Microsoft Access Version Comparison

Major differences between Access versions from Access 2000 to Access 2010

Microsoft released Access 1.1 in 1992. In the years that have followed, Access has undergone several major changes that impact the way Access database applications are created and managed. The comparison table below provides the major highlights between Access 2000 and 2010.

	Access 2000	Access 2002	Access 2003	Access 2007	Access 2010
Year Released	1999	2001	2003	2007	June 2010 (expected)
Database Engine(s)	Microsoft Jet Database Engine (32-bit only)	Microsoft Jet Database Engine (32-bit only)	Microsoft Jet Database Engine (32-bit only)	Access Database Engine (32-bit only)	Access Database Engine (32-bit and 64-bit)
Workgroup Security	•	•	•	(only for old 'mdb' file formats)	(only for old 'mdb' file formats)
Database Encryption	Access-specific weak encryption	Access-specific weak encryption	Access-specific weak encryption	Windows Cryptographic API (accdb only)	Windows Cryptographic API (accdb only)
Access Data Projects	•	•	•	(limited)	(limited)
Data Access Pages	•	•	•
Alternating row shading				•	•
Conditional formatting of fields		•	•	•	•
Multi-value combo box fields				•	•
Share Point List integration				•	•
Publish Access forms to the web with Share Point					•
Attachment fields				•	•
User Menus	Menu bar	Menu bar	Menu bar	Office Fluent Ribbon	Office Fluent Ribbon
Memo fields with history				•	•
UI Macros	•	•	•	•	•
Data Macros					•
Macro/VBA security	Simple low/medium/high for all databases	Security prompt for each database	Security prompt for each database	Office Trust Center (folder level)	Office Trust Center (file level)

Official name version	Access 2000 9.0	Access 2002 (XP) 10	Access 2003 11	Microsoft Office Access 12	Microsoft Office Access 14
Last service pack released	SP3	SP3	SP3	SP2