Microsoft is ending or has ended support for more older versions of Access.
How will this affect your MS Access databases?
Microsoft currently has critical end of support dates for several versions of MS Access! Details can be found in the attached link from Microsoft. MS Access Support
Listed below are some of the frequently asked questions that Arkware receives from clients along with simplified suggestions and steps to ensure your MS Access application will not stop working at any point.
I don’t know what version I have? How do I even find this out?
The four most previous versions of Office are Office 2007, Office 2010, Office 2013 and Office 2016. The numbers behind the versions are the actual calendar years that the software was introduced. Microsoft 365 is the new term for the entire main set of applications within the Office suite. These will include MS Word, MS Access, MS PowerPoint, MS Excel and MS Outlook. You can find out what version you have by opening a MS Access database and going to File>Account>About MS Access.
Why do I even need to think about upgrading to the latest version of MS Access?
Not upgrading your Access version can lead to VBA code failures and potential database corruption issues, and that is just naming a few potential problems. In a lot of cases, your outdated MS Access database will continue to work but with increasing errors. All versions below Office 2016 have already had end of support dates, with Office 2016 end of support scheduled for October 2025. Keep in mind that MS Access also communicates with the pc operating system. As the operating system is upgraded (example: you buy a new pc for the office), Microsoft also has the updated OS requirements which work in sync with the underlying versions of Office. These updates have already been halted for all versions of Office below 2016.
I have an older version of MS Access and it seems to be working just fine?
As previously noted, the database application may still operate in an older version, for now. Every MS Access database is different, but generally, the more complex the database, the more likelihood that major issues will arise. Where troubles start to occur is if the MS Access database also communicates with MS Excel or MS Word. Either in the form of data exports or mail merges. Depending on the complexity of the database itself, a variety of Visual Basic Code (VBA) commands changed after Office 2007. Code that worked in that version will no longer work in Microsoft 365 version. A specific example is the VBA code to import and export files to and from Access and the associated import/export specifications assigned to those imports. If a 2003 database is opened in MS Access 365, the said operations will not work.
What version of MS Office should I upgrade to?
Arkware recommends upgrading to Microsoft 365, which depending on your needs have several options about what level of Office you would need. See this link Office Options.
By upgrading to Microsoft 365, new updates to the software are pushed down via the internet. There is no longer a need to “upgrade” during any period as updates are done automatically.
Microsoft will be ceasing support not only for MS Access in 2025, but also all previous versions of MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint and MS Outlook.
How can Arkware be of service to assist with the upgrade?
If you delay the upgrade process, your database could become inoperable. This has happened on occasion with some Arkware clients. Any database created in Access 2003 and with an .mdb extension on some occasions cannot even be opened in MS Access 365. Certain additional steps then need to be taken to upgrade the database to MS Access 365 and that’s where we can help.
Arkware provides all the necessary technical support required to keep your MS Access database running without issue. Our team of experts is experienced and adept at responding to and properly navigating any bugs that present themselves. Regarding security, Arkware is always vigilant to watch for threats to both your database and other technical systems.
Don’t wait until a costly problem occurs. Reach out to Arkware today and allow us to do an inventory of your current systems and provide economical and accurate solutions that provide peace of mind that your application will function for many years into the future.