# Connecting to Microsoft Access

**URL:** <https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/connecting-to-microsoft-access/13073>\
**Category:** rubyonrails-talk\
**Created:** [May 17, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/connecting-to-microsoft-access/13073 "2007-05-17T14:41:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lewis2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lewis2](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Lewis2)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/connecting-to-microsoft-access/13073/1 "2007-05-17T14:41:56Z")

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Can anyone tell me if it is possible to connect to Microsoft Access db and how? I have several systems that use Access and I need to create new front end functionality to the Access tables.

Thanks

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**Author:** ![Mel\_Riffe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Mel\_Riffe](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Mel_Riffe)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 3:01pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/connecting-to-microsoft-access/13073/2 "2007-05-17T15:01:37Z")

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Hey Lewis,

I’ve never done that but I’m wondering if ODBC or ADO aren’t your friends here.

I believe there are examples flying around for both ODBC and ADO connections.

Try that and let us know how you get on.

Cheers, Mel

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**Author:** ![Jodi1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@Jodi1](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/Jodi1)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/connecting-to-microsoft-access/13073/3 "2007-05-17T18:36:26Z")

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I will be going down that path shortly and have these bookmarked:

[http://ruby-dbi.rubyforge.org](http://ruby-dbi.rubyforge.org)/

[http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse\_thread/thread/ce3a7a464e3f37c/aac2e8db2b89a8f5%23aac2e8db2b89a8f5](http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse_thread/thread/ce3a7a464e3f37c/aac2e8db2b89a8f5%23aac2e8db2b89a8f5)

[http://www.troubleshooters.com/codecorn/ruby/database/index.htm](http://www.troubleshooters.com/codecorn/ruby/database/index.htm)

If you discover anything useful, I’d appreciate you post back.

Cheers,

Jodi

General Partner

The nNovation Group inc.

www.nnovation.ca/blog

[![on-innovation.gif](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/rubyonrails/original/1X/620b288f456363b420711869db87ab5c71a5417b.gif)](http://feeds.feedburner.com/on-innovation)

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**Author:** ![David\_Mitchell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@David\_Mitchell](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/David_Mitchell)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:34am UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/connecting-to-microsoft-access/13073/4 "2007-05-18T02:34:55Z")

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Are you able to use the SQL Server upsize wizard (not sure if that's the exact name - the thing that converts Access DBs to SQL Server), then use e.g. the free SQL Server engine? Your data would remain intact, but you'd then be using SQL Server which is far more scalable/robust than Access. It's probably a lot easier to find help for Rails/SQL Server than for Rails/Access...

BTW, I suggested using the free version of SQL Server, which supports a limited number of users and database size, because I assume this would meet your requirements if you're starting from Access to begin with; if not, just use one of the for-pay SQL Server versions. From Rails' perspective, it shouldn't care which version of SQL Server you use.

Regards

Dave M.