information for the following:
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Server name
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Information needed to log on to the server
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Database name
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Click Test Connection to verify that the settings are correct and that the connection succeeds.
If the connection does not succeed, the Microsoft Data Link Error dialog box displays a message describing the problem. Click OK to close the message, check your settings in the Data Link Properties dialog box, and then click Test Connection again. Also, you might need to check with the SQL Server database administrator for the database you are connecting to, to make sure your settings are correct or that the computer is available.
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After the Microsoft Data Link dialog box displays the message Test connection succeeded, click OK to close the dialog box, and then click OK to close the Data Link Properties dialog box.
Access connects the project to the SQL Server database.
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Create a new SQL Server database
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On the first page of the Microsoft SQL Server Database Wizard, enter the following information:
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The SQL Server computer you want to use for this database
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Your logon information
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A name for the SQL Server database
Note:To skip the connection process at this time, click Cancel. Access creates the project, but it is not connected to a SQL Server database. Before you can do anything with the project, you will need to connect it to a SQL Server database, which you can do by using the steps in the next section.
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Click Next to continue.
Access attempts to connect to the SQL server computer you specified. If Access cannot connect to the SQL server computer, it displays an error message describing the problem. The SQL server computer name or logon information might be incorrect, or you might not have the necessary permissions to create a database on the SQL Server computer that you specified. You might need to check with the SQL Server database administrator for the database you are creating, to make sure your settings are correct or that the computer is available.
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After Access successfully connects to the SQL Server computer, the wizard displays the message: The wizard has all the information it needs to create your SQL Server database. Click Finish to continue.
Access creates the SQL Server database and connects it to the project.
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Connect an existing Access project to a different SQL Server database
Use the following procedure if you have an existing Access project that is not connected to a SQL Server database, or if you want to change the SQL Server computer or database to which your project is connected.
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On the File tab, click Open. If you're using Access 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button and then click Open.
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In the Open dialog box, select and open the Access project.
A Microsoft Office Access Security Notice dialog box might appear. If you trust the source of the database, click Open to continue.
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On the File tab, click Server, and then click Connection. (If you're using Access 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button, point to Server and then click Connection.)
The Data Link Properties dialog box appears.
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In the Data Link Properties dialog box, enter the required information for the following:
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Server name
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Information needed to log on to the server
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Database name
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Click Test Connection to verify that the settings are correct and that the connection succeeds. If the connection does not succeed, Access displays an error message describing the problem. Click OK to close the message, check your settings in the Data Link Properties dialog box, and then click Test Connection again. Also, you might need to check with the SQL Server database administrator for the database you are connecting to, to make sure your settings are correct or that the computer is available.
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After the Microsoft Data Link dialog box displays the message Test connection succeeded, click OK to close the dialog box, and then click OK to close the Data Link Properties dialog box.
Access connects the project to the SQL Server database you specified.
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FAQs
Can Microsoft Access be used for project management? ›
Use the Access Project management database to manage projects and their associated tasks and employees. You can also search and filter project details, enter common tasks, and send or receive data via e-mail messages. Note: The Project management database template has been updated over the last few years.
How do you Create a database in Access step by step? ›Open Access. If Access is already open, select File > New. Select Blank database, or select a template. Enter a name for the database, select a location, and then select Create.
Is Microsoft Access end of life? ›Microsoft also released a new retail/perpetual licence version late in 2021 that is fully supported until late 2026. Thousands of users and business continue to rely on Microsoft Access for their day-to-day operation.
What is an Access project? ›Access project means a written request for accessing an infrastructure made by a user or user group.
When should you not use Microsoft Access? ›- MS Access is not available over the internet. ...
- MS Access is not suitable for team use. ...
- MS Access is suitable only for small databases. ...
- MS Access ties you to Microsoft Windows. ...
- MS Access is not user friendly. ...
- Conclusion.
What is replacing Microsoft Access? Microsoft doesn't have any plans to replace Microsoft Access while also planning to remove the application from Office 365. Therefore, Access users will need to look at alternative systems to run their desktop databases, such as LibreOffice Base, Zoho Creator, or Bubble.
What is the difference between Excel and Access? ›Excel is more flexible, while Access is more rigid in its use. Access is more useful than Excel in one specific area. For example, Excel only provides worksheets may or may not be linked. On the other hand, Access offers relational tables at multiple levels.
What are the 8 steps of creating a database? ›- Analysing your needs and goals. ...
- Collecting data. ...
- Choosing high quality data sources. ...
- Data centralization. ...
- Organising your database. ...
- Normalizing data.
The Data collection, the design of the case report form, the database conception, the structure and organization of the data and the data validation are essential steps of a quality database set-up.
Is Microsoft Access still relevant in 2023? ›They're still supporting Microsoft 365, Access 2021 and whatever version comes next. Here's the full list of products reaching "end of support" in 2025. Excel and Word are on there too. Don't panic.
What is replacing Access? ›
For organisations running Access databases as a way of storing contact or business information, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is the ideal alternative. To start with, Dynamics 365 is more efficient. It stores data in the cloud within Microsoft's Common Data Service (CDS).
How many people still use Microsoft Access? ›It comes bundled with the ubiquitous Microsoft Office suite, and might not be as popular as its productivity cousins (Office, Powerpoint, Excel etc.) but is almost universally known amongst the technical IT community. According to research firm Enlyft over 83,000 organizations still use Access at an 11% market share.
What is the difference between Access and project? ›Microsoft Access is a database management system from Microsoft that combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-development tools. Microsoft Project is a project management software.
What is an Access template? ›What is an Access template? An Access template is a file that, when opened, creates a complete database application. The database is ready to use, and contains all the tables, forms, reports, queries, macros, and relationships that you need to start working.
Can you create a workflow in Access? ›From the workflow designer you are able to create the workflow process by adding and configuring the process steps. Go to the Workflows tab. Click the title of the workflow you want to access.
How do I create a VBA in Access? ›- Step 1: Add an Access Form. To begin, open MS Access, and then add an Access Form. ...
- Step 2: Place a Button. Next, place a button on the Form itself. ...
- Step 3: Open the VBA Screen. ...
- Step 4: Write the VBA to Run the Query. ...
- Step 5: View the Results.