You definately need an ODBC driver installed before you can link from your frontend. But Microsoft Access automatically installs the Microsoft SQL Server ODBC driver (Sqlsrv32.dll), the Microsoft FoxPro ODBC driver (vfpodbc.dll), the Oracle ODBC driver (msorcl32.dll), and some ODBC support files. Make sure those files were installed on installaton.
Here are steps from MS Help:
Import or link SQL database tables or data from other ODBC data sources
Note You can only import or link an SQL or other ODBC data source if you have installed the appropriate driver.
Open an Access file, or switch to the Database window for the open Access file.
Do one of the following:
To import tables, on the File menu, point to Get External Data, and then click Import.
To link tables, on the File menu, point to Get External Data, and then click Link Tables.
In the Import (or Link) dialog box, in the Files of type box, select ODBC Databases().
The Select Data Source dialog box lists the defined data sources for any ODBC drivers that are installed on your computer.
Click either the File Data Source or Machine Data Source tab, and then double-click the ODBC data source that you want to import.
To define a new data source for any installed ODBC driver, click New, and then follow the instructions in the Create New Data Source dialog box and the dialog boxes that follow it before continuing.
If the ODBC data source that you selected requires you to log on, enter your logon ID and password (additional information might also be required), and then click OK.
Microsoft Access connects to the ODBC data source and displays the list of tables that you can import or link.
If you're linking a table, select the Save The Login ID And Password check box to save the information for the table in the current Access database so that users won't have to enter it. If you leave the check box cleared, all users must enter the logon ID and password every time they open the table in each new session with Microsoft Access. Your SQL database administrator can also choose to disable this check box, requiring all users to enter the logon ID and password each time they connect to the SQL database.
Click each table that you want to import or link, and then click OK. If you're linking a table and it doesn't have an index that uniquely identifies each record, then Microsoft Access displays a list of the fields in the linked table. Click a field or a combination of fields that will uniquely identify each record, and then click OK.
