Access 97

[George]

I am using a collection company software package whihch i
just recently found out used the Microsoft Access 97 as
its database. This software has very limited reporting,
sorting, etc features. Is Microsoft Access 97 a program
that can purchased from Microsoft which would open the
database file the softwere uses (it ends with
extension "mbd"). And if so, would this program allow me
to move around data and sort data etc like Excel does?

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Microsoft Access is a Database application that is sold either stand alone
or with the MS-Office suite. Access 97 is no longer available at retail.
The current product is Access 2003. For your specific questions please go
to the following website, scroll the list on the left to the Access groups,
find the one most appropriate for your questions, select it and post your
question there:
http://communities.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.asp

 

[Russ]

I believe you will need the passwords and permissions
from the company that distributed the database to get
what you want. Having Access 97 itself may not let you
do so without such permissions. That is(was) one
security/strong-point that Access offered.

 

[Carl]

George,
Access is part of Windows Office, as is Excel, Word and PowerPoint. I think
you have to buy the Pro version to get Access. Access 97 creates .mdb
databases. Info is taken from the database by queries. If you have Access
97, you can open an Access 97 database and write queries which can select
and sort data as you choose, but this is more for program development and
troubleshooting than for daily use.

For daily use, you have a program that queries the database and displays the
results. If your program has limited reporting, sorting, etc. capabilities,
it is probably due to the program, not the database. One can modify the
program to do whatever is required, but this requires both programming
knowledge and the original 'source code' that the original programmer wrote.
This may not be available to you.

Programs communicate with databases using 'Data Access Components' selected
by the original programmer. Access 97 databases use an older version of
'Data Access'. The current version of MS Access is '03. It will open and
read '97 databases. It will convert a '97 .mdb database to '03 standards
but, if you do, you must also update the "Data Access Components' to a newer
version and rewrite your program to use '03 Data Access methods rather than
the '97 methods your program is now using.

This can be done by a programmer who knows databases and has the original
code. Or, a programmer could just write a new program to do whatever you
want, using your existing .mdb database. Otherwise, unless your program
offers you some alternatives, I think you are stuck.

Hope this helps,
Carl

 

[Steve Shattuck]

I am using a collection company software package whihch i

just recently found out used the Microsoft Access 97 as
its database. This software has very limited reporting,
sorting, etc features. Is Microsoft Access 97 a program
that can purchased from Microsoft which would open the
database file the softwere uses (it ends with
extension "mbd"). And if so, would this program allow me
to move around data and sort data etc like Excel does?

There is no way to precisely answer that question, but if the application were written properly, the answer is NO. A properly written application will LOCK the .mdb file so that it cannot be accessed or modified from within the Access program. The reason is obvious. If you made changes to the database, the original application would no longer work, creating a support nightmare.

Having said that, find someone with any version of access and see if it will open the file. Just because the collection company should have locked the database doesn't mean they did. Be careful however (always us a copy of the original file to play with), or you could lose the ability to use the original program.