Freeware, no Microsoft Access required
How to Open a Microsoft Access Database Without Microsoft Access [Hide Microsoft Access]
So, you're here because you're trying to open a file with a ".MDB" file extension, but don't have a copy of Microsoft Access to unlock its mysteries. What is this file format and, what is Microsoft Access?
The first question is related to the second, but let's start with the MDB file itself. The extension is short for Microsoft DataBase and is the format that Microsoft Access used until 2003. The new format, which replaced MDB long ago, is called ACCDB. If you have an MDB file, it probably came from an old source.
As for Access, it is the database component of the Microsoft productivity suite, which also includes applications such as Word and Excel. Let’s look at some ways you can open an mdb file without Access.
