Information Services

Access 2003
Windows

File Conversion - Access 97 (or earlier) to Access 2003
Access 2003 is included with Microsoft Office 2003.

Changes that might affect conversion
Converting a database from Access 97 (or earlier) to Access 2003 format
Converting a secured database from Access 97 (or earlier) to Access 2003 format
Workgroup information files, group accounts and user accounts
Converting a replica set from Access 97 (or earlier) to Access 2003 format
Opening a previous-version Access database in Access 2003 without converting it
Converting an Access 2003 database to Access 97 format
Compiling an Access file
The conversion errors table
Security warning
Glossary

Changes that might affect conversion

Code compatibility - Access 2003 does not support the Microsoft DAO 2.5/3.x compatibility library. If you attempt to convert an Access database in which the code contains older versions of DAO objects, methods, and properties that depend on the DAO 2.5/3.x compatibility library, you receive a message that there were compilation errors during the conversion of the database. Before you convert an Access database, update the code so that it does not depend on the DAO 2.5/3.x compatibility library. If you still receive a message that there were compilation errors during conversion, open the converted database in Access 2003, remove the reference to the missing DAO 2.5/3.x compatibility library, and then set a reference to the Microsoft DAO 3.6 Object Library. If your Access database uses add-ins or library databases created in Access 97 (or earlier), you must convert them as well.
DoMenuItem replaced with RunCommand - The DoMenuItem action is replaced in Access 2000 or later with the RunCommand action; DoMenuItem is still supported for backwards compatibility. When you convert a database, the DoMenuItem action is automatically converted to the RunCommand action.
Toolbars and menu bars - Access 2003 still supports menu bar macros for applications created with previous versions of Access. In Access 2003, menu bars and shortcut menus (as well as toolbars) are created and customized from the Customize dialog box. You can also use this dialog box to customize the built-in menu bar and toolbars. Access 97 or later supports a new style of toolbars and menu bars. When you convert a Access version 2.0 or 95 database to Access 2003, any custom toolbars, as well as built-in toolbars, are automatically converted to the new style of toolbar. Custom menu bars, created with the Access 95 Menu Builder or with macros that use AddMenu actions, are interpreted as the new-style menu bars when you open a converted Access database. However, they are not automatically converted, and you can't use the Customize dialog box to edit them until you have converted them.

Converting a database from Access 97 (or earlier) to Access 2003 format

You can convert a Microsoft Access database that was created in Access 2.0 or later to Access 2003 file format. If the database is shared, in most cases you will want to convert only when all users have upgraded to Access 2003.

Once you have converted an Access database to Access 2003 file format, you can't open it in a previous version of Access. You can convert an Access 2003 database back to Access 97, but not back to Access version 2.0 or 95.

When you convert a previous-version Access database that has linked tables, make sure that the external tables are in the same folder that they were originally in. If Access can't find the tables that are linked to a database that's being converted, you won't be able to use the converted database. Once you convert the Access database, you can move these tables and use the Linked Table Manager to re-link them. Converting a database that has tables linked to it does not convert the linked tables.

When you convert an Access 2003 file that contains data access pages, Access does not automatically convert the pages. However, when you open a data access page in Design view, Access converts it to use the most recent version of the Microsoft Office Web Components and creates a backup copy of the original page. You can use the backup copy if you want to revert to the Microsoft Office 2000 Web Components.

Conversion instructions:

Make a backup copy of the Microsoft Access file you're going to convert.
If possible, compile the Access file in the previous version of Access (the version in which it was created). This reduces the possibility of errors during conversion. (See instructions.)
Close the Access file. If the file is a multi-user database located on a server or in a shared folder, make sure that no one else has it open.
Launch Access 2003.
From the Tools menu choose Database Utilities > Convert Database > To Access 2003 File Format.
In the Database To Convert From dialog box, select the database you want to convert and then click Convert.
In the Convert Database Into dialog box, do one of the following.(You cannot convert an Access database into a file with the same name and location as the existing database):
- Type a name for the new file.
- Select a different location for the new file. (You can keep the same name, or change it.)
Click Save.

Converting a secured database from Access 97 (or earlier) to Access 2003 format

If all users of a previous-version secured database will be upgrading to Access 2003, you should convert the Access database to Access 2003 file format.

Do not attempt to convert your workgroup information file (.mdf file). Recreating the workgroup information file in Access 2003 is recommended, however if you cannot do so you can use the Workgroup Administrator to join the previous-version workgroup information file.

If you choose to create a new workgroup information file in Access 2003, which offers some security improvements, you will need to re-enter all the details of the workgroup information file, user accounts, and passwords, 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. Then re-create group accounts and user accounts, making sure to enter the exact, case-sensitive user name and PID for each user. (See instructions.)

This procedure doesn't apply to an Access project, because its security is maintained in the Microsoft SQL Server Database that the project is connected to.

You can't protect Visual Basic code in modules or code behind forms and reports with user-level security in Access 2003. Code in a secured database that you have converted from Access 97 (or earlier) is not protected until you create a password for the Visual Basic project.

Before converting a secured Access database, make sure you're using the workgroup information file that defines the user accounts used to access the database. The user account you use to log on during conversion must have the following permissions:

Open/Run and Open Exclusive permissions for the database itself
Administer permission on the MSysACES and MSysObjects system tables
Modify Design permissions for all other tables in the database, or you must be the owner of all tables in the database
Read Design permissions for all objects in the database

For more information about user-level security and workgroup files, from the Help menu choose Microsoft Access Help, type user-level security in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

Converting a secured database using the original (previous version) workgroup information file:

Make a backup copy of the Microsoft Access file you're going to convert.
If possible, compile the Access file in the previous version of Access (the version in which it was created). This reduces the possibility of errors during conversion. (See instructions.)
Close the Access file. If the file is a multi-user database located on a server or in a shared folder, make sure that no one else has it open.
Launch Access 2003 but do not open a database.
In the Workgroup Administrator dialog box, click Join. Browse to select the workgroup information file that controls the secured database that you want to convert. Click Open, and then click OK to join the workgroup.
From the Tools menu choose Database Utilities > Convert Database > To Access 2003 File Format.
In the Database to Convert from dialog box, browse to select the database that you want to convert, and then click Convert.
In the Logon dialog box, type your user name and password for the secured database, and then click OK.
In the Convert Database Into dialog box, do one of the following. (You cannot convert an Access database into a file with the same name and location as the existing database):
- 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.
Click Save.
Click OK to acknowledge the message about sharing the database with users of earlier versions of Access.
In Access 2003, open the new Access database, and then compact it. From the Tools menu choose Database Utilities > Compact and Repair Database.
Close the Access database
In order to compact the workgroup information file that you plan to use with this database, you will need to temporarily join a different workgroup information file. If you don't have another such workgroup information file to use temporarily, you should create one. You will not need to set up a complex user and group structure, but create a simple workgroup that will allow you to join. (See instructions.)
Start Access 2003.
From the Tools menu, choose Security > Workgroup Administrator.
In the Workgroup Administrator dialog box, click Join.
Type the path and name of the temporary workgroup information file and then click OK, or click Browse and then use the Select Workgroup Information File dialog box to locate the temporary workgroup information file.
Quit and restart Access 2003 so that it will use the user and group accounts and passwords stored in the temporary workgroup information file.
From the Tools menu choose Database Utilities > Compact and Repair Database.
Users should run Workgroup Administrator and join the compacted workgroup information file before opening the database.

Workgroup information files, group accounts and user accounts

Creating a workgroup information file

An Access workgroup information file contains a list of users who share data, also known 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.

Launch Microsoft 2003.
From the Tools menu, choose Security > Workgroup Administrator.
In the Workgroup Administrator dialog box, click Create.

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).

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.

If you are re-creating a workgroup information file for an existing database, make 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.

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.
Click OK.
Quit and then restart Access. The new workgroup information file will be used and any user and group accounts or passwords that you create are saved in the new workgroup information file.
Create any group and user accounts that you need. (See instructions.)
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.
Compact the workgroup information file. From the Tools menu choose Database Utilities > Compact and Repair Database.
Tell users to run Workgroup Administrator and join the compacted workgroup information file before opening the secured database.

Creating group accounts

As part of securing a database, you can create group accounts in your 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.

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

The accounts you create for groups and users must be stored in the workgroup information file that those users will use. You can change workgroups by using the Workgroup Administrator.

Open a database.
From the Tools menu, choose Security > User And Group Accounts.
On the Groups tab, click New.

In the New User/Group dialog box, type the name of the new account and a personal ID (PID). A user account name cannot be the same as an existing group account name, and visa versa.

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.

If you are re-creating group accounts for an existing database, make sure to enter the exact, case-sensitive group names and personal ID (PID) for each.

