Frequently Asked Questions About Access

1. Is Access Easy To Learn?
Most people say it isn’t, though Microsoft does market it as an easy to use end-user tool. What makes it difficult is that it is a Relational Database Management System and some people find the concepts of relational databases difficult to understand. Getting Started Options From Microsoft

Special Word To Excel Users: Microsoft has been eager to get you to upgrade to Access when it is appropriate. In fact, they have made design changes to Access just to tempt you! If you have tried to learn Access and still find it extremely confusing and still nothing like Excel, it's because Access is nothing like Excel! Before you even open Access, you need to be educated about the differences between a spreadsheet and a database. Access is not "Excel on steroids!" It's a totally different animal. No matter how much Microsoft changes Access to look like Excel, do not assume you will be able to jump right in. (This stuff can be tough.)

2. How Do I Know If I Need A Custom Database?
You won’t know until you do a thorough software search. Check on-line, look for ads in periodicals, talk to members of trade/professional associations you belong to.

3. How Difficult Is It To Maintain A Database Once It’s Set Up And Running?
Not difficult at all. Unlike the larger database products, Access can be maintained by a trained user.

4. Do I Have To Be A Programmer To Create A Database?
No. A simple database can be done by an experienced user.

5. How “Big” A Database Is Too Big For Access?
Access can handle many users (I've seen as many as 50) if it is designed correctly and the hardware is fast. An Access database maxes out at 2 gb, but there are ways around this limit as well. Claims that Access is "really a single-user" product are usually made by people who don't know the application very well. Access Specifications

6. How Easy Is It To Import Data Into Access From Another System?
On the Access side, this tends to be pretty easy. Access can grab data in many formats and if it can’t, it can process plain ASCII text. (Note that any data that can be exported first to Excel can then easily be exported to Access.)

7. Can I Transfer My Access Data To/From Quickbooks?
Yes! We can move your Quickbooks data into Access, and, move Access data to QuickBooks. Read More



Do You Have A Question About Access? Feel free to ask: rachel@rlevineconsulting.com