Unrecognized format - Urgent Help Needed (1 Viewer)

[moi]

Hello all,

I don't know what i did, but i got this message when i open my db file..

I started my db on my old Access (2007) at home and continue to create.. Forms, Query and Report on latest Access (dont know the version but it was a bundled to a laptop).. Now when I open to my old Access, it is not opening and got the message "Unrecognized Format".

Pls i need help..

Thank you.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

If I correctly interpret what you told us, the problem is that when you started using a more recent version of Access (at work?), the act of opening a DB causes Access to automatically update certain internal structures. The problem then occurs when you try to go back to your Ac2007 that it doesn't understand the newer structures, hence the "Unrecognized Format." Basically, you can't switch backwards automatically even though Access DOES switch forwards automatically (and silently.) This is a guess, but an educated one. You probably CAN still open that DB from your newer version of Access, wherever it is.

To try to fix this, you have to take A COPY (never give up the original DB) of the DB that you can't open on Ac2007 and open it with the newer version of Access you used. Then go through an explicit SaveAs dialog (from the File options on the ribbon) to ask it to save in an older version. Then take this copy back to your Ac2007 version. Note that you might also have to go in to the VBA >> Tools >> References option to re-establish the correct libraries because they were probably updated too.

As to how to prevent this... don't use newer versions of Access than the oldest version you have to use. Access will ALWAYS want to update your DB internals when you switch to newer versions. Can't stop it. Therefore, don't start it. I'm sorry to say that version backwards compatibility is not a thing with Access internals and libraries.

 

[moi]

If I correctly interpret what you told us, the problem is that when you started using a more recent version of Access (at work?), the act of opening a DB causes Access to automatically update certain internal structures. The problem then occurs when you try to go back to your Ac2007 that it doesn't understand the newer structures, hence the "Unrecognized Format." Basically, you can't switch backwards automatically even though Access DOES switch forwards automatically (and silently.) This is a guess, but an educated one. You probably CAN still open that DB from your newer version of Access, wherever it is.

To try to fix this, you have to take A COPY (never give up the original DB) of the DB that you can't open on Ac2007 and open it with the newer version of Access you used. Then go through an explicit SaveAs dialog (from the File options on the ribbon) to ask it to save in an older version. Then take this copy back to your Ac2007 version. Note that you might also have to go in to the VBA >> Tools >> References option to re-establish the correct libraries because they were probably updated too.

As to how to prevent this... don't use newer versions of Access than the oldest version you have to use. Access will ALWAYS want to update your DB internals when you switch to newer versions. Can't stop it. Therefore, don't start it. I'm sorry to say that version backwards compatibility is not a thing with Access internals and libraries.

Thanks The-Doc-Man, i will try as suggested..

 

[isladogs]

It is likely that you have used features not available in A2007 e.g themes. You would need to identify and remove each of those newer items to restore compatibility with A2007. Unfortunately there isn’t an option to save as A2007 ACCDB so the easiest solution is to first save as A2003 MDB in the newer version of Access. Next open that in A2007 and save again as ACCDB.
Alternatively, consider purchasing a newer version of Access!

 

[Gasman]

Hello all,

I don't know what i did, but i got this message when i open my db file..

I started my db on my old Access (2007) at home and continue to create.. Forms, Query and Report on latest Access (dont know the version but it was a bundled to a laptop).. Now when I open to my old Access, it is not opening and got the message "Unrecognized Format".

Pls i need help..

Thank you.

Welcome to my world.

 

[Pat Hartman]

The home version of Office 365 is still a bargain. I think it is still $99 but you can sometimes get it for less at Costco. It gives you 6 installs so the whole family can use it and you can use it on multiple computers for yourself if that is what you need.

It is easy to accidentally use a feature that A2007 does not support and as Colin mentioned, the only way back is via A2003 which may break other things.

 

[gemma-the-husky]

Hello all,

I don't know what i did, but i got this message when i open my db file..

I started my db on my old Access (2007) at home and continue to create.. Forms, Query and Report on latest Access (dont know the version but it was a bundled to a laptop).. Now when I open to my old Access, it is not opening and got the message "Unrecognized Format".

Pls i need help..

Thank you.

Do you have a backup before you did this? It's a hard lesson to learn, but you should always have a pristine back up copy.