Compact and repair is a very intrusive database operation and has the potential to cause database failure.
Thebackupwill be instrumental if this occurs.
If the database is located in a shared folder, instruct other users to kill the database before proceeding.
To spin up the tool, you must be the only user with the database open.
SelectFileand chooseCloseif you have a database open in the Access window.
SelectCompact and Repair Databasein the Tools group.
TheDatabase to Compact Fromdialog box will open.
Navigate to the database you wish to compact and repair and then selectCompact.
Provide a new name for the compacted database in theCompact Database Intodialog box, then select theSavebutton.
(This step is optional.)
Remember that compact and repair creates a new database file.
Therefore, any NTFS file permissions you applied to the original database will not apply to the compacted database.
It’s best to useuser-level securityinstead of NTFS permissions for this reason.
It’s not a bad idea to schedule both backups and compact/repair operations to occur on a regular basis.
This is an excellent activity to schedule into your database administration maintenance plans.
Why Compact and Repair Access Databases?
Periodically compacting and repairing Access databases is necessary for two reasons.
First, Access database files grow in size over time.
Compacting the database reclaims this space.
Repairing the database corrects database corruption issues allowing continued use while preserving the integrity of the database.
