Date Reviewed: December 14, 1998
Article ID: HDH980010

The information in this Help Desk Hint applies to:

• MS Works 3.0 or MS Works 4.0 with Access 97

Summary

Previous instructions for converting from Works database to Access database have involved many complicated steps that often left the resulting database difficult to use. The new procedure offers fewer steps and results that are more accurate.

Problem

Using the Quote and Comma method for converting from Works to Access was very good at transferring the actual data; However, any field formatting, field size, or field was lost.

Solution

1. Open the MS Works database you wish to convert
2. Click on Save As
3. Change the save as type to read dBase IV (for Works 4, use dbase III for Works 3)
4. Change the drive/folder to a place where you can remember
5. Click on Save and then close Works
6. Open Access and either open an existing database or create a new one
7. Click on the Table tab, click on File, Get External Data, Import
8. Change the File of type to read dBase IV (or dbase III depending on step 3)
9. Navigate to and double click on the file name used in step 4
10. Click on Ok, Click on Close
11. Your Works database is now a table in the Access database. All formats and data have been converted.

Benefits

1. Much easier than previous procedure and it imports the field formatting information as well as the data