Cannot open or convert an Access 97 or Access 2000 database in Access 2002 or Access 2003 (310937)

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

This article applies only to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb).

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

When you try to open a Microsoft Access 97 or Access 2000 database in Access 2002 or Microsoft Office Access 2003, you may receive one of the following error messages:

Cannot open a database created with a previous version of your application.

-OR-

Cannot open database PathToDatabase It may not be a database that your application recognizes, or the file may be corrupt.

When you try to convert an Access 2002 or later database into the Access 97 file format, you may receive the following error message:

Couldnot find installable ISAM.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this behavior, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Reregister the Dao360.dll file and the Msrd3x40.dll file

To reregister these files, follow these steps:

Click Start, and then click Run.
Type regsvr32 followed by the path to your DAO file. Enclose this path in quotation marks.

For example, to register the DAO 3.6 library, use the following command:

regsvr32 "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\DAO\DAO360.DLL"

If the Dao360.dll file is successfully registered, you receive a message that is similar to the following message:
DllRegisterServer in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\DAO\Dao360.dll succeeded.
Repeat step 2 to register the Msrd3x40.dll file by using the following command.
regsvr32 "c:\WINDOWS\system32\msrd3x40.dll"

Method 2: Restore the correct registry settings

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Quit Microsoft Access if it is running.
Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
Locate the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Jet\4.0\ISAM Formats
Right-click ISAM Formats, point to New, and then click Key.
Rename the newly created key Jet 3.x.

Click to open the Jet 3.x key, and then insert the following values in the right pane of Registry Editor:

   Value Name               Type               Data
   ----------------------------------------------------------
   CreateDBOnExport         REG_BINARY         00
   Engine                   REG_SZ             Jet 3.x
   IndexDialog              REG_BINARY         00
   IsamType                 REG_DWORD          0x00000000 (0)
   OneTablePerFile          REG_BINARY         00

Quit Registry Editor.
Verify that both Regsvr32.exe and Msrd3x40.dll are in your Windows\System folder.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Run dialog box, type the following command:
Regsvr32.exe C:\Winnt\System32\Msrd3x40.dll
NOTE: The path to Msrd3x40.dll may be different on your computer, depending on which folder Windows in.

For additional information about how to obtain Regsvr32.exe if you do not have it, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
161983 ACC: Regsvr32a.exe Available in Download Center
Start Access 2002 or later, and then open the Access 97 database again.