Open an Access database

1. On the File menu, click Open .
2. Click a shortcut in the left side of the Open dialog box, or in the Look in box, click the drive or folder that contains the Microsoft Access database that you want.
3. In the folder list, double-click folders until you open the folder that contains the database.

   If you can't find the database that you want to open, click Tools on the toolbar in the Open dialog box, and then click Search . In the Search dialog box, enter additional search criteria. For Help on an option, click the question mark and then click the option. 

4. Do one of the following:
   • Double-click the database.
   • To open the database for shared access in a multiuser environment, so you and other users can read and write to the database, click Open.
   • To open the database for read-only access so that you can view it but cannot edit it, click the arrow next to the Open button, and then click Open Read-Only.
   • To open the database with exclusive access, click the arrow next to the Open button, and then click Open Exclusive.
   • To open the database for read-only access and also prevent other users from opening it, click the arrow next to the Open button, and then click Open Exclusive Read-Only.

Note   You can directly open a data file in an external file format such as dBASE, Paradox, Microsoft Exchange, or Microsoft Excel. You can also directly open any ODBC data source, such as Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft FoxPro. Access automatically creates a new Access database in the same folder as the data file and adds links to each table in the external database.

Tips

• To open one of the last several databases you had open, click the file name at the bottom of the File menu. Microsoft Access opens the database with the same option settings it had the last time you opened it. If the list of recently used files isn't displayed, click Options on the Tools menu, click the General tab, and then select the Recently used file list check box.

• To view a list of shortcuts to databases that you have opened previously, click History on the left side of the Open dialog box.

• To quickly locate a file or folder in the Favorites folder, click Favorites on the left side of the Open dialog box. To open a favorite file or folder, click the shortcut and then click Open.