Create a Database in Access – Instructions

Create a Database in Access: Video Lesson

            This video lesson, titled “Creating a New Database,” shows how to create a database in Access. This video lesson is from our complete Access tutorial, titled “Mastering Access Made Easy v.2019 and 365.”

Overview

            You can easily create a database in Access. When Access opens, it shows the “Home” window, which lets you either create a new database file or access a previously opened database. An Access database file is a container that holds all the tables, forms, reports, queries, macros, and modules required by the database. You use Access to create database files for use on a single computer or to share on a local network.

            After starting Access, you can create a new database file from scratch by using a blank database template or you can create a new database file that contains some basic database objects by selecting one of the other types of database templates.

            To create a database in Access, click the name of the type of database template to use as the basis for your new database file in the listing of templates shown in the “New” section of the “Home” screen. Alternatively, click the “New” button at the left side of the screen. Then click the type of database to create from the listing of templates that appears to the right. To create a new, blank database in either location, click the “Blank database” template choice.

A picture of the window that appears after you create a new blank database in Access.

            At that point, a small window appears onscreen, where you can enter a name for the file into the “File Name” field. The default location where Windows will save the database file appears below the name. To change the save location, click the small folder button at the right end of the “File Name” field to open a “File New Database” window, where you can change the directory into which to save the file.

            After naming the Access database and choosing where to save it, then click the “Create” button in the window to create it. The database then opens within the main Access user interface, where you create and design the database objects.

Instructions on How to Create a Database in Access

1. To create a database in Access, click the name of the type of database template to use as the basis for your new database file in the listing of templates shown in the “New” section of the “Home” screen.
2. Alternatively, click the “New” button at the left side of the screen.
3. Then click the type of database to create from the listing of templates that appears to the right.
4. To create a new, blank database in either location, click the “Blank database” template choice.
5. At that point, a small window appears onscreen, where you can enter a name for the file into the “File Name” field.
6. The default location where Windows will save the database file appears below the name.
7. To change the save location, click the small folder button at the right end of the “File Name” field to open a “File New Database” window, where you can change the directory into which to save the file.
8. After naming the Access database and choosing where to save it, then click the “Create” button in the window to create it.
9. The database then opens within the main Access user interface, where you create and design the database objects.