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Format

Microsoft Access Database File

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Summary

Name
Microsoft Access Database File
Version
2002
Identifiers
  • Library of Congress Format Description Identifier: fdd000462
  • Wikidata QID Identifier: Q48021763
  • PUID: x-fmt/241
Format type
Database
Description
Microsoft Access Database File, formerly known as Jet MDB Database format, is proprietary file format developed and used by Microsoft as a native format for its Microsoft Access (formerly Microsoft Jet Database Engine) desktop database management system. First released in 1992, starting with version 1.0 the earlier versions of the database used the Jet Database Engine, with version Microsoft Access 2002 utilizing the Jet 4.0 database engine. The page size of the Jet 4.0 database engine is 4096 bytes. The .mde extension refers to protected Access database file with compiled VBA and macros. This entry records the version 2002 of MDB file format, for a full list of versions please follow the links provided in the Notes section.
Note
https://web.archive.org/web/20220711181532/http://fileformats.archiveteam.org/wiki/Access https://web.archive.org/web/20220901011824/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Access https://web.archive.org/web/20220825195028/https://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000462.shtml http://web.archive.org/web/20111115230803/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/178883
File extensions
mdb, mde
Source
Digital Preservation Department / The National Archives
Developed by
Microsoft Corporation

Relationships

Is previous version of
Is subsequent version of

Internal signatures

MS Access 2002/3

Note
Jet 4 DB header plus variably-positioned AccessVersion 09. Two byte sequences. First byte sequence character sequence, Standard Jet DB. Second byte sequence character sequence, A c c e s s V e r s I o n{0-2048} 0 9 . [0:9] [0:9]

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
None
Byte Sequence
000100005374616E64617264204A65742044420001000000
Endianness
Little-endian
Min Frag Length
Variable
Offset
None
Max offset
None
Byte Sequence
410063006300650073007300560065007200730069006F006E{0-2048}300039002E00[30:39]00[30:39]
Endianness
Little-endian

Changelog

  • Updated in V112

    Release date
    10 May 2023

    Microsoft Access Database File 2002: Updated Wikidata QID. Submitted by National Library of the Netherlands.

  • Updated in V110

    Release date
    14 March 2023

    Microsoft Access Database File 2002: Updated description and name, added extension .mde, added notes, identifiers and developer. Submitted by Digital Preservation Department, The National Archives (UK).

  • Added in V34

    Release date
    2 April 2010

    Microsoft Access Database 2002: Signature developed through DROID 5.0 research