ActiveX Data Objects 2.1 is referenced by default instead of ActiveX Data Objects 2.5 in Access 2002

When you create a new Microsoft Access 2002 database or project, you find that the database references the ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) 2.1 library, instead of a newer version of this library.

When you use Access 2002 to create an Access 2000 database, ADO 2.1 is referenced to enable backward compatibility with Access 2000 on computers that do not have MDAC 2.5 installed.

However, if you use Access 2002 to create an Access 2002 database or project, ADO 2.5 is referenced instead of ADO 2.1. This is because MDAC 2.5 is installed when Office XP is installed.

In Access 2002, when you select About Microsoft Access on the Help menu, and then click System Info, the Microsoft System Information dialog box is opened. If you expand the Office 10 Applications node, and then click the Microsoft Access 10 node, the information in the right window pane lists ADO version 2.5 (or possibly later). However, when you open the References dialog box, you find that the new database references the older 2.1 version of this library. This behavior is by design in order to ensure that Access 2002 databases are backward compatible with earlier versions of Microsoft Access.

Steps to Reproduce the Behavior

1. In Access 2002, create a new database called Db1.mdb.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor.
3. In the Visual Basic Editor, click References on the Tools menu.
   
   Note that there is a reference to the Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects 2.1 Library (Msado21.tlb).