Access Desktop
Access desktop databases can help you store and track just about any kind of information, such as inventory, contacts, or business processes. Let’s take a walk through the paths you can take to create an Access desktop database, add data to it, and then learn about next steps towards customizing and using your new database.
Choose a template
Access templates have built-in tables, queries, forms, and reports that are ready to use. A choice of templates is the first thing you’ll notice when you start Access, and you can search online for more templates.
In Access click File > New.
Select a desktop database template and enter a name for your database under File Name, use the Search online templatesbox.)
You can either use the default location that Access shows below the File Name box or click the folder icon to pick one.
Click Create.
Depending on the template, you might need to do any of the following to get started:
If Access displays a Login dialog box with an empty list of users:
If Access displays a Security Warning message in the message bar, and you trust the source of the template, click Enable Content. If the database requires a login, log in again.
Create a database from scratch
If none of the templates fit your needs, you might start with a blank desktop database.
From Access, click New > Blank desktop database.
Type a name for your database in the File Name box.
Add a table
In a database, your information is stored in multiple related tables. To create a table:
When you open your database for the first time, you’ll see a blank table in Datasheet view where you can add data. To add another table, click the Create tab > Table. You can either start entering data in the empty field (cell) or paste data from another source like an Excel workbook.
To rename a column (field), double-click the column heading, and then type the new name.
Tip: Meaningful names help you know what each field contains without seeing its contents.
Click File > Save.
To add more fields, type in the Click to Add column.
To move a column, select it by clicking its column heading, and then drag it to where you want it. You can also select contiguous columns and drag them all to a new location.
Copy and paste data
You can copy and paste data from another program like Excel or Word into an Access table. This works best if the data is separated into columns. If the data is in a word processing program, such as Word, either use tags to separate the columns or convert into a table format before copying.
If the data needs editing, such as separating full names into first and last names, do that first in the source program.
Note: Access sets the data type of each field based on the information you paste into the first row of each column, so make sure that the information in the following rows match the first row.
(read-only)Organize data with the Table Analyzer
You can use the Table Analyzer Wizard to quickly identify redundant data. The wizard then provides a simple way to organize the data into separate tables. Access preserves the original table as a backup.
The first two pages of the wizard contain a short tutorial with examples. If you see a check box labeled Show introductory pages?, check the box, and then click Back twice to see the introduction. If you don't want to see the introductory pages again, uncheck Show introductory pages?
