How to Develop Access 2002 Databases in Access 2007

An older format lets you develop Access 2002 databases in Access 2007.

When Microsoft released their Office 2007 suite, one seemingly minor change proved to have major repercussions. All of the Office programs changed their file extensions. In Microsoft Access's case, the old .mdb format became .accdb. This meant that any file developed and saved under the default settings in Access 2007, became incompatible with Access 2002. However, there is a simple solution; it involves reverting to the old 2002-compatible .mdb extension.

Instructions

1. Open the database you wish to save in Microsoft Access 2007.

2. Select "Save As..." from the file menu.

3. Type in a name for your file.

4. Click the drop-down menu and select "Access 97-2003 Document (*.mdb).

5. Click "Save." This file will now work in Access 2002, but remains 2007 compatible.

References

• TechRepublic: Don't Get Derailed by Office 2007 Compatibility Issues