Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate - Information Technology/Introduction to Database Management

INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE MANAGEMENT
Microsoft Access is a computer application used to create and manage computer-based databases on desktop computers and/or on connected computers (a network). Microsoft Access can be used for personal information management (PIM), in a small business to organize and manage data, or in an enterprise to communicate with servers.

Like any other computer application, in order to use Microsoft Access, you must first install it. After installing Microsoft Access, then you can open it. There are various ways you can open Microsoft Access. It gets launched like the usual products you have probably been using. As such, to start this program, you could click Start -> (All) Programs -> Microsoft Office -> Microsoft Office Access 2007. You can also launch it from Windows Explorer or My Computer. To do this, locate its shortcut in Windows Explorer or My Computer. By default, Microsoft Access 2007 is located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12 and its shortcut is called MSACCESS.EXE. Once you have located it, you can then double-click it.

From now on, that is, for the rest of the lessons, the expression "Microsoft Access" means Microsoft Office Access 2007.

f you have a Microsoft Access database such as an E-Mail attachment, a file on a floppy disk, on the network, or in any other means, once you see its icon, you can double-click it. Not only will this action launch Microsoft Access, but also it will open the file.

You can also launch Microsoft Access from a shortcut. If you happen to use the software on a regular basis, you can create a shortcut on your desktop or on the Quick Launch area.

If you are working on a network of related computers, your database may be located in another computer. In this case the network or database administrator would create a link or shortcut to the drive that is hosting the database. You can then click or double-click this link or shortcut to open the database and, as a result, launch Microsoft Access.

REFERENCE:
INTRODUCTION TO MICROSOFT ACCESS