Access is the database system in Microsoft Office. Access 2007 is the new version of Access that has been released along with the Microsoft Vista operating system.
If you are planning a new database application for Microsoft Access, it is usually a good idea to use the latest version of the software to minimize problems in the future. However, it is also usually a good idea to wait a bit for the experts to put a new product to the test and for a service pack to fix the bugs. One of the top experts, Allen Browne, has produced an excellent overview of the current state of Access 2007. If you are considering Access for a new database application, this is recommended reading.
If you have a database application written in a previous version of Access, you most likely will experience problems if you try to use the database in Access 2007. The majority of these problems are minor, and have solutions.
Do not try to move a critical application from Office 2003 (or earlier) to Office 2007 without testing it first. This is vital. Always test any critical application on a single Access 2007 system first while you still have a system with the known working version of Access. If you have any doubts about your ability to do this, get help.
Most conversion issues will be a one-time problem and thereafter you will not need to bother with the differences between versions any more.
If you test your database application (thoroughly) and everything works as expected, then that's great. You have no problems and you can ignore the rest of this page.
If you do encounter problems, and all you have is a file with a name ending in .MDE, then you will not be able to repair the problems yourself. That extension corresponds to what is known as a "compiled" application and you cannot tinker with its internal details. If that is the case, you will have to contact the person or company you got it from and the rest of this page cannot help you.
Some common conversion problems can be fixed relatively easily.
Of the issues that may cause problems when you move a database application
created in an earlier version to Access 2007 probably the most common involves
missing references. This problem is widely mentioned, but here is a step-by-step
procedure to fix it. If you see a pop-up message box like this one 
then
you have missing references and will have to fix them before you can use this
application. A principal cause of the problem is that Microsoft has rearranged
some of the standard pieces of Access and one result of this is that Access may
be looking for "references" that used to be in one place but are now someplace
else. If the problem is just the reorganization, the cure is relatively easy.
Access may generate one or more error messages 
and automatically open the Visual Basic window. If Access does say it has
missing references, but does not open the Visual Basic window, automatically,
then you will need to open the Visual Basic window 
manually, because the tools you need are not found in the
"Access" window, but in the "Microsoft Visual Basic" window where the code
appears. In that window, click "Tools" on the menu bar and then pick "References". 
When you do that, a dialog box 
will appear and if any references are missing, the word
"MISSING" will be displayed next to the check box. Just uncheck the boxes and
the references will be removed. For the standard Microsoft references that have
merely been reorganized, this will fix the problem. However, there are other
possible causes for missing references other than reorganization of Access too
and if the reference has truly gone missing, most likely because it was not a
Microsoft standard module, but a third-party add-on, then you will need to find
it again and make sure that it is available. Allen Browne's article Solving Problems with Library
References and Doug Steele's article Access
Reference Problems are good introductions to dealing with missing
references.
You may see a message looking somewhat like this one. 
if your
database application is linked to data tables that actually reside on a
different server, for example on one of our SQL servers. Once you clear this
message box, you should see the reason 
the
login failed. Access is trying to log you in to the SQL server using the name
you use to log in to your computer and the BSU network. Most of our SQL Server
databases require their own login names and passwords. You have to clear the checkbox 
next to "Use Trusted Connection" and then you can enter the correct name and
password in the corresponding boxes.
There are no settings to fix this behavior, but University Computing Services has developed a Visual Basic module for Access that will allow logins without going through a failure first.
If you have questions, contact the HelpDesk at 765-285-1517 or send e-mail to helpdesk@bsu.edu.