How to use MS Access on a Mac?

**PWallace** · 02-11-2010

I am going to switch from the desktop computer to iMac. One of the important thing that I do on the computer is to view and edit the database that are created using Microsoft access. Many people told me that I cannot use run the Microsoft Access on a Mac. If that is the case then I have to change my plan of switching to iMac. Please tell me if it is possible to run Microsoft Access on a Mac. If you have any information about that then please let me know. Any suggestion from anybody will be really appreciative.

**Algonkin** · 02-11-2010

Hi PWallace,
Sorry to tell you that Microsoft has not bought the access to the M.acs. So you cannot use the Access files in the Mac. Even if you see the 2011 edition of their office that is the latest edition then also you will not find the Access in that. So the only thing that you can do is to install the Windows environment on your Mac. The friendliest way is to make use of Apples BootCamp. But for this also you will have to reboot your Mac and then only it will be able to run the Windows. I wish that they will release the version of this with Access implemented in it.

**DanielV** · 02-11-2010

Main disadvantage of using the BootCamp is that you have to reboot the Mac in order to use the BootCamp. There are many Virtualization app that can be the best alternative to the BootCamp. You can download and use them like Parallels, VMWare Fusion or free VirtualBox. If you go for these then you would not have to reboot the Mac. If we talk about the compatibility then I am happy to tell you it is fully capable of running MS-Access. Just go with any one of them and you will be able to modify the access files on Mac and you would not have to change the idea for switching to iMac.

**mesterio** · 02-11-2010

It is possible to access and modify the Microsoft access files on your Mac. You can use the Actual ODBC Driver for Access to do that. Download and install that to your Mac. This will cost something but I am not sure about the exact price for that. There is Excel and FileMaker Pro that will help you to retrieve the data from the access database. This is the best way to modify the access file and I wish that it will help you too. I am using this software and found it very easy to access the database files. It has very simple interface and you can easily use that without any problem.

**Deep123** · 02-11-2010

You can use the Open office software. You can easily search for this software on internet and download it on your computer. This is very good software that supports the access. You will get it free on internet. Just google it and download it. There may be many software available for this but I found that this is the best among them. Download and try it once and I am sure that you are also going to like it. This is the most liked software for accessing the Microsoft database. It is very easy to use and you will not have to boot the machine as in case of other software that are used to access the database.

**Ernesto4** · 03-11-2010

If you want the easiest way to solve the problem then I think that VMware or Parallels will be the best option for you. You can use these to setup a virtual machine that has Windows XP installed in that. You have to install the Office Pro Windows also. Once you are done with this then you will be able to view, edit the access files from Microsoft. Don’t think to wait for the Mac to provide access because if you do this then you have to wait for a very long time.