You might have two Access desktop databases, or two versions of the same database, and want to compare them to find design changes in queries, forms, or reports. You might also want to find differences in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code modules. If you have Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 or 2016, you can use Microsoft Database Compare to run a report on the differences it finds.
Note
You can't use Database Compare with Access web apps.
Open Database Compare
In Windows 7, on the Start menu, under Office 2013 Tools, select Database Compare if you're using Microsoft Office 2013. If you're using Microsoft Office 2016, select Database Compare under Office 2016 Tools.
In Windows 8, on the Start screen, select Database Compare.
In Windows 10 or Windows 11, search for Database Compare, and then select your installed version.
In addition to Database Compare, you'll also find the companion program for Excel, Microsoft Spreadsheet Compare. It also requires Office Professional Plus 2013. In Windows 8, type Spreadsheet Compare to find it.
You can also open Database Compare through Windows Explorer. You need to locate the executable file, and the location can vary depending on whether you're using a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows and whether you're using a subscription version of Office 365. Here are some locations to try.
If you're using Office 2016, try one of these locations:
C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Office16\\DCF\\DATABASECOMPARE.EXEC:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\Office16\\DCF\\DATABASECOMPARE.EXE
If you're using Microsoft 365, try one of these locations:
C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\Root\\Office16\\DCF\\DATABASECOMPARE.EXEC:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Office\\root\\Office16\\DCF\\DATABASECOMPARE.EXE
Compare two Access database files
Select the browse button to the right of the Compare box, and then browse to the database that you want to use as the baseline, or earlier version.
Select the browse button to the right of the To box, and then browse to the changed database, or the most recent version.
Under Report Options, choose the database objects or items (Tables, Queries, Macros, Modules, Reports, Forms, or Pages) you want compared by checking the boxes next to them.
Under Report values, choose Full to see a more detailed report or Brief for a shorter report. Both options report the same results, but Brief uses a more concise format.
At the bottom of the window, click Compare to run the report.
After the report is finished, you can select the Results tab to open a new window with a deeper, line-by-line comparison for the items.
Understand the results
In the example above, Table1 changed design. The FName and LName fields were renamed to First Name and Last Name, the Office field's data type changed from Number to Short Text, and the Dept and Hire Date fields were added to the table. Here are some things to know when you review comparison results:
- Renamed objects or object components, such as a column in a table or a text box in a form, appear as "added" and the originals appear as "deleted."
- When a property of an object is changed, that property is reported as "changed."
- When VBA code modules or Access macros differ, details appear in three columns. The original text or code appears in the Old Value column, the newer text or code appears in the New Value column, and general information, such as "Module changed" or "Macro definition changed", appears in the Change Description column.
- To see a line-by-line comparison of differences in VBA code, select the Results tab, select the module name that contains the code, and then select Details. You can also double-click the module name. A new window appears that shows the original code on lines with a yellow background and updated code on lines with a red background. You can also view differences in queries and Access modules this way.
What Database Compare can do
Use Database Compare to find design changes between two Access desktop database files or two versions of the same file. Database Compare alerts you to additions, deletions, and renamed objects such as tables, queries, forms, reports, and VBA modules. It also finds small design changes in those objects, such as new, removed, or renamed fields in a table, changes to a query, changes to form or report properties, or modified VBA code.
Database Compare doesn't look for changes in the data stored in tables, but by exporting tables or query results to Excel workbooks, you can compare those two workbooks in Spreadsheet Compare. Learn how to Export Access data to see record updates.
Next steps
If you have "mission-critical" Excel workbooks or Access databases in your organization, consider installing Microsoft's spreadsheet and database management tools. Microsoft Audit and Control Management Server provides change-management features for Excel and Access files. Microsoft Discovery and Risk Assessment complements it with inventory and analysis features to help reduce the risk associated with tools developed by end users in Excel and Access.