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 a secure identifier for the user account.

Creating user accounts

To complete this procedure, you must be logged on as a member of the Admins group. It is usually easier to manage security if you organize users into groups, and then assign permissions to groups rather than to individual users.

Launch Access 2003 using the workgroup in which you want to use the account.

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.

Open a database.
From the Tools menu, choose Security > User And Group Accounts.
On the Users tab, click New.

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

If you are re-creating user accounts for an existing database, make sure to enter the exact, case-sensitive names and personal ID (PID) for each.

Click OK to create the new user account.

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 secure identifier for the user account.

Converting a previous-version replica set to Access 2003 format

Make sure that all users who will access the replica have installed Access 2003.

You can specify that a table, query or relationship in a replica is local so that it is stored only in that member of the replica set. However, in Access 2003, you can no longer create local forms, reports, macros, modules, or command bars in a converted replica.

You should synchronize a replica set before converting it. If your replica set contains partial replicas, you should synchronize the replica set before conversion and then recreate the partial replicas after conversion.

Take a conservative approach when converting a replica set. It's important that you do not synchronize the test Design Master and replicas you create by following these procedures with members of your working replica set. Otherwise, unintended changes to your data or the structure of your working replica set might occur.

If you convert a Design Master from Access 95 or 97 to Access 2003 file format, you can no longer synchronize with other Access 95 or 97 replicas. You must convert the Access 95 or 97 replicas to Access 2003 file format. A Design Master in Access 2003 can synchronize only with replicas in Access 2003 file format.

Conversion instructions

Make a copy of the current Design Master that is still in the file format of the earlier version of Access, and put the copy on a different computer or isolate it completely from any other members of the replica set.
In the previous version of Access, make the isolated copy the new Design Master by pointing to Replication on the Tools menu and then clicking Recover Design Master.
If you are converting from Access 97 or earlier, you must recover the Design Master in the previous version of Access.
Create some replicas based on the new Design Master.
From the Tools menu, choose Database Utilities > Convert Database to convert the new Design Master to Microsoft Access 2003.
Repeat this step for each new replica in your replica set. Replicas in Access 2003 file format cannot synchronize with Access 95 or Access 97 replicas.
Synchronize the new converted Design Master with the new replicas.
Run any tests you'd like to try.
If you want to change some objects, you can either make the changes again in the original Design Master after it is converted, or keep the copy around long enough to import the changed objects from it.
After you are satisfied that the copy works, delete the new Design Master and all of its replicas.
Convert the original Design Master to the newer version of Microsoft Access.
If you are converting from Access 97 or earlier, convert all of the original replicas.
Synchronize the replicas.
After you convert a replica set from Access 97 or earlier to Access 2003, you can't open the replicas in the previous version of Access.

Opening a previous-version Access Database in Access 2003 without converting it

You may want to enable a Microsoft Access database in a multi-user environment where all users can't upgrade from Access 97 or earlier to Access 2003 at the same time. In this situation, a database must be used simultaneously with different versions of Access, and users who have upgraded to Access 2003 can enable a database in a previous-version format.

When you're using Access 2003 to work with an enabled previous-version Access database, you can use objects in the database to view and modify data. However, you can't save changes to database objects. To modify the design of an object or create a new object in the Access database, you must either open it in the previous version or convert the database to Access 2003 file format.

When you open an Access version 2.0 database, an Access 95 database, or an Access 97 database in Access 2003, the Convert/Open Database dialog box asks you to choose between converting and opening (enabling) the Access database. When an Access 2003 user enables the database, Access maintains the original format so that users of previous versions of Access can continue to use the database. For example, if a shared database is created in Access 97, it can be used with Access 97 and enabled in Access 2003.

If your Microsoft Access database is secure, you can make sure that it retains its security by recreating the workgroup information file in Access 2003. If you cannot recreate the workgroup information file, you can use the Workgroup Administrator to join the secure database's previous-version workgroup information file. However, it is recommended that you convert the workgroup information file to Access 2003 file format before you join it. In Access 2003, you can use a workgroup information file that was created in a previous version; however you can't use a workgroup information file created in Access 2003 in Access 97 or earlier.

As long as you use the database with its original workgroup information, it retains all its security except permissions for the modules. In Access 2003, you can't use user-level security to protect modules. However, you can protect Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code with a password.

