Applies ToAccess for Microsoft 365 Access 2024 Access 2021 Access 2019 Access 2016
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It's always a good practice to keep regular backup copies of your database. You may want to review an older version of your database or, in the case of a system failure, you may need to restore your work.

Back up a database

If you and your teammates share a database, before you begin the backup process, be sure that all other users close their instance of the database.

  1. Open the database you want to back up.

  2. Select File > Save As.

  3. Under File Types, select Save Database As.

  4. Under Advanced, select Back Up Database and then select Save As.

    If you like, change the backup file name.

    When you restore data or objects from a backup, you usually want to know which database the backup came from and when the backup was created, so it’s good practice to use the default file name, which captures both.

  5. Select the file type for the backup database, and then select Save.

If you see any of the following messages, here’s what to do:

Restore a database

To restore a database is to use a backup copy of that database to replace a database file that is damaged, has data problems, or is missing completely.

  1. Close your damaged database.

    Icon of a blank database

  2. In File Explorer, go to the folder containing the damaged database and rename that database.

    In the new name, include the original database name and its obsolete status.

  3. Go to the folder containing the backup file and copy that file.

  4. Paste the backup file into the folder containing the damaged database.

  5. Rename the backup file copy to match the name of the original database. If you’re prompted to replace the existing file, do so.

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