Article ID: 285949
Article Last Modified on 6/28/2004
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Access 2000 Standard Edition
This article was previously published under Q285949
Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.
This article applies to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb) and to a Microsoft Access project (.adp).
For a Microsoft Access 2002 version of this article, see 287428.
SYMPTOMS
When you try to link a dBASE file to a Microsoft Access 2000 database or when you try to import a dBASE file into an Access 2000 project, you receive the following error message:
RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, follow the steps in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article to create a registry key to bypass the Borland Database Engine (BDE) in Access 2000 and assigns the key a value of 2:
248841 ACC2000: How to Control Whether Access Loads the Borland Data Engine (BDE)
Although setting this key to a value of 2 allows you to successfully link the dBASE file, this setting can also cause dBASE tables to be linked as read-only.
MORE INFORMATION
When you try to link a dBase file, the only time you receive the Select Index Files dialog box in Access 2000 is if the Borland Database Engine (BDE) is installed on the computer. If the BDE is installed, there will be a registry key on your system, and Access 2000 will use and maintain the indexes by means of the BDE. (Linked dBASE tables will be read-only if you do not have the BDE installed on the computer.)
Steps to Reproduce the Behavior
- Open any Access 2000 database.
- On the File menu, point to Get External Data, and then click Link Tables.
- In the Link dialog box, click the arrow to the right of the Look In box, and locate the folder where your .dbf file is located.
- In the Files of type box, select the appropriate dBASE file version, click your .dbf file, and then click Link.
Note that the Select Index Files dialog box appears. If there is no associated index file (*.mdx) for the dBASE file, you must click Cancel to exit from this dialog box. However, if you click Cancel, you receive the error that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section of this article, and you cannot link the .dbf file.
REFERENCES
For additional information about Access 2000 and linking to dBase files with indexes, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
230125 ACC2000: Using dBase Data with Access 2000 and Jet
180105 ACC2000: The File Formats That Are Supported by Access 2000 When You Import, Export, and Link
For more information about how to link a dBASE file to an Access 2000 database or how to import a dBASE file into an Access 2000 project, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type import a dbase file in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.
The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
Additional query words: prb
Keywords: kberrmsg kbprb KB285949
