...I can't seem to sign in on Access.net. Anyway, a few years ago I used Access 2003 to create a database for addresses to print labels from. I just bought a Dell 8300 and reinstalled MS Office 2007 (eventually I will get around to upgrading). I tried to view the database with MS 2007 Access and I can't...I get a message "incorrect file type" or something. And now for some reason, the file is connect to Adobe Reader. The extension of the file in question is access (.wbd). How do I get this file to open in MS 2007 so I can use it?

Dumb question maybe but have you tried renaming the extension to mdb?

Well, I am not techo-savy, so I looked up how to do that. And it works...halfway: Access 2007 does now see the file, but when I try to open it, I get a message:

"unrecognized database format"

Any more ideas? I have the original MS Works that came with the original PC (Dell 4600). Is it possible to reinstall the Access 2003?

Ah, OK, then it's not an Access 2003 database, it's a Works database. You will need to change the extension back and then you should be able to load it using Works.

A quick search on Google reveals various methods of converting an mdb to a format like Excel are available. Perhaps rather than reloading Works on your new machine, you could try one of those methods?

You cannot simply change a file extension, because there is a world of difference between Access 2007 or 2010 and Access 2003

If you can open the db enough to SaveAs this should allow an easy update the db

If you paid attention to the original post, Redshift said:
Access files are stored in the mdb format. Given that the file extension referred to in the post (wbd) was incorrect, it would not be unreasonably to suspect that the extension's been changed in error. Hence renaming the extension was valid advice. If, in fact, it's a Works databse, the extension would be wdb - not wbd.

Redshift: To use the Works database data in Access, see: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ac...001054737.aspx

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Ok macropod, I looked at your suggestion. So which one of those on the link should I use? I made this database with just names and addresses just to print mailing labels from.

I'd probably go with the first one, though any of them should do.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]