Access Database Repair

How to Repair Corrupt Microsoft Access Database Files (MDB & ACCDB) and Recover Data?

Written By Keshav Katyal
Approved By Kuljeet Singh
Updated on 19 May, 2026
Min Reading 8 Min
Share

Our content follows trusted Editorial Standards - accurate & unbiased.

Table of Contents

Corruption in MS Access database usually occurs when errors are found in the underlying binary file format of the database. It may also happen due to connectivity issues or an abrupt system shutdown while working on a shared database file.

Because of this, you may face difficulty in accessing Access database files (.accdb/.mdb) or the objects. You may also encounter an error message like “Unrecognized database format ACCDB/MBD” while trying to open a corrupted database file.

However, there are ways to repair corrupted Access database file. In this post, we will explore some DIY methods in detail.

What are MDB & ACCDB Files?

MDB and ACCDB are the two database file types used by different MS Access versions. Let’s read more about them in detail.

MDB

Short for Microsoft Database, MDB file (file extension – .mdb) is a database file type used by the legacy versions of MS Access – Access 2003 and earlier (till Access 1.0). It stores typical database objects, like queries, tables, forms, and reports.

ACCDB

All latest versions of MS Access: Access 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and Microsoft Access (part of Microsoft 365) use ACCDB (.accdb) as the default file type for creating databases. This file format offers advanced features with improved and optimized functionality.

With an improved database security model, it supports the security validation of DB files, with the major advantage being that both MS Outlook and SharePoint trust this validation.

How to Convert Access Database File Format from MDB to ACCDB?

As per Microsoft’s documentation, you can open MDB files using any new version of MS Access (2007 or later). However, you won’t be able to use some functionalities that require the .accdb file format. So, if you want to use new features, you’ll need to convert MDB to ACCDB first.

Here is how you can do this by using Access 2007 or newer version:

Launch MS Access.
Choose the Blank desktop database option.

Choose the Blank desktop database option

Give the new database file a name and click on Create.

Once the new database file opens, click on File > Close.

Again, click on File from the ribbon. Select Open from the left pane.
Select your MDB database file to open it.

Now, click on File > Save As.
Choose “Access Database (Default database format)” file type under Save Database As and click Save As.

Select the location where you want to save the database file and click Save.

It will show the “Database upgraded” dialog box. Click on OK.

To verify the file format change,

Go to the location where you have saved the converted database file.
Select it and right-click on it.
Click on Properties.

Check the Type of file field. It should be .accdb.
Click OK to close the window.

Why does an Access Database Get Corrupted?

The following are the reasons that may lead to Access database corruption:

Type 1: Operational Causes

Frequently editing data in Memo fields (Long text fields)
Interruptions like network issues when making changes to data
Jet database engine version conflicts

Type 2: System Causes

Power cut or abrupt system shutdown
Windows freezes or the application crashes while making changes
Inadequate free space available on the local storage drive

Type 3: Other Causes

Virus or malware attack
Hardware failure or software bugs
Conflicting plug-ins
Bad sectors on the storage drive
Shared database file is accessed by a large number of users simultaneously
Large size of the database file (>2GB)

How to Repair Microsoft Access Database?

You can fix the corrupted database by using following DIY solutions.

Tip – Check this article on MDB file repair for information about common error messages related to MDB File Corruption.

Method 1- Use ‘Compact and Repair’ to Repair Access Database Manually

You can use ‘Compact and Repair’ – a Microsoft Access built-in utility for repairing a corrupt .MDB/.ACCDB database file. It can also help fix inconsistencies or remove unused spaces in the database file.

Case 1. Database is Opening

If the Access database is corrupted but you are able to open it, follow these steps:

Open the problematic Access database file.
In your Access database, click ‘File.’
From the window that appears, click the ‘Compact & Repair’ option on the ‘Info’ page.

Note: You can also do this from the menu bar. Select Database Tools and click on Compact and Repair Database.

Select Database Tools and click on Compact and Repair Database

Case 2. Database is Not Opening

If you can’t open your ACCDB/MDB file, try repairing the file using these steps:

Notes:

These steps apply to Access 2013, 2016, and 2019.

Take a backup of the database file before proceeding.

Open your MS Access program.
On the ‘templates’ screen, double-click ‘Blank desktop database.’
In your Access program, click the ‘File’ menu. Next, click ‘Close’ to exit the database.
Click Database Tools > Compact & Repair Database.

