Microsoft KB Archive/946205

= Error message when you try to open a compiled database file or a compiled project file in Access 2007: &quot;This database is in an unrecognized format&quot; =

Article ID: 946205

Article Last Modified on 12/12/2007

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Office Access 2007

-



SYMPTOMS
When you try to open a compiled database file (.accde or .mde) or a compiled project file (.ade) in Microsoft Office Access 2007, you receive the following error message:

This database is in an unrecognized format.

The database may have been created with a later version of Microsoft Office Access than the one you are using. Upgrade your version of Microsoft Office Access to the current one, and then open this database.



CAUSE
This problem occurs if the compiled database file or the compiled project file was created on a computer that has the 2007 Microsoft Office suites Service Pack 1 (SP1) installed. This problem occurs when you try to open the file that you created, and the following conditions are true:
 * You try to open the file on a computer that has the original version of Access 2007 installed.
 * The 2007 Office suites Service Pack 1 is not installed on the computer.



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use one of the following methods.

Method 1
Install the 2007 Office suites Service Pack 1 on the computer on which you are trying to open the file.

For more information about the 2007 Office suites Service Pack 1, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

936982 Description of the 2007 Microsoft Office suites Service Pack 1

Method 2
Create the compiled database file or the compiled project file on a computer that does not have the 2007 Office suites Service Pack 1 installed.

Method 3
If you cannot use Method 1 or Method 2, use the 2007 Office suites Service Pack 1 version of the Access 2007 executable file instead of the original version of the executable file. To do this, follow these steps:  Exit Access 2007 if it is running. Locate the following directory:



 Right-click the Msaccess.exe file, and then click Rename. Type Msaccess_rtm.exe, and then press ENTER. Locate a copy of the 2007 Office suites Service Pack 1 version of the Msaccess.exe file on a computer that has this version installed. The file should be located in the following directory:



 Copy the 2007 Office suites Service Pack 1 version of the Msaccess.exe file to the directory that you located in step 2.</ol>

Note After you open the file, remove the 2007 Office suites Service Pack 1 version of the Msaccess.exe file, and then rename the Msaccess_rtm.exe file as Msaccess.exe. If you do not remove the 2007 Office suites Service Pack 1 version of the Msaccess.exe file, you may encounter the following problems:
 * The Msaccess.exe file that you copied in step 6 will be replaced by the original file during any repair operation.
 * New hotfixes and service packs will not be applied to the Msaccess.exe file that you copied in step 6.

<div class="status_section">

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the &quot;Applies to&quot; section.

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post more information in this article when the information becomes available.

<div class="moreinformation_section">

Steps to reproduce the problem

 * 1) Install 2007 Office suites Service Pack 1 on a computer.
 * 2) Start Access 2007.
 * 3) Click the Microsoft Office button office2007filebutton.jpg], and then click New.
 * 4) Click Blank Database, and then click Create.
 * 5) Click the Database Tools tab, and then click Make ACCDE in the Database Tools section.
 * 6) In the File name box, type a name for the file, and then click Save.
 * 7) On a computer that does not have the 2007 Office suites Service Pack 1 installed, try to open the file that you created in step 4.

Additional query words: office 2007 access ade accde

Keywords: kberrmsg kbtshoot kbprb kbpubtypekc KB946205

-

[mailto:TECHNET@MICROSOFT.COM Send feedback to Microsoft]

© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.