Access announces retirement of Database Compare tool in June 2026
MS Access currently ships a standalone Database Compare tool (DATABASECOMPARE.EXE) that enables comparison of two Access databases. As of June 2026, this tool will no longer be distributed and installed with Office. Access is retiring the Database Compare tool because it depends on components that are no longer available and fails to launch reliably on many Office installs. Because we can no longer provide updated components, it will no longer install with new Office setups. This applies to: Access 2019 volume licensed and Enterprise plans Access 2021, Access 2024, and Microsoft 365 subscriptions Access 2021 and Access 2024 as part of the Office 2021 and Office 2024 perpetual licenses (standalone versions) DatabaseCompare.exe is installed typically under the DCF folder of your Office installation (for example, C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\DCF\DATABASECOMPARE.EXE), and it often comes alongside Microsoft Spreadsheet Compare as part of Office Professional Plus or Microsoft 365. In addition, supporting DLLs and configuration files are located within the same DCF subfolder. These files handle database connections, reporting, and comparison functions. These files will be removed. If you're running an older version of Office and have a working version of this tool, you can continue to use it until June 20, 2026. After that, it will be removed and will not be available for download. Therefore, we advise you to find a replacement for Database Compare. You can find similar standalone tools that compare two Access databases from other vendors: AccessDiff: This tool easily compares all objects in Access, including forms, code modules, queries, macros, and more. It is designed to help users retrieve lost software and compare all objects in Access databases. AccdbMerge: This tool is an easy-to-use diff and merge tool for Microsoft Access database files. It compares table definitions, data, forms, modules, and more. A free version is available for the main database objects. DataWeigher: This tool compares and synchronizes data between two MS Access databases. It provides a visual result with each type of record (added, deleted, changed) represented by a different color. The comparison results can be saved as a report or SQL script for data synchronization. Total Access Detective: This tool allows you to find differences between any two objects in one Microsoft Access database, including fields, controls, properties, macro lines, module code, and data. It also supports comparing two blocks of text from text files on disk or the text you copy and paste. We recognize this change may require planning, and we encourage customers to review these alternatives and plan a transition away from Database Compare ahead of its retirement in June 2026.Access fixes released in Version 2603 (Build 19822.20114)
Here's a summary of bug fixes in the latest version of Access: Bug Name Issue Fixed Edge Browser Control didn't navigate from code when inside a tab control When the Edge Browser control was hosted in a tab control, calls to the Navigate method from VBA succeeded, but the control didn’t refresh to show the new page. Switching tabs forced the refresh. The control now refreshes automatically after navigation, even when it’s hosted in a tab control. Some Unicode characters displayed incorrectly in Quick Import Certain extended Unicode characters were displayed as squares when importing data using Quick Import. These characters are now displayed correctly. Modern Chart titles truncated in Print Preview When viewing a report containing Modern Charts in Print Preview, chart titles might be truncated. Chart titles now render correctly in Print Preview. Some Unicode characters displayed incorrectly in exported object names When exporting an object whose name contained certain extended Unicode characters, the sheet name in the exported file displayed the characters incorrectly. These characters are now preserved correctly during export. Some Unicode characters displayed incorrectly in error messages for long object names When renaming a database object to a name that was too long, the error message displayed certain extended Unicode characters incorrectly. These characters now display correctly in error messages. Standard colors in Access didn't match other Office apps The standard color palette in Access used different color values than other Office applications like Word and Excel. For example, the standard red in Access was #ED1C24 instead of the updated Office standard red #EE0000. The color palette has been updated to match the rest of Office. Field.Properties("Precision") and Properties("Scale") on a query column caused the query to execute Accessing the Precision or Scale properties of a field in a query's Fields collection caused the query to execute. This was a regression that broke add-ins and code that enumerate field properties, since query execution can be expensive and have side effects. These