CODEWITHSUNDEEP
ms-accessadp
Hansjp
Hansjp

Reputation: 66

How do I open an old Microsoft Access adp file with invalid connection strings?

We have moved our SQL Server instance to a new hosting company. Months later (after the overlapping migration period), front office have dug up an old adp file (old-school access data project) which connects to our (now non-existing) SQL Server. I need to change the connection string inside.

The file won't open, and crashes Access when I try. I have searched in vain and only come across: "Hold down SHIFT while opening the file". This doesn't solve it.

Has anyone experienced this and has a solution?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 3681

Answers (4)

Niall O'Dwyer
Niall O'Dwyer

Reputation: 103

Rename the *.adp file to *.mdb and you can open it with Access for Office 16

Upvotes: 0

Riffer
Riffer

Reputation: 31

I know this an ugly old issue, but maybe others suffer from open-up such old projects as well right now and stumble upon this one here.

I too was unable to change the connection but managed to extract the source code from the ADP. In my case, this was enough to get the most valuable information back.

https://github.com/Riffer/officeparser/tree/access-data-project

please have a look at the original, too - I only had to make a small change to include the source code from a form. Maybe others are willing to contribute and could implement an extraction method to get the form definitions back as well, I don't know.

Upvotes: 0

Hansjp
Hansjp

Reputation: 66

Well, I am going to close this question. Issue still exists (as such), but we are simply deleting the adp file now and build a replacement from scratch. I have now tried everything I can come to think of, including renaming the file extension to .mdb or .accdb, and unplugging the pc from any network connection while opening.

Every attempt ends in the same: Access does not respond, and I have to force-kill the application. I don't even know if the issue is what I suspect: the connection string being invalid due to a change of server names. But I can't think of any other explanation.

Upvotes: 0

Johnny Bones
Johnny Bones

Reputation: 8404

Well, I'll just go ahead and leave an answer since I might forget to check back later.

You can only open an ADP file in Access 2010 or earlier. Starting with Access 2013, ADP files are unsupported a unrecognized by Access. You will need to get ahold of a 3rd party converter to convert the ADP to ACCDB.

So, if you have a version of 2010 or earlier, you would just open the file as you normally would.

To change the SQL Server, just follow these steps:

  1. Click the Microsoft Office Button Office button image , and then click Open.

  2. 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.

  3. Click the Microsoft Office Button Office button image , point to Server, and then click Connection.

    • The Data Link Properties dialog box appears.

  4. In the dialog box, enter the required information for the following:

    • Server name

    • Information needed to log on to the server

    • Database name

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

Upvotes: 2

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