Supported data sources for importing, for exporting, and for linking in an Access database (826507)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Access 2000
  • Microsoft Access 2002
  • Microsoft Office Access 2003
This article applies only to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb).

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

SUMMARY

You can Microsoft Access to import or link data from Access databases that were created in other versions of Access. You can also use Access to import or link data from other programs, such as Microsoft Excel, and from other file formats, such as dBASE or Paradox. Additionally, you can use Access to import or link (read-only) HTML tables and HTML lists that reside on your local computer, on your network server, or on your Internet server.

Access can export tables to Excel, dBASE, and Paradox. Microsoft Access can also export tables to Rich Text Format (RTF) file format and to dynamic HTML (DHTML) file format.

MORE INFORMATION

The following table lists the data formats that an Access database supports. The table also lists some formats that Access does not support and some formats that have limited support.

File Type ExtensionImportLinkExport
Microsoft Access 2.0 .mdbYes (1)Yes (1)Yes (1)
Microsoft Access 7.0 .mdbYesYesYes
Microsoft Access 97 .mdbYesYesYes
Microsoft Access 2000 .mdbYesYesYes
Microsoft Access 2002 .mdbYesYesYes
Microsoft Office Access 2003 .mdbYesYesYes
Text (Delimited).txtYesYes(4)Yes
Text (Fixed Width).txtYesYes(4)Yes
Microsoft Excel 3.0 .xlsYesYesYes
Microsoft Excel 4.0 Sheets .xlsYesYesYes
Microsoft Excel 4.0 Workbooks .xlsNoNoNo
Microsoft Excel 5.0-7.0 Workbooks .xlsYesYesYes
Microsoft Excel 97 Workbooks .xlsYesYesYes
Microsoft Excel 2000 Workbooks .xlsYesYes(6)Yes
Microsoft Excel 2002 Workbooks .xlsYesYes(6)Yes
Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Workbooks .xlsYesYes(6)Yes
Lotus 1-2-3 .wk1YesYes(2)Yes
Lotus 1-2-3 3.0 .wk3YesYes(2)Yes
dBASE III .dbfYesYesYes
dBASE IV .dbfYesYesYes
dBASE 5 .dbfYesYesYes
dBASE 7.dbfYes(5)Yes(5)Yes(5)
Paradox 3.0 .dbYesYesYes
Paradox 4.0 .dbYesYesYes
Paradox 5.0 .dbYesYesYes
Paradox 8.0 .dbYes(5)Yes(5)Yes(5)
Exchange/Outlook N/AYesYesNo
HTML Documents .html, .htm YesYesYes
Microsoft Internet Database Connector .idc/.htxNoNoYes
Microsoft Active Server Pages .aspNoNoYes
Rich Text Format .rtfNoNoYes
ODBC Datasources(3)N/A YesYesYes
XML Files .xmlYesNoYes
Windows SharePoint ServicesN/AYesYesYes

Notes
  • You must use the Microsoft Access 2.0 Converter so that you can use Access 2.0 files in Access 2003. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    830271 BUG: You receive an error message when you open or convert an Access 2.0 database file in Access 2003

  • The Lotus 1-2-3 files can be linked. However, the linked Lotus files are read-only.
  • Linked dBASE and Paradox tables are read-only. However, you can resolve this issue by installing one of the following items:
    • The lastest Microsoft Jet 4.0 service pack
    • The Borland Database Engine
    For more information about how to use dBase and Paradox data with Access and Jet, see the "References" section.
  • To work with an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) data source, you must have the correct ODBC drivers, and you must have the most current ODBC drivers for the data source that you use. For example, Access does not provide an indexed sequential access method (ISAM) driver for Microsoft FoxPro files (.dbc), but you can use the ODBC drivers that are included with Access to connect to the FoxPro files.
  • When you link text files, you cannot update the existing data. You can add records to the linked text file, but when the record is committed, you cannot update existing records.
  • When you have to link to, import from, or export data to a dBASE 7.0 database or to a Paradox 8.0 database, Borland Database Engine 4.0 or later may be required.
  • In Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Microsoft Office 2002 update dated 10/18/05 (KB904018), by design, linked Excel spreadsheets cannot be updated. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    904953 You cannot change, add, or delete data in tables that are linked to an Excel workbook in Office Access 2003 or in Access 2002

  • You can not use Access 2000 to import, link, or export to an Access 2002 or Access 2003 database.
  • Only Access 2003 can export data, import data, and link to lists on Microsoft Windows SharePoint Portal Services sites.
The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

REFERENCES

For more information about how to use Paradox data with Access and Jet, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

230126 How to use Paradox data with Access and Jet

For more information about how to use dBASE data with Access and Jet, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

230125 How to use dBASE data with Access and Jet

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:5/30/2006
Keywords:kbDatabase kbformat kbImport kbExport kbinfo KB826507 kbAudDeveloper
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