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Access desktop databases can help you store and track just about any kind of information, such as inventory, contacts, or business processes. Let’s take a walk through the paths you can take to create an Access desktop database, add data to it, and then learn about next steps towards customizing and using your new database.

In this article

Choose a template

Access templates have built-in tables, queries, forms, and reports that are ready to use. A choice of templates is the first thing you’ll notice when you start Access, and you can search online for more templates.

1. In Access click File > New.
2. Select a desktop database template and enter a name for your database under File Name. (If you don’t see a template that would work for you, use the Search online templatesbox.)
3. You can either use the default location that Access shows below the File Name box or click the folder icon to pick one.
4. Click Create.

Depending on the template, you might need to do any of the following to get started:

• If Access displays a Login dialog box with an empty list of users:
  1. Click New User.
  2. Fill in the User Details form.
  3. Click Save & Close.
  4. Select the user name you just entered, and then click Login.
• If Access displays a Security Warning message in the message bar, and you trust the source of the template, click Enable Content. If the database requires a login, log in again.

For more, see create an Access desktop database from a template.

Create a database from scratch

If none of the templates fit your needs, you might start with a blank desktop database.

1. From Access, click New > Blank desktop database.
2. Type a name for your database in the File Name box.
3. You can either use the default location that Access shows below the File Name box or click the folder icon to pick one.
4. Click Create.

Add a table

In a database, your information is stored in multiple related tables. To create a table:

1. When you open your database for the first time, you’ll see a blank table in Datasheet view where you can add data. To add another table, click the Create tab > Table. You can either start entering data in the empty field (cell) or paste data from another source like an Excel workbook.
2. To rename a column (field), double-click the column heading, and then type the new name.

Tip: Meaningful names help you know what each field contains without seeing its contents.

1. Click File > Save.

• To add more fields, type in the Click to Add column.
• To move a column, select it by clicking its column heading, and then drag it to where you want it. You can also select contiguous columns and drag them all to a new location.

For more, see Introduction to tables.

Copy and paste data

You can copy and paste data from another program like Excel or Word into an Access table. This works best if the data is separated into columns. If the data is in a word processing program, such as Word, either use tags to separate the columns or convert into a table format before copying.