"Unrecognized Format" Trying to Open Access Database Converted from Pocket Access

ID: Q240074

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows CE Services version 2.2
Microsoft ODBC Driver for Access, versions 3.5, 4.0
Microsoft Access 97

SYMPTOMS

When you try to open a Microsoft Access 97 database that was converted from a Microsoft Pocket Access database, you may receive the following error message:

Unrecognized format

After you receive this error message, you cannot open the file in Access 97.

CAUSE

The Access converter used to convert Pocket Access (.cdb) files to Access 97 (.mdb) files uses the latest Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) driver for the Jet database engine installed on the computer. If the latest version is a Jet 4.0 driver, it creates a Jet 4.0 database with an .mdb extension when it is called to create a new database. Access 97 uses the Jet 3.5 driver, which cannot read a Jet 4.0 database. The Jet 4.0 driver can read any Jet format, but can write only Jet 4.0 databases.

RESOLUTION

This problem is resolved in Microsoft ActiveSync 3.0.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kberrmsg kbtool wince
Version : WINDOWS:2.2,3.5,4.0,97
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb