Starting Access and Opening a Database

This section introduces how to start Access and open/create a database.

1. Click on the START button on your computer and position your cursor over the PROGRAMS menu to view a list of installed programs. Once you see the list, position the cursor over Microsoft Office and then click on Microsoft Access.


2. After opening Access, you will be presented with the window shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

3. If you want to edit an existing database, you can either go to File->Open, or move your cursor to the lower right-hand side to click on Open.


4. If you are creating a new database, you can also either go to File->New, or move your cursor to the lower right-hand side to click on Create a new file as shown in Figure 1 . You will be presented with five options on the right-side menu as shown in Figure 2.

   Figure 2

5. Unlike Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations, you must save an Access database before you start working on it. After selecting Blank database, you will first be prompted to specify a location and name for the database. In the New Database dialogue box, type in a name for the database and a location and click on Create as shown in Figure 3.

   Figure 3

6. Now a new database is created as shown in Figure 4.

   Figure 4

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