How Microsoft Access Compact and Repair Happens

Databases tend to grow with use and can become corrupted. Using the Compact and Repair Database command assists in preventing and correcting problems that can affect a database.

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1. Make sure that you are the only one in the database. Only one user can be in the database for this tool to run.
2. Select the Microsoft Office button.
3. From the Office menu, select 'Manage'.
4. Select 'Compact and Repair'.
5. The 'Database to Compact From' dialog box appears. Select the database that you wish to compact and repair.
6. Select the Compact button.
7. Rename the compacted database in the 'Compact Database Into' dialog box.
8. Select the Save button.
9. Optional: After checking that the compacted database is running properly, you can delete the older version and rename the newer version the same as the old database.

Make a copy of the database before you compact — rename it with today's date or copy it to another drive. Compact rewrites the file. If the database was already acting odd, a backup takes two minutes and saves a bad day.

Only one person can be in the file when compact runs. On a shared database, do it after hours or ask everyone to close Access first. Trying to compact while someone else has the back-end open is a common reason the tool fails.

Active databases with daily entry benefit from a monthly compact. File size shrinks, and small glitches that build up over time often clear. If your Access file feels slower than it used to, compact and repair is the first thing to try before assuming you need a bigger project.