If you are a newcomer to the macOS, then you might be looking for some programs that you are familiar with. These programs can be personal or work-related and in this article, we are going to discuss Microsoft Access for Mac.
I have Windows 7(64 bit) and Office 2010(64 bit).I need to use a Driver called Microsoft Access Driver(.mdb,.accdb) (MS Access) ODBC driver which i could not use in my computer now.I have installed the 'AccessDatabaseEngine 2010x64.exe' but still cant fix the problem. I have Win7 and Office 2010 both 64 bit. I also have a 32 bit application running where I need a 32 bit.accdb (MS Access) ODBC driver. Using t he 64-bit version of the Odbcad32.exe is returning “ The specified DSN contains an architecture mismatch between the Driver and Application”. Nov 28, 2011.
We are going to take a look at Microsoft Access’ availability on macOS and also other alternatives that you can use on Apple’s hardware. We are also going to take a look at how to install them. Ready? Let’s get started.
Contents
- 2 Best Methods to Get Microsoft Access for Mac
- 2.2 2. Using Boot Camp Assistant
Is Microsoft Access Available for Mac?
Microsoft Access is a database management program that is used by individuals and companies. If you have done any prior research on the subject, you might already know that Microsoft does not make a macOS version of their software. But do not worry, as this does not mean you cannot use Access or an Access alternative on your Mac.
In the next section, we are going to take a look at ways you can use Microsoft Access on your Mac and also some of the best alternatives for it.
Best Methods to Get Microsoft Access for Mac
This list contains five things you can do to get Microsoft Access for Mac. The methods are not ranked and offer slightly different advantages, so you can choose whatever suits you best. The first 2 methods on this list will be focused on getting the original Microsoft Access for Mac.
1. Using Virtual Machines
Virtual machines are really cool. They let you emulate another computer system without restarting your system or partitioning your drive. Softwares like VMWare and Parallel Desktop 15 lets you run the Windows operating system without a lot of hiccups. Virtual Machines do cause a slight performance hit but if you choose the right software, this can be minimized. After installing Windows on your VM, you can easily run any Windows application.
I won’t recommend that you buy VM just to use Microsoft Access but if you have other essential Windows programs that have no alternatives or if you need to use Microsoft Access for some reason, you should definitely buy it. You can check out VMWare and Parallel Desktop 15. Both offer trial versions so you can make an informed decision.
2. Using Boot Camp Assistant
Boot Camp Assistant lets you easily install Windows 10 on your Mac and also lets you switch between macOS and Windows during restart. The only reason to consider Boot Camp over virtual machines is that there is no performance hit whatsoever. There are several requirements for this method.
Requirements
- Latest macOS update.
- 16 GB external USB flash drive.
- 64GB or more free storage for a nice experience.
- A 64-bit Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro ISO. You can download it on Microsoft’s website.
Compatible Devices
The following are the compatible devices listed on the Apple website.
- 2015 MacBook or later
- MacBook Air introduced in 2012 or later
- MacBook Pro introduced in 2012 or later
- Mac mini introduced in 2012 or later
- iMac introduced in 2012 or later1
- iMac Pro (all models)
- Mac Pro introduced in 2013
How to Use Boot Camp Assistant
- Open Boot Camp and follow the instructions. You will be asked to insert your USB drive so that Boot Camp can turn it into a bootable drive for Windows installation. You will also be asked to choose the partition size. Remember that it has to be at least 64GB because you can’t change it later on.
- Your computer will restart soon and it will show you WIndows installer. You will be asked to choose the partition you want to install Windows in. After choosing, press Format.
- Unplug any other drives or external displays (do not unplug the bootable USB drive) and just follow the instructions shown. Windows will be installed.
- After the restart, you will be taken to the Bootcamp WIndow. Install Bootcamp and other Windows drivers and your Mac will restart again. That’s all you have to do.
3. Wizard
If you don’t want the hassle of installing an entirely different OS on your Mac and you are willing to use an alternative to Microsoft Access, then Wizard is for you. Wizard lets you easily create databases and crunch numbers. Just like Access, it offers a ton of features and that is why it is considered Microsoft Access for Mac. You can even import your Access MDB files.
The normal version of Wizard is available on the Mac App Store for $79.99 while the Pro version is available for $199. Both of them offer trial versions so you can use that to make your decisions.
4. File Maker Pro
File Maker Pro is one of the most popular database management programs for Mac. It offers a lot of helpful tools, just like Microsoft’s offering and that is why it is one of the best Microsoft Access alternatives for Mac. It is owned by a subsidiary of Apple so it has nice optimization and design. Although it shares a lot of features with Microsoft Access, it’s also very different from it, the main sticking point being transparency. While Access lets you view underlying tables, File Maker does not let you do that.
