How to Import ACCDB File in SQL Server? - Solved

Looking to open Access files in SQL server? Look no further, as we have brought the complete guide for you. Importing MS access files in SQL server is a fairly simple process once a user knows the correct procedure. Therefore, today, we have brought the expert guide on how to import ACCDB file in SQL Server.?

Microsoft Access, as we are aware, is a database management system. It is an astonishing application for storing data in an organized way. It helps enterprise and business users to manage and analyze vast amounts of data and information efficiently. MS Access stores its data in two formats i.e., ACCDB and MDB. While ACCDB is the latest format, MDB can only be accessed in MS Access versions 2003 and earlier.?

MS SQL Server, on the other hand, is a relational database management system produced by Microsoft. It stores its data in .sql format. It supports a variety of business intelligence, analytics applications, and transaction processing in IT corporate environments. Now that we have briefed on both applications, let us see how to accomplish the task. So, without further ado, let’s get started with the methods to migrate MS Access database to SQL server.

Method-1: Import ACCDB File in SQL Server Manually

• Launch and open the Import/Export wizard in Microsoft SQL Server.
• Now, as the “Data Source”, select the “Microsoft Office 12.0 Access Database Engine OLE DB Provider” option.
• Then, select “Properties” and specify the location of the MS Access .accdb file in the “Data Source” field.
• Upon doing so, click on “Black Password” and then under login information, enter a blank username.
• Check your connection and if it works properly, click OK.
• Next, for the “Data Destination”, choose “Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server”.
• Then, select and enter the MS SQL Server name from the dropdown menu.
• If you’ve provided the correct MS SQL information then, the Access data you want to import will appear in the dropdown menu.
• Afterward, proceed to select “Copy data from one or more tables or views”.
• Simultaneously, choose the tables that you want to copy and edit the mappings if you require as well.
• At last, proceed through the wizard to start the import and click “Finish”.

So, this was the manual tutorial on accomplishing the task to import ACCDB file in SQL Server. Unfortunately, there are certain limitations associated with this method; let us see what they are.

Drawbacks Associated with the Manual Procedure

• This method is lengthy in nature due to the numerous steps it includes, which makes it an extremely time-taking to import ACCDB to SQL server.
• The manual method is not feasible for most users, especially novice ones as it requires users to have optimum technical insights.?
• Being a manual method, it requires the user’s manual intervention at every step, thus, if not executed carefully, even one single error could corrupt all user data.
• Since SQL and MS Access have different structures to store data, thus, when you use the manual method to import ACCDB file in SQL Server, you need to map out the database according to how you want to store it.?

All these limitations make it a complicated procedure to execute, especially without any expert guidance. Thus, to overcome all the gaps and hindrances, technical professionals recommend going for an automated utility to import ACCDB to SQL server database. Check out the following segment for the expert suggestion.

Method-2: Expert Take on Opening ACCDB File in SQL Server

For the automated approach, we have brought the one and only SysTools MS Access to SQL Migration Tool. This expert utility is undoubtedly the best solution available in the market due to the high-reliability factor it provides. Along with that, it provides several advanced features that help in making the entire process hassle-free and effortless. Moreover, you can use this tool to import ACCDB files in SQL server on any Windows system regardless of the version as this software is fully supported by all versions of the Windows OS.

Steps to Import ACCDB File in SQL Server Using the Tool

• Download and install the professional tool on your system.
• Click on Browse to select and load .accdb or .mdb files into the software.
• As the export option choose to migrate your Access data to SQL Server.
• Select whether you want to “Export only schema” or both “Schema and Data”. Select the radio button for the preferred option. Afterward, enable/disable the checkbox for the “Export Deleted Record” option according to your requirements.
• At last, click on the “Export/Save” button to initiate the migration process.

And you’re done with the overwhelming Access to SQL Server migration process in just a few simple steps. Follow the above-given steps to successfully import your ACCDB file in SQL server.?

Furthermore, once you complete the process by following the steps, you get an export report containing the whole migration process data. This report displays the status of the entire migration process i.e., how many data items migrated successfully. Moreover, this generated report is autosaved in MS Excel, thus, you can access it at any time as preferred.?

Advantages of Using the Professional Utility

There are plenty of advantages that you get when you opt for this utility. Here, we will mention the most prominent ones.?

• Proficiently migrates Access data to SQL server in a quick and hassle-free manner.
• Provides users the option to “Export Only Schema” or both “Schema and Data”.
• Also provides the option to “Export Deleted Record”. If you want to apply the option, simply enable the checkbox beside it.
• Along with importing ACCDB file to SQL, this tool also offers multiple formats for users to convert their files, for instance, ACCDB, CSV, and XLS.
• This tool is fully compatible with all versions of the Windows Operating System, and thus, can be used on any Windows machine without any issues.
• Moreover, it supports all versions of MS Access, therefore, regardless of which Access version you used to create a database, you can easily migrate it to SQL using this tool.

So There You Have It

In this blog post, we saw the top two methods on how to import ACCDB file in SQL Server. We shared one manual method and one automated utility to accomplish the task. However, the manual method comes along with a plethora of limitations that make it extremely complicated to execute. Hence, for a reliable and secure import process, technical professionals suggest users go with the above-mentioned automated utility.