Click Database Tools > Compact & Repair Database

In the ‘Database to Compact From’ window, locate the corrupt Access database file and select it. Click on Compact.

The ‘Compact Database Into’ window will appear. Specify a new name for the repaired database file, and click ‘Save.’

Specify new name for the repaired database file

The repaired file will be saved at the original DB file’s path.

Method 2: Manually Recover Corrupt Access Database

There is also a manual workaround to restore DB objects. Follow the step-by-step process below in the given sequence.

Step 1: Restore the Database from the Backup

If you’ve a backup of your Access database, try using it to restore the database file. The detailed steps are listed below:

Open File Explorer, select and copy the backup file.
Paste the copied file at the same location where the corrupt database file is saved.
When prompted, replace the existing DB file with the backup copy.

For detailed information on restoring and backing up an Access database, read this: How to Backup and Restore Access Database?

Step 2: Delete Microsoft Access Lock Information (.ldb) Files

An LDB file gets created when an Access db is opened or accessed for shared use (i.e., in a multi-user environment). It has the same name as that of the primary file but has the .ldb extension. This helps in keeping track of all active users accessing the database.

When the last user closes the file, the lock file is deleted automatically. But, it might not get deleted if the user doesn’t have delete permissions to the Access database (.mdb) file or the database is corrupt.

Note: Deleting the .ldb file is important to remove the lock on the .mdb file if you want to recover the data from that file.

Step 3: Use Jet Compact Utility

Using the Jet Database Engine of Access helps auto-fix minor issues that crop up in the database from time to time while reading and writing data. Due to this, in most cases, you may never even find out that something went wrong.

Step 4: Remove all Compiled VBA Codes from the Database

This can be done by using this command line switch:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MsAccess.exe /decompile C:\DatabasePath\FileName.mdb

Note: You may need to change the path shown above for MsAccess.exe if you installed it in a different location.

Step 5: Import Corrupt Database Objects into a New Database

Try importing objects into a new Access database file by following these steps:

Open MS Access and create a new database file. To do so, click File > New > Blank Database.
Next, click the ‘External Data’ tab and select ‘Access’ on the ‘Import & Link’ menu.

The ‘Get External Data – Access Database’ dialog box is displayed. Click ‘Browse’ and locate the database file that needs to be imported.
Select Import tables, queries, etc., option under ‘Specify how and where you want to store the data in the current database.’ Click OK.

Select all database objects you want to import from the next window and then press the OK button.

The wizard will begin the process of importing the selected objects from the corrupted MDB file into the newly created database file.
Once it has successfully imported the selected database objects, click Close.

Note: This procedure might also help you repair the Access database file that might have turned corrupt due to damaged system tables.

Method 3: Use Stellar Repair for Access Software

Stellar Repair for Access is a powerful DIY software you can use to repair and recover .MDB/.ACCDB file in a few simple steps. This Access database repair tool previews all the recoverable database objects like tables, deleted records, queries, forms, reports, etc. This is useful for the users to verify the data accuracy before saving it.

Follow these steps to perform Access database repair using the software:

Download, install, and run Stellar Repair for Access software.

The Select Database window will appear.

Browse for the corrupt Access database file.

Browse for the corrupt Access database file

Click ‘Repair’ to start the repair process.

Click ‘Repair’ to start the repair process

After completion of the repair process, various database object categories will be displayed in the left pane.
Click on ‘+‘ to expand each category. Individual objects under that category will appear.
Select any object to see its preview.

To save, click ‘Save Database’ in the ‘Home’ tab.

The Save At window will appear.
The Default Location option is selected automatically. This is the location of the source database file. You can choose this or select the New Location option if you want to save the repaired database file at a new path on your local storage drive.
After selecting an option, click OK to save the repaired database file.

The file will be saved at the desired location.

Wrapping Up

There can be umpteen reasons that can turn an Access database (MDB/ACCDB) corrupt. These include large database file size (greater than 2GB), hardware issues like bad sectors, or more. You can manually compact and repair the database.

But sometimes, the MS Access built-in ‘Compact and Repair’ utility may not properly fix the corrupted Access database. In that case, you can repair the corrupted database by using a Stellar Repair for Access – a powerful Access database file repair software that can effortlessly repair severely corrupted Access database files. It can also recover and restore all the database objects from the corrupted file to a new one.

Why does my Access database file keep getting corrupted repeatedly?

