Microsoft Access JDBC Driver Download

Download the Access JDBC driver, copy the JDBC URL into DbSchema, and start designing schemas with ER diagrams — free Community Edition.

Connect Access in DbSchema Install the driver, open a connection, reverse engineer your schema, and sync changes visually.
Access guide Free Download

About the Access JDBC driver

A JDBC driver is a Java .jar library that lets applications connect to Access. DbSchema uses JDBC to reverse engineer schemas, run SQL, and generate documentation. Driver files are usually published by the database vendor or an open-source project.

JDBC URL format

Host, port, database name, and SSL options are passed in a URL starting with jdbc:. Each Access driver uses its own syntax — see the connection details below.

The Access JDBC driver

Microsoft Access is a desktop relational database management system included in Microsoft Office, widely used for small business databases, data entry forms, and local data management. The UCanAccess JDBC driver provides read/write access to .mdb and .accdb files from Java applications.

The Microsoft Access JDBC URL

  • Required File(s): ucanaccess-xxx.jar plus commons-lang, commons-logging, hsqldb (bundled in the zip)
  • Java Driver Class: net.ucanaccess.jdbc.UcanaccessDriver
  • JDBC URL: jdbc:ucanaccess://PATH_TO_MDB_FILE
  • Website: UCanAccess

Download Access JDBC Driver

The driver archive is a zip file. Extract it and load all the .jar files using DbSchema's Driver Manager. The JDBC source code is located on http://ucanaccess.sourceforge.net/

Opening an Access Database

Microsoft Access has no server to configure. There is no host, no port, no user account and no firewall rule — the JDBC URL points at a file on disk, and DbSchema opens it directly. Two things still matter: the file must be reachable from the computer running DbSchema, and it should sit on a local disk. File locking over network shares and NFS is unreliable, and an embedded database opened over one can be corrupted.

UCanAccess is pure Java, so nothing from Microsoft has to be installed — no Access, no ODBC driver, and it works the same on macOS and Linux as on Windows.

  1. Choose the .mdb or .accdb file. Press Choose... in the Connection Dialog. Both the older .mdb format and the current .accdb are supported.
  2. Expect a lock file beside it. Access creates a .laccdb or .ldb file next to the database while it is open, so the folder has to be writable even when you are only reading. A database another process holds exclusively opens read-only.
  3. Use the password entry if the file has one. The Use Password entry in the Connection Mode combo passes a database password. Workgroup security on old .mdb files is a different mechanism and is not covered by it.

DbSchema's URL includes memory=false, which keeps the driver's memory use low on large files and releases the file lock when the connection closes.

DbSchema and Microsoft Access

DbSchema connects to Access .mdb and .accdb files using the UCanAccess driver, rendering tables, relationships, and queries as a visual schema diagram. This is especially useful for migrating Access databases to a server-based RDBMS like MySQL or PostgreSQL using DbSchema's Schema Synchronization.

Test the driver with DbSchema

Connect Access, build your first ER diagram in minutes. No account required.

1
Download driver & DbSchema

Get the Access driver zip below and install DbSchema for Windows, macOS, or Linux.

2
Register the .jar

In DbSchema, open Driver Manager, add the extracted JAR, and paste your JDBC URL.

3
Design & document

Reverse engineer Access, edit the model visually, and publish schema documentation.

Free DbSchema Download

Use Access visually in DbSchema

After the JDBC driver connects, you get ER diagrams, SQL editor, schema sync, and HTML documentation in one desktop app. Compare DbSchema editions.

ER diagrams

Reverse engineer Access into an interactive diagram and edit structures visually.

SQL & query builder

Run SQL with autocomplete or compose queries without writing every join by hand.

Schema documentation

Export HTML docs your team can browse without installing DbSchema.

Full Access guide

Connection tips, ports, SSL, and schema design workflows on the database landing page.

Access guide

Setup guides

JDBC driver FAQ

No. The UCanAccess driver is pure Java, so DbSchema opens .mdb and .accdb files on Windows, macOS, and Linux without Access installed.

jdbc:ucanaccess://C:/path/to/database.accdb — just the file path; Access is file-based, so there is no host or port.

Load all jars from the zip: ucanaccess plus its bundled dependencies such as commons-lang, commons-logging, and hsqldb.

Other drivers teams often configure alongside Access.

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