How to make install the Northwind database in Microsoft Access 2016. Northwind is a sample database designed to be used for learning and demonstrations.

1. Download Northwind Sample Database 2012
2. Sample Sales Database

Microsoft Access 2013 is a database management system that provides the software tools you need to organize data. If you're a novice user, you may have seen mentions of The Northwind sample database, which has long been available to Access users. It contains some great sample tables, queries, reports, and other database features, and it frequently appears in tutorials for Access 2013. If you're learning Access and working your way through online tutorials, you'll no doubt be asked to use the Northwind database. Here's how to install it in Microsoft Access 2013.

Installing the Northwind Database

Access database templates used to be downloadable from the web, but they are now available only from within Access itself. To install the sample database:

1. Open Microsoft Access 2013.

2. Type 'Northwind' in the Search for Online Templates box at the top of the screen and click Enter.

3. Single-click on Northwind 2007 Sample in the result screen.

4. In the File Name text box, provide a filename for your Northwind database.

5. Click the Create button. Access downloads the Northwind database from Microsoft and prepares your copy. It may take a few minutes.

6. Your database opens automatically when it is ready.

About the Northwind Database

The Northwind database is based on a fictitious company—Northwind Traders. It incorporates sales transactions between the company and its customers and purchasing details between the company and its vendors. It includes tables for inventory, orders, customers, employees and more. It is the basis for many tutorials and books on using Access.

These instructions also apply to Microsoft Access 2016.

Home > Articles > Data > Access

1. Opening the Northwind.accdb Sample Database

Download Northwind Sample Database 2012

Sample Sales Database

Opening the Northwind.accdb Sample Database

The Northwind Traders sample database (Northwind.accdb) is the primary Access application used in this book's examples. Access 2007 doesn't include a sample database, so the accompanying CD-ROM provides an upgraded and updated version of Northwind.mdb from Access 2003 and earlier. Transferring the CD-ROM's sample chapter files to your computer places Northwind.accdb in your SEUA12Nwind folder, which also contains a copy of Access 2003's Northwind.mdb file in Access 2000 format.

After installing the sample files from the CD-ROM, open Northwind.accdb and display its Home ribbon and default Navigation Pane by doing the following:

1. Launch Microsoft Office Access 2007, if it isn't running.
2. Click the Office button to open the gallery (menu) and choose Open to launch the Open dialog. Navigate to your SEUA12Nwind folder, which contains three sample files (see Figure 3.3).

   Figure 3.3 The Open dialog lets you open almost all varieties of Access 2000 through 2007 database files.

3. Select Northwind.accdb, and click Open to open the Switchboard form as a tabbed document (see Figure 3.4). The message bar displays a security warning with an Options button. The content that's been disabled is the VBA code in the Utility Functions module.

   Figure 3.4 The Switchboard form's default page lets you select one of four categories of sample forms and sales reports to open. The Navigation pane displays all database objects in an Outlook-style sidebar.

4. Optionally, click the Products and Suppliers button and then click a button to open one of the sample forms or reports. Figure 3.5 shows the Suppliers and Products List in Form view.

   Figure 3.5 The Suppliers and Products form displays values from the Suppliers table's record for the selected supplier above a datasheet view containing related products' records from the Order Details table.

After you open Northwind.accdb for the first time, it opens automatically when you launch Access, and an entry for the database appears in the Office gallery's Recent Documents pane. It's quicker to open Northwind.accdb or any other recently used databases from the Recent Documents pane.

Related Resources

• eBook (Watermarked) $25.59

• eBook (Watermarked) $31.99

• eBook (Watermarked) $35.19