The common reasons for repeated corruption are: unreliable network connection, faulty hardware, damaged database structure, and others. One way to avoid this issue is to split the database into front end and back end.

How do I know if my Access database is partially corrupted?

Look for these – random error prompts, slow DB performance, not able to open particular elements (forms and reports), or frequent application/database crashes.

Is it possible to repair only specific objects (tables, forms, queries) in a corrupted database?

Yes. You can restore selected objects from the corrupted database rather than repairing the whole database by using Stellar Repair for Access.

Why does the ‘Compact and Repair’ utility fail sometimes?

The utility may not work if there is significant corruption or damage to system tables or if the database file exceeds the size restrictions. This situation calls for more sophisticated repairs and tools such as Stellar Repair for Access.

What will happen if my database file size exceeds the 2GB size limit?

In this case (database file exceeded 2GB), the chances of corruption significantly increase. So, it is recommended to compact the database or split it.

About The Author

Keshav Katyal

A passionate writer driven by his interest in everything tech, Keshav Katyal has always been captivated by the latest gadgets since childhood. His interest in technology grew when he got his first gam...

94 comments

Elijah Matthew says:

October 26, 2015 at 5:30 am

What type of security is available in this tool?

Reply
1. Jyoti Prakash says:
  
  October 26, 2015 at 7:14 am
  
  Our software does not modify the original file. It creates a new copy of your data file having all the repaired objects.
  
  Reply
Anthony Stephens says:

October 19, 2015 at 5:37 am

I use this command that you have mentioned above to remove all compiled VBA code and it worked for me. Thanks for this helpful post

Reply
Dwane Cliff says:

October 16, 2015 at 10:58 am

If my database is on shared network then how can I prevent it from the corruption?

Reply
1. Jyoti Prakash says:
  
  October 16, 2015 at 11:02 am
  Hello Cliff,
  
  Here are some options that will help you to prevent your database from corruption:
  Reply
Phil Roggers says:

September 29, 2015 at 5:41 am

Inefficient Database Design: Database format which is designed for multi-user access at the file level can cause for severe file size bloating. This extra bloating puts a huge amount of pressure on the network protocol and significantly increases the risk of data corruption.

Reply
Welma says:

September 9, 2015 at 5:44 am

My Access database file got corrupted and when I tried to open it prompted to repair that file. I run the compact and repair command to repair my database. It is a nice blog & I bookmark this article for future use.

Reply
Alden says:

September 8, 2015 at 5:55 am

Thank you very much. I like each and every step of this blog. I was able to repair my access database by this blog post.

Reply
kohler foyde says:

August 13, 2015 at 5:14 am

I am using Microsoft Access 2003 and facing problem in accessing my database that is placed on the network drive. When I try to access the database, getting error message ‘AOIndex’ is not an index in this table. Backup of database is very old. Can you please suggest any suitable method for fixing this error?

Reply
1. jyoti says:
  
  August 17, 2015 at 5:03 am
  
  Hi Kohler,
  
  It looks like your database has been corrupted. If you have managed clean & updated backup then restore the database from it. If backup is unavailable then you can try our Stellar Access database repair software. If you will be able to preview your database, register the software to save the database.
  
  Reply
jyoti says:

July 15, 2015 at 11:03 am

There is a difference between opening file by double click and opening it through the Access. In first case it would be a sort of private mode and therefore there is no surprise that, no other users can use and change it. Opening the file under MS Access can solve your issue.

Good Luck!

Reply
Nathan Barvo says:

July 14, 2015 at 4:34 am

I cannot open the .mdb file if, someone already opened it on the shared network. Why?

Reply
Laura Ken says:

June 29, 2015 at 5:40 am

I am using MS Access jet database engine with Windows NT based file server on multi-user access, and my database is going into the ‘suspect’ state. What is the main reason for this problem?

Reply
1. Abhay says:
  
  June 30, 2015 at 4:15 am
  
  Hi Laura,
  
  Microsoft Jet Database engine is a file based database engine and it uses .ldb files to synchronize the database. All network connection has a bandwidth limit. Any other software on your system is transferring the data on the same network can slow down the jet communication. When it go slow down then the connection often disconnect due to ‘time-out’ failure and the database left in the suspect mode.
  
  As you are using Windows NT based file server then, you need to consider disabling ‘opportunistic locking’ (oplocks) on your file server. It improves the I/O performance.
  
  Reply