Access 2003 does not support the DAO 2.5/3.x compatibility library. If you attempt to enable an Access database in which the code contains older versions of DAO objects, methods, and properties that depend on the DAO 2.5/3.x compatibility library, you receive a message that there were compilation errors during the enabling of the database. Before you enable the Access database, update the code so that it does not depend on the DAO 2.5/3.x compatibility library.

Access 97 or later supports a new style of toolbars and menu bars. When you enable an Access 95 database in Access 2003, custom toolbars are converted to the new style but the conversion isn't saved. Custom menu bars are interpreted as the new style menu bar, but the menu bar macros are not converted and continue to be supported.

Converting an Access 2003 file to Access 97

You can convert a Microsoft Access database in Access 2003 file format back to Access 97. You can also convert an Access database or an Access project in Access 2003 file format back to Access 2003 file format.

Open the Access file that you want to convert. If it is a multi-user Access database that is located on a server or in a shared folder, make sure that no one else has it open.

If you have protected the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code, you must supply the password before you convert the file by clicking Code on the database toolbar and entering the password in the [databasename] Password dialog box. If you are converting a secured Access database, you must have Open/Run and Open Exclusive permissions for the database itself, and Read Design permissions for all objects in the database. To secure a database that has been converted to Access 97, you must open it in Access 97 and apply user-level security.

From the Tools menu, choose Database Utilities > Convert Database, and then click the file format you want.
In the Convert Database Into dialog box, type the name of the new previous-version database that you want to create in the File name box, and then click Save.
If the database that you are converting to Access 97 contains code, open the new database in Access 97, open a module and from the Tools menu choose References, and in the Available References box, clear the check boxes next to any missing references and set a reference to the Microsoft Access DAO 3.51 Object Library.
If the Access database uses add-ins or library databases you must convert them back to Access 97 as well.

Compiling an Access file

Open a module in Design View.
Do one of the following:

In Access 2003, on the Debug menu, click Compile <ProjectName>.
In Access 95 or 97, on the Debug menu, click Compile All Modules.
In Access 2.0, on the Run menu, click Compile Loaded Modules.

The conversion errors table

If Access encounters errors while converting a file, you can view a summary of these errors by opening the Conversion Errors table in the new, converted Access file. The Conversion Errors table contains the following columns:

" Object Type: The type of database object in which Access encountered an error, or "Database" if Access encountered an error that is not specific to a particular type of object.
" Object Name: The name of the object in which Access encountered an error. If Access encounters a compilation error during conversion, however, the name of the module that contains the error is not specified.
" Error Description: If necessary, you can press SHIFT+F2 to view the entire description of the error.

Security warning

When you launch your converted database you may see a security warning.

If the warning advises you to install the Microsoft Jet 8 service pack, you should do so by following the instructions in the warning message.

When the service pack is installed,you may see a different security warning. This warning sounds ominous but simply means that you may have a problem if you use macros. The simplest solution is to set the security level to low. Otherwise, more complicated security systems need to be set up.

Setting the security level to low:

On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Security. If you do not see the Macro menu item under the Tools menu, or the Security menu item under the Macro menu, click the arrows at the bottom of a drop-down menu to display the hidden menu items. (If you want to see all menu items by default, on the Tools menu, click Customize, click the Options tab, and select the Always show full menus check box.)
Click the Security Level tab, and then choose Low.

If you can't see the Security command under the Macro menu:

On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Commands tab.
Click Rearrange Commands, select Menu Bar, and in the Menu Bar box, click Tools | Macro.
In the Controls section, click Add. The Add command dialog box will appear.
In the Categories box, click Tools, and then in the Commands box, click Security.
The Security command will appear in the Controls box.
Use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to position the Security command where you want.
If you'd like to position the Security command in its own group (between horizontal lines), with Security selected, click Modify Selection and click Begin a Group. Select the menu item below the Security command, and repeat.
Click Close twice.

