These words are used often in Access so you will want to become familiar with them before using the program and this tutorial.
After opening Access, you will be presented with the window shown below. Select one of the first two options if you are creating a new database, or the third if you want to edit an existing database. All three choices are explained in detail below.
Unlike Word documents, Excel worksheets, and Power Point presentations, you must save an Access database before you start working on it. After selecting "Blank Access database", you will first be prompted to specify a location and name for the database.
Access' wizards and layout are existing database structures that only need data input. Select a database type and click OK. Name the database on the next screen.
If the database was opened recently on the computer, it will be listed on the main window. Highlight the database name and click OK. Otherwise, highlight "More Files..." in the list and click OK. From the subsequent window, click the "Look In:" drop-down menu to find the folder where the database is located, highlight the database name in the listing and click OK.
Before opening an existing file that was created in a previous version of Access, it must first be converted to the newer format. Convert a database by following these steps:
Screen Layout »