Access 2013 - Unable to Link to DBF files

[Access nubie]

2013 does NOT recognize DBF files, we are trying to find a solid work around to LINK to our DBF files.

There are about 30 DBF files that get updated EVERY week. And there are about 60 employees that LINK to the various DBF files. Importing is not a realistic solution given these circumstances.

Does anyone know of a driver or some sort or some sort of solution for this? Any guidance is appreciated. thank you.

 

[Pat Hartman]

MS deprecated the ODBC to dBase files. It is not possible with A2013. You will either need to convert the dbf files or go back to an earlier version of Access.

If you have a computer you don't mind having to reformat if you mess it up, you can try getting an old version of MDAC (I think that is what the drivers are called) to replace the version that comes with A2013.

 

[plog]

You could build a simple Access Data warehouse for the data: On a system with an earlier version of Access that can link to the tables you create a a set of MAKE TABLE queries that moves the data from each linked table to an actual table in Access (that database or a couple if the data is too much). Then link to those tables instead.

You can make a macro/vba code to execute that set of Make Table queries which will make it easier. Then, since it sounds like there is a specific time the data gets updated you can set up a scheduled task to run that macro/VBA code to automatically do it for you.

 

[sxschech]

Did a quick search and found these. Haven't tried them yet. The first one cost $30, not sure about the second, I think it might be free.

http://www.dbf2002.com/dbf-converter/

http://sourceforge.net/projects/dbf/

 

[Access nubie]

Plog, i like your idea, but unfortunately we are limited on LAN space - there just too many dbf files & some are very large which would make the db huge. i will look at the links that sxschech posted.