The pricing is different for the different numbers of users. You can get an annual subscription or a perpetual license. Check out their prices on their website.
5. MDB ACCDB Viewer
MDB ACCDB Viewer is one of the most powerful database tools for Mac. It supports .mdb as well as the .accdb format. MDB ACCDB Viewer lets you easily view, search and export your data. It also handles large databases with ease. However, while this program can view the data in databases, it cannot display forms or queries. It also cannot modify the database.
You can download MDB ACCDB Viewer for $18.99 from the Mac App Store.
Also Read: RUFUS for Mac
Final Take
That is all there is to know about Microsoft Access for Mac. Hopefully, one of our methods or apps came in handy. If you have any doubts or suggestions, please leave them in the comments section down below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Related Posts:
These article describes how to connect to a Microsoft Access database file, if you use a MS Windows operating system. For other systems the solutions are not yet finished. Watch http://dba.openoffice.org/drivers/mdb/index.html for further information.
- 3Setup Connection (Wizard Step 2)
- 3.2ADO
- 3.2.1Generating the Connection String
- 3.3ODBC
- 3.2ADO
- 4Setup User Authentication (Wizard Step 3)
- 6Properties of the Connections
Preconditions in Windows
This description has been tested on WinXP Home, for other Windows versions it might works slightly different.
The file type MDB has been created by MS Access 97 (Office 8) till MS Access 2003 (Office 11). It can be handled with the database engine “Jet 4.0”. MS Access 2007 (Office 12) uses the file type ACCDB. It uses a modified Jet database engine, called “Access Database Engine” (ACE).
The versions are not compatible. On one hand ACCDB doesn't know user based security, on the other hand you can work with attachments inside the database file, for example.
Both versions can be controlled with “ODBC driver” or with “ OLE DB Provider”. Older MS Windows versions (e.g. Win98) might not include all needed files for handling MDB-files. You can download missing files from http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/data/aa937730.aspx. You might need “ Jet 4.0 Service Pack” and “Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC)”. WinXP includes this files already. For ACCDB files you might need “ 2007 Office System Driver: Data Connectivity Components”. Searching for AccessDatabaseEngine (without spaces) in the Microsoft download center will lead you to the download link. Even in WinXP those file are not included automatically.
Kind of Connection (Wizard Step 1)
Start wizard with File > New > Database or use item OpenOffice.org Base from Windows (German) Startmenü, or use item Database in OOo Quickstarter.
In the first step select Connect to an existing database. Open the drop-down list. You can use Microsoft Access, ADO, or ODBC. The next steps depend on the chosen kind of connection. When connection is finished, you see your chosen connection on the left side in the status bar.
Setup Connection (Wizard Step 2)
Microsoft Access
- File type MDB
- Choose the MDB-Datei on the second page of the Wizard. OOo uses a ADO-connection where all other parameters are set with default values. If your database is protected by password, you cannot use this method.
- File type ACCDB
- The simplified handling of the option Microsoft Access is not yet available for the ACCDB format.
ADO
Enter the Datasource URL on the second page of the wizard. That doesn't mean the path and filename of your database file, but it is the so called “connection string”.
Generating the Connection String
If you don't know the connection string, click on Browse. This opens the “ Universal Data Link (UDL) Wizard” of Windows. You see a dialog with the title Data Link Properties. The dialog pages Provider, Connections, Advanced, and All can be used in any order. When you close the dialog, the field Data source URL contains the constructed connection string.
Microsoft Access Accdb Odbc Driver Download
Dialog Page Provider
- File type MDB
- Choose Microsoft Jet 4.0 OLE DB Driver
- File type ACCDB
- Choose Microsoft Office 12.0 Access Database Engine OLE DB Provider
Dialog Page Connections
- File type MDB
- Enter absolute path and file name of your MDB-file or click on the …-button to use a file picker to choose your file.
- If you have got a users administration for your database, enter the user name here, otherwise leave the default Admin unchanged. Let the option Blank Password unchanged too, password setting doesn't work here.
- File type ACCDB
- Enter absolute path and file name of your ACCDB-file here. A file picker is not available. The file type ACCDB doesn't know user administration, leave the default settings Admin and Blank Password unchanged.
Dialog Page Advanced
On the page Advanced you can constraint the access to the database. The default read/write is used without being checked.
