I’m talking about the (formerly known as the "Access Connectivity Engine" or ACE).
Here is everything you need to know about why this "legacy" component is still a critical part of the modern data stack. First, forget the name. Despite having "Access" in the title, this is not a tool to build databases. It is a driver and library set .
while ($reader.Read()) { Write-Host "Region: $($reader['Region']) - Total: $($reader['TotalSales'])" } $conn.Close() microsoft access database engine 2010
If you have ever used PowerShell to query a .xlsx file, run an SSIS package against a CSV, or used Excel Power Query to connect to a DB2 database, you have likely relied on this engine.
Install the driver (64-bit example):
Microsoft no longer hosts this publicly on their main download center due to its age, but it is archived on MSDN and Volume Licensing Service Center. Alternatively, move to the 2016 Redistributable if your environment allows it. Have you been burned by the Access Database Engine’s memory leaks? Or do you have a secret .dbf query that saves your department every month? Let me know in the comments below.
If you maintain a legacy data warehouse, you probably have a scheduled task running right now that uses this driver. Treat it with respect. Document your connection strings. And for the love of data integrity, always add IMEX=1 when reading mixed data types. I’m talking about the (formerly known as the
AccessDatabaseEngine_x64.exe /quiet Now, use PowerShell: