CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#databasevisual-studioms-access
user2764359
user2764359

Reputation: 127

Unrecognized database format when opening Access file inside Visual Studio - Why?

I have recently taken a project for a client which involves working with their Microsoft Access database programmatically with C# in Visual Studio 2015/2017.

The database opens in my 64-bit version of Microsoft Access 2010 just fine, and I can use/alter all tables/queries perfectly fine. However, when trying to open this .accdb database in Visual Studio, I am getting the dreaded "Unrecognized database format". Now, I do have the Microsoft Office Access database engine for 2007 and 2010 installed, and I am able to open/work with other databases created in Access.

I believe the database was created in Access 2007, as when I open it up, the title of the window contains "(Access 2007 - 2010)", so I'm not sure if that would cause the error or not?

One interesting thing I found was, because I do not need every table in the database, I copied one by one the tables I need into a new database file and checked if I could open this new Access database in Visual Studio. Out of 6 tables that I needed, the last one I needed caused the file to become "unrecognizable" inside Visual Studio.

Why? I have no idea. The table is just like any other, contains lots of columns which either have text, numbers or dates.

My question is, has anybody had a similar experience with this? Could it be the fact that it was made from Access 2007? Why would copying and pasting to a new database then cause that database to be corrupt?

Thanks a lot.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1135

Answers (1)

FrankLee
FrankLee

Reputation: 11

There's a difference in the formats. The older format (..2007) is MDB and the later ones (2010...) are ACCDB. If you used any features only available in ACCDB, like attachments, you cannot convert back to MDB and neither will ANY current Microsoft tool other than Access open it. Strange but true.

Painful is to exclude those tables or forms that use the new features and then do the conversion.....sigh.....

Upvotes: 1

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