properties are now returned without executing the query. Toggle filter button in status bar didn't work when no records were displayed When a form filter resulted in no matching records, clicking the Toggle Filter button in the status bar to remove the filter had no effect. The button now properly removes the filter even when the filtered result set is empty. PDF files with capitalized extension didn't render in Edge Browser Control When navigating to a PDF file using the Edge Browser control, if the file extension was capitalized (e.g., ".PDF" instead of ".pdf"), the file contents were rendered as raw text instead of as a formatted PDF document. The extension comparison is now case-insensitive. Monaco SQL editor inserted blank lines in multi-line comments When switching between Design View and SQL View, the Monaco SQL editor inserted blank lines between each line inside /* multi-line comment */ blocks. This affected both local and passthrough queries. The editor now preserves the original comment formatting. Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.Access fixes released in version 2602 (Build 19725.20126)
Here's a summary of bug fixes in the latest version of Access: Bug Name Issue Fixed Monaco query editor applied unwanted autoformatting to passthrough queries The Monaco SQL editor was applying automatic formatting (such as adding whitespace or changing capitalization) to passthrough queries. Since passthrough queries are sent directly to the server's SQL engine without Access interpreting them, autoformatting could alter the SQL in ways that break server-specific syntax. Autoformatting is now disabled for passthrough queries, preserving the exact SQL as written. Monaco query editor font size did not match Access settings When using the Monaco SQL editor, the font size in the query editor didn't match the font size configured in Access's client settings. An incorrect unit conversion resulted in text appearing slightly larger than expected. The conversion has been corrected so the editor font size now matches the configured setting. Datasheet selection could extend past the last column When selecting cells in a datasheet by clicking and dragging, it was possible to extend the selection rectangle past the rightmost column into an empty area. Releasing the mouse and then clicking elsewhere would leave the selection highlight drawn in that empty area, since Access did not erase the over-extended selection. The selection is now properly limited to the actual columns of the datasheet. Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.Access bug fixes — Versions 2511 through 2601
Version 2511 (Build 19426) Bug Name Issue Fixed Query Design view showed incorrect joins after selecting SQL text When using the Monaco SQL editor with a query containing multiple joins, selecting text in SQL view with Ctrl+A and then switching back to Design View could trigger a spurious alert and cause one of the joins to appear removed in the design grid. The underlying SQL wasn't actually affected, but the Design view displayed incorrect join information. This is corrected so that switching between SQL view and Design view preserves all joins accurately. Version 2512 (Build 19530) Bug Name Issue Fixed Datasheet forms with nested subforms showing errors after system changes When using datasheet forms containing nested subforms on systems where a system change occurs — such as disconnecting and reconnecting a Remote Desktop session — Access could display a GDI error. This happened because collapsed sublists held references to system brushes that were destroyed during the system change. This is fixed so that all sublists properly handle system resource changes. F4 key did not open the Properties pane in the Query SQL editor When the Monaco SQL editor was enabled, pressing F4 in the Query editor's SQL view didn't properly open the Properties pane. Instead, the pane would either flash briefly or appear incorrectly positioned in the top-left corner of the screen. The F4 shortcut now correctly opens the Properties pane in SQL view. Pressing F5 in the Query SQL editor cleared all SQL text When using the Monaco SQL editor in the Query designer, pressing F5 (Run) could clear all the SQL text from the editor. This is fixed so that running a query with F5 no longer affects the SQL text in the editor. Text not visible when renaming items in the Navigation Pane in dark themes When using the Black (or other dark) Office theme, renaming an object in the Navigation pane resulted in text that was nearly invisible due to insufficient contrast. The rename text box now uses appropriate colors that provide sufficient contrast in all themes. Advanced Filter/Sort opened a standalone query window instead of a filter window When opening a table in Datasheet view and selecting Sort & Filter > Advanced > Advanced Filter/Sort from the ribbon, Access incorrectly opened a full standalone query design window instead of the expected limited filter query window. The filter query window includes a Toggle Filter button to apply the query as a filter. This is corrected, so the command opens the proper filter window. Refreshing an Access ODBC connection in Excel returned an error When refreshing an ODBC connection to an Access database from Excel, users could receive the error "Operation is not supported for this type of object." This is resolved so that Access ODBC connections refresh successfully. Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.Access bug fixes version 2510 (Build 19328.20158)
