Note   You can link a table only in a Microsoft Access database, not a Microsoft Access project.

1. Open a database, or switch to the Database window for the open database.
   
   
2. 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.

3. In the Import (or Link) dialog box, in the Files Of Type box, make sure that Microsoft Access (*.mdb;*.adp;*.mdw;*.mda;*.mde;*.ade) is selected.
   
   
4. Click the arrow to the right of the Look In box, select the drive and folder where the Access database (.mdb) or Access project (.adp) that you want to import or link is located, and then double-click the database's icon.

   Important   If you link to a file on a local area network, make to use a universal naming convention (UNC) path, instead of relying on the drive letter of a mapped network drive in Windows Explorer. A drive letter can vary on a computer or may not always be defined, whereas a UNC path is a reliable and consistent way for Microsoft Access to locate the data source that contains the linked table.

5. In the Import Objects dialog box, click each table that you want to import or link.

   If you're importing, and you want to import just the selected tables' definitions (not the data they contain), click Options, and then under Import Tables, click Definition Only. Learn about importing other database objects.

Notes

• If you import a table that is already linked, then Microsoft Access does not import the data; instead, it links the table to its data source (in effect, copies the link information).
  
  
• Although you can import tables from an Access project to an Access database, you might find it more efficient to import the table from Microsoft SQL Server. If you are importing tables from an Access project into an Access project, consider using Data Transformation Services (DTS), which can be a faster and more flexible way to import and transform data. For more information, see the Microsoft SQL Server documentation.
  
  
• When you import a table into an Access project, Microsoft Access only imports the table data and data definitions, not its properties (including constraints, relationships, and indexes).
  
  
• If the database that you want to import or link has a database password, then you must provide the password before you can continue. Linking tables from such a database may have unforeseen consequences. For more information, click .
  
  
• If you link two tables from the same Access database, then any relationship that was established between the tables in the other database remains in effect.
  
  
• If you import a table that contains Lookup fields into an Access database, then you should also import the tables or queries that the Lookup fields refer to. If you don't do this, when you open the imported table in Datasheet view, Microsoft Accesswill display an error message for each missing table or query. To correct this problem, import the missing tables or queries. If you can't or don't want to import the missing tables or queries, open the imported table in Design view, click on a Lookup field that refers to a missing table or query, click the Lookup tab, and then set the DisplayControl property to Text Box. Repeat this procedure for each Lookup field that refers to a missing table or query.