When linking to external tables using Open Database Connectivity (ODBC), Access offers to set up a Data Source Name (DSN). The DSN is quite convenient, giving us a graphic method to quickly build and specify an ODBC connection string without having to remember all of the syntax and parameters. Unfortunately, when the time comes for deployment, using a DSN can introduce some security issues. In this post, Access MVP Ben Clothier explores some methods for improving the security of your ODBC connections.

Over the past few versions of Access, the product team has steadily added more conditional formatting functionality for forms and reports. For example, in Access 2010, you can add up to 50 conditional formatting rules for each object without having to write any Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code. However, if you're working in an earlier version, or if you just prefer to use VBA to perform formatting tasks on your forms and reports, Juan Soto of AccessExperts.net has blogged about some VBA-based conditional formatting techniques that he has implemented recently.

Once you get to know Access, it doesn't take long before you start putting all your important data into Access databases. These databases are likely to become indispensable, especially in business setting. At that point, it's important to have a plan in place to recover the databases in case something bad happens, such as an accident or natural disaster.

In the previous post, we gave many examples of how Access can really help you create a database fast and with ease. We mentioned data validation, querying, reporting, and viewing data in Excel as areas where Access is rapid and flexible. In this post I will focus on reporting.

One of the great things about Microsoft Access is how it helps people easily create applications that would otherwise require the expertise of a professional developer. While Microsoft Access allows users to create solutions that involve code with, for example, VBA or SQL, today we would like to talk to you, the non-professional, about a few of the features that allow you to create applications without having to write code.

In the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day 2011, three Access team members got together and created an Access web database that allowed users to post their plans and/or wishes for themselves and their loved ones on Valentine's Day. The team published the database to Access Services and then promoted it on the Microsoft intranet. Employees flocked to the site to add their ideas and then vote for their favorites. The ideas that got the most votes garnered prizes for their authors, and the whole event generated a lot of love for Access 2010!

The Services template makes it easy to create quotes using up-to-date pricing about available services and products, and then use the quotes to create invoices. Want to cut a deal for a good customer? You can customize the prices on any quote. Something took longer or used more materials than you expected? Your invoices can accommodate differences between what you quote and what you end up providing.

On our relaunched Access product page on Office.com, we focus on how Access can help you run your small business. To address an important business need, we've added articles and videos to help you get started using the Contacts web database template to organize and manage your business contacts.

Luke Chung at FMS, Inc. has let us know that the preview version of their Total Access Emailer program for Microsoft Access 2010 is available for free! Total Access Emailer lets you send personalized email to a list of contacts within Access. Messages can be sent for any list of email addresses from a table or query. Each email can be personalized with field values from the data source.

As part of the recent re-launch of the Access product page on Office.com, we've been showing off how Access can help you run your small business. We've published some new free database templates that you can use to organize your business, and we've also provided articles and videos to help you get started using them.