Frequently asked question

Can I use the ESRI OLE DB provider to connect to a Microsoft Access.mdb file that is not a geodatabase?

Last Published: April 25, 2020

Answer

No you cannot. If you do use the ESRI OLE DB provider to connect to a non-geodatabase Access.mdb, the ADO/OLE DB connection will return the following error:

Error number : -2147220973
Error description: "Underlying DBMS error".

Use one of the Microsoft Jet OLE DB providers to make the connection.

Article ID:000005699

Software:
  • ArcMap 8 x

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