Here are the files described in our Access 2003 All in One Reference for Dummies book. They are all Zip files, because many Web browsers won't let you download .mdb files directly.
After you download you file, make sure you unzip it, and work only with the unzipped .mdb file. In Windows XP and Windows Vista you can right-click the .zip file and choose Extract All.
When you open any of the downloaded databases, you'll get the umpteen security warnings you now get with any document that contains code. Needless to say, we'd have to be crazy, stupid, or some combination thereof to put malicious code in a file that's so easily traced back to us. So you can assume all of these files are safe to open.
If Access absolutely refuses to open a downloaded database, first make sure you're opening the unzipped .mdb file. Then, unblock the .mdb file so it will open. Here's how:
You should be able to open the database now just by clicking (or double-clicking) its icon.
If you're using the Access 2003 book with an older version of Access, and can't open the downloaded database, try this one: MOM 2003 (for Access 2000).zip After you download, make sure you unzip it, and also unblock if necessary.
You can also download sample databases from my earlier books. Again, these are all .zip files from which you'll need to extract the .mdb file.
Questions?: Ask Alan