Dialog Page All
Here you can set additional initializations for the OLE DB provider. Look at Microsoft site for further information.
Examples:
- If your Access database file has got a password, you must enter it here. Choose the item Jet OLEDB Database Password and click on Edit Value. Enter the password there.
- For a MDB-file the item JetOLEDB:System database contains path and name of the workgroup information file. Default in WinXP Home is c:WindowsSystem32system.mdw. You must enter it, if not “Admin” but another user is going to access the database.
At last go to the page Connections and test the connection. If you get an error message, you have to remove the error, otherwise no connection is possible. Finish the UDL-wizard with OK.
Now you are inside OOo again. Clicking on Next>> leads you to Setup User Authentication.
ODBC
On the second page of OOo database wizard enter the name of the ODBC data source. Call of duty: modern warfare 3 1 9 461. With Browse you get a list of all existing ODBC data sources.
Registering an ODBC Data Source
If you haven't register your Access database as ODBC data source in Windows, click on Browse and then on Organize… You come into the Microsoft dialog „ODBC Data Source Administrator“. On WinXP you can run the same dialog via Control Panel → Administrative Tools → Data Sources (ODBC) previously.
Choose one of the DSN-tabs and click on (German) Hinzufügen. Use Microsoft help to decide, which one is correct for you. If you will connect with a File DSN, you cannot use it directly, but you need an additional ADO connection string. The database tables will be readonly in this case.
- File type MDB
- Choose one of the Microsoft Access Driver and click on (German) Fertig stellen.
- File type ACCDB
- Choose Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb *.accdb) and click on (German) Fertig stellen.
On the next window (German) ODBC-Setup für Microsoft Access specify the data source name. That identifier will be shown in the selection list later on.
Clicking on (German) Auswählen opens a file picker, where you can select your database file.
- File type MDB
- If you have got an user administration for your database, and not Admin but another user is going to access the database, check the option (German) Datenbank in the section (German) Systemdatenbank. The button (German) Systemdatenbank… opens a file picker. In WinXP Home the default file to choose is c:WindowsSystem32system.mdw.
If your Access database file is password protected, you can click on (German) Erweitert and enter the password there. But then the password is stored readable in the ODBC information in the registry, therefore it is no good idea. Leave the field (German) Benutzername empty.
You can find further settings in (German) Erweitert and (German) Optionen>>. For example you can check opening (German) exclusive there, however then you will be unable to hide tables in OOo.
Leave the dialogs with OK until you get the OOo dialog Data Source. The new data source should be included in the list. Choose it and click on OK. Next>>.
ODBC File DSN
Choose connection type ADO and click on Browse to generate the connection string.
- Dialog page (German) Provider
- Choose 'Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers'.
- Dialog page (German) Verbindung
- Choose (German) Verbindungszeichenfolge verwenden. Click on (German) Erstellen, mark the File DSN in the provided list and click OK, OK.
If the Access database file needs a password, you must enter it then.
Microsoft Access Driver Mdb Accdb Odbc Drivers For Mac Free
Test the connection, OK.
Follow the description for ODBC in Wizard Step 3.
Setup User Authentication (Wizard Step 3)
ADO
Leave the fields empty. Test the connection. Next>>
ODBC
If your database is password protected and you haven't enter the password in the ODBC informations, check Password required.
- File type MDB
- If not Admin but another user shall work with the database, enter the user name here, otherwise leave the field empty.
- File type ACCDB
- The file type doesn't know user management, leave the field User name empty.
Test the connection. If necessary enter the password now. Next>>
Save and Proceed (Wizard Step 4)
If you want to use the data source in other office modules, for example for mail merge, you must check the option Yes, register the database for me. After click on Finish you determine file name and folder to save for the Open Document Base file. Now you can work with the database.
Properties of the Connections
Access to the Tables
- File type MDB
- You can alter the content of the table, add and remove records.
- File type ACCDB
- In an ADO connection you can only read the tables but not write them. It is not sure whether this is fault of OOo. In an ODBC connection you have got read and write access to the tables.
You are able to define new tables. However in both connection types you cannot alter the structure of existing tables.
MS queries are handled as views in OOo and shown in the table container.
See also
MSDN Office Development http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms400535.aspx
![Access Access](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9e/df/7b/9edf7be75de3a4949eb6d9e33fd0ba9d.jpg)
Autor: Regina 14 September 2007
Please don't hesitate to improve this guide and adapt it to new versions.
Please don't hesitate to improve this guide and adapt it to new versions.
Microsoft Access Driver Mdb Accdb Odbc Drivers For Mac Windows 10
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