Contents
The Access 2007 Interface
Keyboard Shortcuts in Access 2007
How to Create New Databases and Open Existing Databases
How to Save and Close Databases
The Four Types of Access Objects
How to Navigate the Access
Work Space
How to Navigate Access Datasheets
Access Views
How to Print Access Objects
How to Create Tables
How to Populate Tables
How to Create Access Forms
How to Build Access Queries
How to Create Access Reports
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How to Create New Databases and Open Existing Databases
To get started working in Access, you first have to know how to create a new database or open an existing one.
How to Create a New Access Database
You can create an Access database in two main ways:
- From a blank database
- From a template
How to Create a Blank Database
Creating a new database in Access is as simple as launching the program—when Access starts, it automatically displays the Getting Started with Microsoft Access page. From that page, you can click on the Blank Database icon 
under New Blank Database to create a new database from scratch. Once you click on the Blank Database icon, you’ll then need to enter a name for the database file and then click the Create button.
under New Blank Database to create a new database from scratch. Once you click on the Blank Database icon, you’ll then need to enter a name for the database file and then click the Create button. If Access is already running and you‘d like to open a new blank database:
- Click the Office button and select New (Ctrl+N).
- In the Getting Started with Microsoft Access page appears, click on the Blank Database icon, enter a name for the database file, and click Create.
How to Create a Database from a Template
If you don’t want to build a database yourself, you can use one of a wide variety of predesigned Access database templates. For instance, rather than use Access to make a database of your contacts from scratch, you may be able to use or modify an existing contacts database template, resulting in less work and a more professional look. To open a template:
- Click the Office button and select New (Ctrl+N).
- The Getting Started with Microsoft Access page appears. On the left side of the page is a list of template categories. The categories listed under Template Categories are templates that are automatically installed on your computer along with Access. The other categories contain templates that you can download from www.microsoft.com for free. When you click on a template category, thumbnails of the available templates appear in the center of the page.
- To select a template, click on its thumbnail, name the database, and click Create (for preinstalled templates) or Download (for not-yet-installed templates).
How to Open an Existing Database
To continue working on a database file you’ve already created and saved:
- Click the Office button and select Open (Ctrl+O).
- The Open dialog box opens. Browse for the file.
- Once you’ve found the file, double-click to open it, or select it and click Open at the bottom of the dialog box.
You can also open database files by double-clicking directly on the file name from within a Windows Explorer window. If Access is already running, the database will load right away. If not, Access will load first and will then open your file.
Compatibility with Older Access Files
Access 2007 can open any Access database created using old versions of Access.
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