Connect Python to Access 2016: “database … requires a newer version of Microsoft Access”

Question

Following is the configuration: 1.Python - Python 3.8.1 (tags/v3.8.1:1b293b6, Dec 18 2019, 23:11:46) [MSC v.1916 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32 2.MS Access 2016 MSO(16.0.12624.20348) 64 bit 3.Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb, *.accdb) 16.00.4513.1000 4.Installed Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 Redistributable

Facing the error while trying to create a connection:

import pyodbc

conn = pyodbc.connect(r'Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb, *.accdb)};DBQ=C:\Users\tejas\Documents\First.accdb;') cursor = conn.cursor()

Error: Traceback (most recent call last): File "C:\Users\tejas\eclipse-workspace\HelloWorld\DB\Insert.py", line 3, in conn = pyodbc.connect(r'Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb, *.accdb)};DBQ=C:\Users\tejas\Documents\First.accdb;') pyodbc.Error: ('HY000', '[HY000] [Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] The database you are trying to open requires a newer version of Microsoft Access. (-1073) (SQLDriverConnect); [HY000] [Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] The database you are trying to open requires a newer version of Microsoft Access. (-1073)')

I have gone through other similar questions and tried various options but no luck so far. Any help would be appreciated.

Try running this code against the file you want to open. What "file type" does it report? — Gord Thompson

Gord Thompson Gord Thompson · Accepted Answer · 2020-04-11T19:32:38

[Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] The database you are trying to open requires a newer version of Microsoft Access.

Running this code:

# path to the file you want to check
file_path = r"C:\Users\Public\my_db.accdb"

with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
    type_byte = f.read(21)[20]
    print(f"file type {type_byte}")

produced "file type 5", confirming that it is an Access 2016 database file which has been modified to include columns of the new "Large Number" (BIGINT) type.

Unfortunately, the Access 2016 Database Engine redistributable has not been updated to work with these files, so at the moment the ACE ODBC driver will throw the above error if we try.

I don't know if the Access 2016 Runtime has been updated to work with these files. I sort of doubt it, but if it has then it might allow us to work with such files using ACE.DAO via pywin32. (Never tried.)

Connect Python to Access 2016: “database … requires a newer version of Microsoft Access”

2 Answers