Glossary

add-in	A supplemental program that adds custom commands or custom features to Microsoft Office.
ADE file	A Microsoft Access project (.adp) file with all modules compiled and all editable source code removed
Admins group	The system administrator's group account that retains full permissions on all databases used by a workgroup. The Setup program automatically adds the default Admin user account to the Admins group
ADO	ActiveX Data Object used in Access 2003. A data access interface that communicates with OLE DB-compliant data sources to connect to, retrieve, manipulate, and update data.).
ANSI character set	An 8-bit character set used by Microsoft Windows that allows you to represent up to 256 characters (0 through 255) using your keyboard. The ASCII character set is a subset of the ANSI set
DAO	Data Access Object used in Access 97. A data access interface that communicates with Microsoft Jet and ODBC-compliant data sources to connect to, retrieve, manipulate, and update data and the database structure.
data access page	A Web page, published from Access, that has a connection to a database. In a data access page, you can view, add to, edit, and manipulate the data stored in the database. A page can also include data from other sources, such as Excel.
database	A collection of data related to a particular subject or purpose. Within a database, information about a particular entity, such as an employee or order, is categorized into tables, records, and fields
database objects	An Access database contains objects such as tables, queries, forms, reports, pages, macros, and modules. An Access project contains objects such as forms, reports, pages, macros, and modules
Design Master	The only member of the replica set in which you can make changes to the database structure that can be propagated to other replicas.
enabled database	A previous-version database that has been opened in later without converting its format. To change the design of the database, you must open it in the version of Access in which it was created
front-end/back-end application	An application consisting of a "back-end" database file that contains tables, and copies of a "front-end" database file that contain all other database objects with links to the "back-end" tables
group account	A collection of user accounts in a workgroup, identified by group name and personal ID (PID). Permissions assigned to a group apply to all users in the group.
library database	A collection of procedures and database objects that you can call from any application. In order to use the items in the library, you must first establish a reference from the current database to the library database.
linked table	A table stored in a file outside the open database from which Access can access records. You can add, delete, and edit records in a linked table, but you can't change its structure.
MDE file	Microsoft Access database (.mdb) file with all modules compiled and all editable source code removed
Microsoft Access database	Stores database objects and data in an .mdb file. A collection of data and objects, such as tables, queries, or forms, related to a particular topic or purpose. The Microsoft Jet database engine manages the data.
Microsoft Access file	An Access database or Access project file. An Access database stores database objects and data in an .mdb file. A project file doesn't contain data and is used to connect to a Microsoft SQL Server database.
Microsoft Access project	An Access file that connects to a Microsoft SQL Server database and is used to create client/server applications. A project file doesn't contain any data or data-definition-based objects such as tables and views.
Microsoft SQL Server database	A database in Microsoft SQL Server, it consists of tables, views, indexes, stored procedures, functions, and triggers.
Module	A collection of declarations, statements, and procedures stored together as one named unit. There are two types of modules: standard modules and class modules.
multi-user (shared) database	A database that permits more than one user to access and modify the same set of data at the same time
partial replica	A database that contains only a subset of the records in a full replica. With a partial replica, you can set filters and identify relationships that define which subset of the records in the full replica should be present in the database.
permissions	A set of attributes that specify what kind of access a user has to data or objects in a database
PID (personal ID)	A case-sensitive alphanumeric string 4 to 20 characters long that Access uses in combination with the account name to identify a user or group in an Access workgroup
Project	The set of all code modules in a database, including standard modules and class modules. By default, the project has the same name as the database.
Project file	Doesn't contain data and is used to connect to a Microsoft SQL Server database.
replica	A copy of a database that is a member of a replica set and can be synchronized with other replicas in the set. Changes to the data in a replicated table in one replica are sent and applied to the other replicas.
replica set	The Design Master and all replicas that share the same database design and unique replica set identifier.
synchronization	The process of updating two members of a replica set by exchanging all updated records and objects in each member. Two replica set members are synchronized when the changes in each have been applied to the other.
Unicode	A character encoding standard developed by the Unicode Consortium. By using more than one byte to represent each character, Unicode enables almost all of the written languages in the world to be represented by using a single character set.
user account	An account identified by a user name and personal ID (PID) that is created to manage the user�s permissions to access database objects in an Access workgroup
user-level security	When using user-level security in an Access database, a database administrator or an object's owner can grant individual users or groups of users specific permissions to tables, queries, forms, reports, and macros.
Visual Basic Editor	An environment in which you write new and edit existing Visual Basic for Applications code and procedures. The Visual Basic Editor contains a complete debugging toolset for finding syntax, run-time, and logic problems in your code.
workgroup	A group of users in a multi-user environment who share data and the same workgroup information file
workgroup ID	A case-sensitive alphanumeric string 4 to 20 characters long that you enter when creating a new workgroup information file by using the Workgroup Administrator. This uniquely identifies the Admins group for this workgroup file
workgroup information file	A file Access reads at startup that contains information about the users in a workgroup. This information includes users' account names, their passwords, and the groups of which they are members.

Computing at Wellesley

Macintosh Documentation

Windows Documentation