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Refreshing an ODBC connection

Sometimes ODBC connections to a database get corrupted. The easiest way to restore them if they have once been established is to use the Linked Table Manager tool in Access. This will usually solve any problems linking to a database.

To use it, first open the database to the table view, and then click on the Database Tools tab, then click on the "Linked Table Manager" icon.

This will open a window showing the tables that are linked to in your database, as shown below. This window will show the table names, ODBC data source(es) used to connect to each (on this view, that is labeled "DSN") and the database where the data actually resides. You can individually select the tables for which you want to refresh the connections, or you can click on the "Select All" button to select the entire list at once. If you select the wrong table by accident, click the check box again to deselect it. When you're ready, click "OK to refresh the connection. MS Access will re-establish the connection if possible, and display a confirmation message when done. Click "OK" to exit the confirmation message, and "Close" to exit the Linked Table Manager tool.

If you have questions about the meaning or proper usage of the data available in a particular reporting database, please contact the Enterprise Information Stewardship Office at 353-4856 or via their website at Enterprise Information Stewardship Office.

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