Handy Software Lab Products FAQ

Sometimes you may run into issues or errors with applications that may require Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) to be installed and configured on your computer in order to function properly. This article provides information for installing MDAC on your computer.

More Information

MDAC is a database connectivity technology used by developers to access databases. MDAC comes preloaded on the latest operating systems, such as Windows 2000 and XP. However, it is recommended to install the latest service pack of MDAC when it is made available to keep the system updated. Most developers distribute MDAC with the installation, so it may not be required to install it on your computer again.

Fix

The fix is to install the latest version of MDAC, which can be found on Microsoft's Data Access Downloads page. The most recent versions of MDAC are located near the top of the page. Click on the version you need and follow the directions provided to install it.

Many developers still use older versions of MDAC. The latest version of MDAC always replaces the older ones when you install it. Although it is recommended to always install the latest version and service pack of MDAC on your computer, sometimes it may be neccessary to install an older version of MDAC to make sure that the application works. The Data Access Downloads page provides links to older versions of MDAC as well. Be sure to follow the directions for downloading and installing the version you need and read the minimum system requirements.

Note: MDAC 2.5 requires that you have DCOM95 installed on a Windows 95 operating system before running the MDAC 2.5 installation on it. Download DCOM95 before running the MDAC installation on Windows 95. Then install DCOM95 by double-clicking the dcom95.exe file.

The following example shows you how to download and install MDAC 2.7 on your computer.

1. Go to Microsoft's Data Access Downloads page.
2. Click on the MDAC 2.7 SP 1 link.
3. Click the Download link on the right to start downloading a file called mdac_type.exe.
4. Save the download to your Desktop.
5. Double-click the file mdac_type.exe.
6. Check the box corresponding to “I accept all of the terms of the preceding license agreement” to continue with the installation. Click Next.
7. In the following dialog, click Finish. A progress bar shows the MDAC installation progress. When the installation is complete the Finish dialog appears.