Bug Name Issue Fixed Undo/Redo don’t work for Bring To Front and Send To Back commands. In Form/Report Design view, after executing a Bring To Front or Send To Back command to re-order controls, Undo will now restore the previous state. Syntax highlighting makes keywords hard to read with dark Office themes in the Monaco SQL editor. Keywords will now be rendered with a lighter blue color in dark themes to provide better contrast. Connector lines difficult to see in Waterfall charts. You can now set the thickness of the connector lines in a Waterfall chart to make them more visible. Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.Access fixes released in versions 2507 and 2508
Version 2507 (Build 19029.20136) Bug Name Issue Fixed Alert, “The Microsoft Access database engine cannot find the input table or query ‘MSysSQLComments’.” when importing queries from an old database which has never been used with the Monaco SQL editor Importing queries from older databases now works correctly Queries do not save when they contain Unicode characters This happened only with the new Monaco SQL editor and should now work correctly Error "The Object isn't open" when running Find Duplicates and Crosstab query wizards This happened only with the new Monaco SQL editor and should now work correctly Crash when pressing F1 in Monaco SQL Editor F1 will now launch context sensitive help when used with the Monaco SQL editor Error “Object is not connected to server” when referencing OLE automation object in VBA code This could happen when referencing the OLE object stored in an Unbound Object Frame, such as a PowerPoint slide or Word Document Crash when opening a query directly into SQL view This happened only with the new Monaco SQL editor. All queries should now be able to open successfully directly in SQL view Images sometimes do not display correctly on buttons/image controls All buttons and image controls should now correctly display images Announce deprecation of Salesforce connector We added a callout to let people know about the imminent deprecation of the Salesforce connector Version 2508 (Build 19127.20154) Bug Name Issue Fixed Control wizards do not launch when adding new controls to subform in design view The control wizards will now work when adding a control to a subform Access terminates unexpectedly when pressing F6 key in Design View F6 should now navigate correctly with forms in design view Unable to select large number (BigInt) field within "Find Unmatched Query Wizard" You can now select Large Number fields in the Find Unmatched Query Wizard Some wizards giving an error in 32-bit builds on launch “There was an error loading an ActiveX control on one of your forms or reports.” All wizards should now launch correctly Invalid output when exporting to HTML Some fields (e.g., number and date/time) were being incorrectly encoded Please continue to let us know if this is helpful and share any feedback you have.Access announces removal of Salesforce ODBC driver in October 2025
MS Access 2019 (and newer) ships a licensed Salesforce ODBC driver from InsightSoftware that will lose sustaining support after June 30th, 2026. But because we can no longer provide updates for the driver, the Access team has decided to accelerate the removal of this driver and remove it from the product in October 2025. Applies to: Access 2019 volume licensed and Enterprise plans Access 2021, Access 2024, and Microsoft 365 subscriptions Access 2021 and Access 2024 as part of the Office 2021 and Office 2024 perpetual licenses (standalone versions) The Salesforce ODBC driver bundled with Office includes shared libraries such as: libcurl.dll libcrypto-3.dll libssl-3.dll These libraries are located under the following path: Program Files\Microsoft Office\ODBC Drivers\Salesforce. They may also be present in different locations. Drivers installed by Office and used to access your Salesforce data will be removed on permanently on October 28, if you are using Access as part of a Microsoft 365 Apps monthly version and on November 11 if you are on the semi-annual release. For customers using perpetual Access 2019, 2021, or 2024, the drivers will be removed on November 11. You do not need to manually remove the drivers. Access currently doesn't have a way to talk directly to the Salesforce APIs so customers must continue to use the standardized ODBC driver framework that we currently support. Customers can independently purchase the Simba.DLL driver if needed from InsightSoftware. There are also other vendors that offer a Salesforce driver. Simba driver from InsightsSoftware https://insightsoftware.com/simba/ ODBC driver from devart https://www.devart.com/odbc/salesforce/ Salesforce integration from boomi https://boomi.com/solutions/application/salesforce/ Salesforce driver from cdata https://www.cdata.com/drivers/salesforce Once you purchase and install the driver, Access can connect to your Salesforce external data source. On the External Data ribbon, choose New Data Source > From Other Sources > ODBC Database We will provide more updates when available.End of support for Access 2016 and Access 2019 nears
