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Backward compatibility between Access 2010 and Access 2007

Features that are not available in Access 2007

Microsoft Access 2010 introduces features that are not supported in Microsoft Office Access 2007. Access 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) will not open databases containing these features; Access 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) will in some cases offer limited viewing and designing capabilities. Therefore, installing SP2 will help you access more applications created in Access 2010.

Table 1 lists the new Access 2010 features that will either not load, or load with limited capabilities, in Access 2007 SP2.

FeatureBehavior of the database if opened in Access 2007 SP2

New and updated database sort orders, as listed below.

  • General
  • Bosnian
  • Chinese Pronunciation
  • Chinese Stroke Count
  • Chinese (Traditional) Stroke Count
  • Chinese (Traditional) Bopomofo
  • Croatian
  • Indic
  • Japanese
  • Japanese Radical Stroke Count
  • Romanian
  • Serbian
The database will not open in Access 2007 SP2.
Access 2010 Encryption ComplianceThe database will not open in Access 2007 SP2.
Database with Web objectsIf your database contains Web objects but has not been published or gone through the Prepare Database for Web process, the database opens in Access 2007 SP2. However, Web objects cannot be modified in Access 2007 SP2.
Application published to Access ServicesWhen you create a Web database application using Access 2010 and publish it to a Web site, the database will not open in Access 2007 SP2. During publishing, Access 2010 creates a backup database for you, which is a copy of the database (with Web objects) that is not yet published. The backup database can be opened in Access 2007 SP2, but Web objects cannot be modified in Access 2007 SP2.
Data MacroThe database opens, but tables that contain Data Macros are read-only. The user cannot enter data or modify the table using Access 2007 SP2.
Forms or reports that reference a table that contains Data Macros can be opened and modified in layout or design view; however, data drawn from the table cannot be modified.
Calculated ColumnThe database opens, but tables that contain Calculated Columns will not open in Access 2007 SP2.
Forms or reports that reference a table that contain Calculated Columns can be opened and modified in design view.
Linked Tables with Connection strings that are longer than 512 charactersThe database opens, but the linked tables with the long connection string cannot be opened in Access 2007 SP2.
Application Navigation ControlThe database opens, but forms that contain the Application Navigation control cannot be modified in Access 2007 SP2.
Web Browser ControlThe database opens, but the forms that contain Web browser controls do not open in Access 2007 SP2.
Empty Cell ControlThe database will not open in Access 2007 SP2 if the form or report that contains the empty cell control contains VBA code.

Table 1. Behavior of Access 2010 features in Access 2007 SP2


How to use your application in Access 2007

If you want to use your application in Access 2007 without any restrictions, please follow the steps below to remove features mentioned in Table 1.

  1. If tables, forms or reports have any of the features listed in Table 1, please delete those features from the tables, forms or reports using Access 2010. For detailed information on this step, please refer to Table 2 below.
  2. Create a new database using Access 2010. Make sure to pick Blank Database, rather than Blank Web Database, as indicated in Figure 1.

    Figure 1

    Figure 1. Creating a blank database

  3. Go to External Data Ribbon and click on Access. Import all the objects from the previous database to the new one. Figure 2 shows how to import objects from the previous database.

    Figure 2

    Figure 2. Importing object from another database.

  4. Save the new database. It can be used in Access 2007 without restriction.


Table 2 contains detailed information on how to make your Access 2010 database compatible with Access 2007.

FeatureHow to make it usable in Access 2007

New and updated database sort orders as listed below.

  • General
  • Bosnian
  • Chinese Pronunciation
  • Chinese Stroke Count
  • Chinese (Traditional) Stroke Count
  • Chinese (Traditional) Bopomofo
  • Croatian
  • Indic
  • Japanese
  • Japanese Radical Stroke Count
  • Romanian
  • Serbian

If you are using any of the new and updated sort order listed on the left, choose a sort order that is compatible with Access 2007. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Microsoft Office button.
  2. Click Options.
  3. On the General tab, pick an Access 2007 sort order in the New database sort order list box.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Create a blank database using Access 2010.
  6. Import all the objects from the previous database to the new one.
  7. Save the new database.

 

Access 2010 Encryption

Import the objects in the database into a new database. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Create a blank database using Access 2010.
  2. Import all the objects from the previous database to the new one. Type in the password when prompted.
  3. Save the new database.
Database with Web objects

Import the objects in the database into a new database. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Delete all Web objects in the database using Access 2010.
  2. Create a blank database using Access 2010.
  3. Import all the objects from the previous database to the new one.
  4. Save the new database.
Application published to Access Services

Import the objects in the database into a new database. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Create a blank database using Access 2010.
  2. Import all the objects from the published application to the new database.
  3. Save the new database.
Data Macro

Delete the data macros, and then import the objects in the database into a new database. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Open the table.
  2. On the Modify Fields tab, in the Field, Record & Table Events group, click Manage Table Events.
  3. In the Data Macro Manager dialog box, click each Data Macro and then click Delete. Click Yes when prompted to confirm the deletion.
  4. Click Close to dismiss the Data Macro Manager dialog box.
  5. Close the table. Click Yes when prompted to save changes.
  6. Create a blank database using Access 2010.
  7. Import all the objects from the previous database to the new one.
  8. Save the new database.
Calculated Column

Delete the calculated columns, and then import the objects in the database into a new database. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Open the table.
  2. Select the field which has a data type of Calculated, and then press DELETE. Click Yes when prompted to permanently delete the field.
  3. Repeat Step 2 for the other calculated fields in the table.
  4. Close the table. Click Yes when prompted to save changes to the design of the table.
  5. Create a blank database using Access 2010.
  6. Import all the objects from the previous database to the new one.
  7. Save the new database.
Linked Tables with Connection strings that are longer than 512 characters

Delete the linked tables and then import the objects in the database into a new database. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Delete the linked table.
  2. Create a blank database using Access 2010.
  3. Import all the objects from the previous database to the new one.
  4. Save the new database.
Application Navigation Control

Delete the Navigation Control and then import the objects in the database into a new database. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Delete Navigation Control in the form.
  2. Create a blank database using Access 2010.
  3. Import all the objects from the previous database to the new one.
  4. Save the new database.
Web Browser Control

Delete the Web Browser Control and then import the objects in the database into a new database. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Delete Web Browser Control in the form.
  2. Create a blank database using Access 2010.
  3. Import all the objects from the previous database to the new one.
  4. Save the new database.
Empty Cell Control

Delete the empty cell controls from the forms and reports, and then import the objects in the database into a new database. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Open the form or report in design or layout view.
  2. Locate the empty cell controls.
    Hint: You can expose the property sheet using (Alt + Enter) and look for controls that begin with the name Empty Cell to help locate these controls.
  3. Delete any empty cell controls.
  4. Close the form/report. Click Yes when prompted to save changes.
  5. Create a blank database using Access 2010.
  6. Import all the objects from the previous database to the new one.
  7. Save the new database.

Table 2. How to remove features that are not compatible with Access 2007


Save as MDB

New features added in Access 2010 prevent the database from being saved in the  .mdb file format. You will receive an error message when saving in the .mdb file format if your database has features introduced in Access 2007 or Access 2010. To make your database usable in Access 2003 or earlier versions, delete features that are not available in the .mdb file format and then follow the import steps described in Table 2.

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