Sample databases included with Microsoft Access

See examples and get ideas from the Northwind Traders sample database

Microsoft Access provides a sample database called Northwind Traders for you to use while you're learning Access : The Northwind database contains the sales data for a fictitious company called Northwind Traders, which imports and exports specialty foods from around the world. By viewing the tables, queries, forms, reports, macros, and modules included in the Northwind database, you can develop ideas for your own Access database. You can also use the Northwind data to experiment with Access before you enter your own data. For example, you may want to practice designing queries using the Orders table since it contains enough records to produce meaningful results.

The Northwind database includes a Help file called Show Me that documents the main features in the database.

How to open Northwind.

Note   Microsoft Access also includes a Database Wizard that you can use to create common Access databases. You can use the databases created by the Database Wizard as is or as a learning tool to help you design your own databases.

Start tracking your addresses, contacts, and household inventory right away

If you want to start tracking your own information right away, Access also provides the following three database applications:

• Address Book application   Use this application to manage addresses and other information for individuals, families, and companies. With the database, you can save address and phone information for every member of a family, remind yourself when it's time to send birthday cards, print address labels, and export your address list to Microsoft Word.
  
  
• Contact Management application   Use this application to manage your personal and business contacts. With this database, you can save information on your personal and business contacts, record the time and subject of phone calls, send e-mail to any contact, set reminders, print labels or envelopes, and export your contact list to Word.
  
  
• Household Inventory application   Use this application to keep track of important possessions in your home. With this database, you can record serial numbers and purchase and replacement information; list items donated to charity for tax purposes; and import and export information from other applications.

How to install and open the applications.