I need to knowall possible Access file extensions (All Versions)

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I am trying to determine what file extensions Access databases may have. Of course there is MDB and MDE; are there any others? Do Runtime databases have a different extension. I’m working on a batch file to create a list ALL Access databases at our sites, and need to include all appropriate file extensions.

I’ve attached the batch file (as .TXT instead of .BAT) in case someone else may have a need… nothing fancy though.

Thanks for any help.

Randy

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MDB and MDE are the only 2 I know of for regular databases, although I don’t know that you couldn’t actually use any extension if you really wanted to. The are also MDA files, but these are add-ins. And BTW, there is really no such thing as a “runtime” database. The workstation may have a full version of Access or a runtime version, but the database itself is the same regardless.

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Thanks for clearing that up for me Mark.

Randy

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Depending on what you’re using this list for, you may also want to include MDW, i.e. Workgroup information files.

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Thanks, Douglas.

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Runtime database are only runtime because of the version of the executable used to open them. The files themselves are just databases. All versions of Access have used MDB files. Since Access 97 (95?), you could also have MDE files, which are compiled. Starting in Access 2000, you also have ADP and ADE files, which have SQL Server/MSDE back ends. However, you may run into problems with some of the extensions, especially the ADP and ADE extensions, because the ADP extension at least is also used by other applications with a different meaning. (Think of the DAT extension–same problem ) Furthermore, other applications may use an Access mdb file as a datastore, so just finding an MDB doesn’t mean you have an Access application out there.

There are also associated files that may or may not be considered Access databases, depending on how you define that term. MDA files are add-ins in later versions of Access, but that extension was used for the security file in earlier versions. In later versions, the security file is an MDW. It *is* an Access database, but it may not fit into your definition.

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