Ms Access Database Size

[WorkingHard]

Hi all
I have a 780Mb Access database that is starting to give me grief. Is it the size or is there not a limiting size with Access. Any clues anyone please?
thanks

[ZH875]

From a search ("largest database size") carried out on Here (http://www.accessmonster.com/):


You can link to multiple databases from a given database, so the 2GB size
only really limits the size of tables that have to be related (which must be
in the same database). One Access db, linked to multiple other DBs, can
access much more than 2 GB of data. (I caution that I have never done this;
every application I have worked on that was anywhere _near_ 2GB was an
Access client to a server DB for various other reasons than the size
limitation.)

Access is an excellent tool for creating "client applications" to server
databases, in which case the amount of data that can be accessed is only
limited by the capacity of the server database.

Server databases, such as Microsoft SQL Server, tend to have a distinct edge
in reliability, recoverability, and scalability. Except for Open Source
server databases (such as MySQL and PostgreSQL), they also tend to have a
per-user charge, whereas the Jet database that comes with Access, the MSDE
(aka Desktop Edition of Microsoft SQL Server) that also comes with Access,
and the "Express" edition of the new SQL Server 2005 (only available in Beta
test, at present, but sigificantly expanded specs from MSDE which it will
replace) do not have a per-user charge.

That may be more information than you need, but I hate to make limiting
assumptions that might deny someone information they _do_ need.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP


Regards
ZH

[Saab Dastard]

There are too many measures of "size" to go into (as in what it is that is making your file that large), so you should google "access database maximum size".

You will find any number of useful articles listing the absolute max specifications for databases, tables, queries, forms, reports etc.

You also don't mention what release of Access you are using - big differences between older and newer releases.

I would not use Access for large databases. That's what SQL server (or SQL server express), MySQL etc. are for!

You can still use Access as the front end, by using ODBC to a "proper" database back end.

I forgot to add that you could well be having problems with the amount of physical RAM in your system. For a file that size (I'm assuming XP), you would need at least 1 GB RAM, preferably 1.5 or even 2 to avoid excessive paging.

SD