Your product will still work, but when Microsoft says a product has reached "end of support", it means the product will no longer receive: Security updates Non-security updates Bug fixes New features Assisted support (free or paid) What this means for Access users: No more updates: Customers will not receive any new builds, patches, or improvements—even if vulnerabilities are discovered. No support: Microsoft will no longer provide technical support or troubleshooting assistance. Increased risk: Continued use of unsupported software can expose systems to security threats and compliance issues. Migration encouraged: Customers are advised to upgrade to a supported version or product to maintain security and functionality. We strongly encourage all Access users with perpetual licenses to upgrade to a Microsoft 365 Apps subscription. Subscription users get more out of the same Office desktop apps with artificial intelligence (AI) backed design ideas and analytic insights, rich contents and templates, cloud powered connected experiences and more. They also enjoy additional benefits beyond capabilities in Office apps, such as 1TB storage, Office on multiple devices and mobile, Microsoft Family Safey app, etc. I've noticed many perpetual users are "subscription adverse." I hear "I've used the desktop version forever and prefer not to switch to the cloud." Migrating to subscription does not mean that you'll get a different version of Access. You'll still get the desktop version you know and love, plus all the premium Office features a subscription provides. My favorites are Editor in Word, Money in Excel, and all the extra OneDrive storage. Check with Microsoft Sales Support to see if you're eligible for upgrade incentives depending on your region or organization type. (Yes, we know the Access icon does not appear with the other Office apps. You'll find it directly below the icons in the alphabetized apps list.) Sources: End of support for Office 2016 and 2019 Overview - Product End of Support and Retirements - Microsoft Lifecycle Access 2016 - Microsoft Lifecycle Access 2019 - Microsoft LifecycleAccess releases bug fixes in version 2506
Bug Name Issue Fixed Error when trying to run append query When an update/append query qualified column references (e.g., Table1.Field1) the reference might fail to resolve and produce an error reading “The INSERT INTO statement contains the following unknown field name: Table1.Field1” Error when trying to save or run a query containing certain characters For queries containing some Unicode characters, attempting to run or save the query could generate the error “The SQL statement is invalid.” Can't create a query directly in SQL view We have now added a button to the Queries section of the Create ribbon to allow you to create a new query opened to the SQL editor, rather than the QBE (Query-By-Example) designer Exporting data to a text file might export some characters incorrectly When exporting data containing some Unicode characters and choosing the “Export data with formatting and layout” option, invalid characters would sometimes be output to the text file. Using the clipboard to transfer data from tables/queries to text did not work for some Unicode characters Access was not rendering text from tables/queries with the CF_UNICODETEXT format so when you copied a table/query from the Navigation Pane, then pasted into a destination that accepted text, Unicode characters might not be preserved When exporting to Email using the HTML format Unicode characters might not be preserved Some characters would be replaced by question marks rather than preserving the original content when exporting to HTML Email When exporting a table with a relationship but no lookup defined Access may hang during the validation step During export Access tries to create a lookup in Dataverse that corresponds to a lookup defined in Access for related tables. However, if a relationship was defined but there was no lookup defined for the foreign key, then Access could hang during the export process. If the Display Form option is set in the Options dialog, then any time the Options dialog is closed you incorrectly get a message saying that you must close and reopen the database for changes to take effect This could happen even if no changes were made. Access will now only generate this message if you really do need to close and reopen the database for changes to take effect.
