Opening .mdb with fresh OpenOffice install

[chedderslam]

I have just installed open office on a windows vista machine and I atrying to open 4 .mdb files. They are opening in Write, with a "Ascii filter options" pop-up first. When the documnt opens, I see the following output:
####Standard Jet DB#####µn#b` ÂUé©gr@?#œ~Ÿ�ÿ…š1Åyºí0¼ßÌ�cÙäßFûŠ¼N>bì7åÝœú~Ç(æ«/Š`ì


I hve also tried opening the file directly in Base, but it just opens Write with the same output. What am doing wrong?

[r4zoli]

You done nothing wrong, but OOo can not open mdb files, can only make a connection to them.

If you tried searching with keyword "mdb" before made this post, you could find this: http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... hilit=+mdb

In this post you can find all information, what we have now.

[chedderslam]

Thank you for the response. I have read the articles you linked to. It mentions that you can connect to them. What does connecting allow you to do with the database? Can you import the existing database into an open office format and work with it that way?

Thanks.

[r4zoli]

Yes, you can connect, edit data in tables, import to odb file. You can use only tables and views, no forms, report, and VBA codes.
Linked topic consist links to OOo wiki MSA FAQ and Connecting to MSA. It consist all your needed info.

[Villeroy]

It works exactly as Access when you link to a foreign database. Some odbc driver provides a connection to the database such as MySQL, Oracle, MS SQL server. Then you use the Access-toolkit for queries, forms and reports to work with the linked database (linked rather than imported). In this case we use the Microsoft drivers to connect with Microsoft's Jet database engine and now we can use our Base tools for queries, forms and reports to work with the linked database.

[chedderslam]

I am trying to just import one table from an existing Access mdb into a new base odf. I can't quite figure it out. I don't think I want to link tables or anything like that, I just want to create a new table that mirrors the existing table including its data.

Thanks.

[Villeroy]

You say it should "mirror" the Access table, so I think you actually want a link. So when you edit the table in either Base or Access you actually edit the very same table contained in the mdb file. Read the sources provided by r4zoli. You need some freely availlable driver from Microsoft to read tables from mdb files. Then you can link the table(s) of an mdb file into a Base file. They appear in Base although they are still in the mdb. If you want a copy of the mdb in Base's native database format you may create a third database and copy the mdb-table from the linked Base file into the new one.
Since a database may contain gigabytes of data you do not "open" a database like you would do with a text, a picture or spreadsheet. You connect to databases and read/write the currently needed portions. Usually the database vendor provides a driver to enable third party tools to connect.

[chedderslam]

Thank you for the response.

We are actually trying to migrate this business from office 2003 and 2007 over to open office.

I searched around online and found that you can simpy copy and paste from access to base. I have done so successfully. It took a bit of time, rather long for only 8775 records, but no big deal.

Overall, I am very impressed with open office so far and will recommend it to future clients.

Thank you to everyone for the help. This forum is very responsive and helpful.

Regards,
Matthew