Understand
Catalogue objects, relationships, VBA, queries, linked data, external interfaces and the workflows users rely on.
Microsoft Access migration services
Move a critical Access application forward without losing the business knowledge inside it.
Understand the data, queries, forms, reports, macros, VBA and external dependencies before moving the right parts to SQL Server and modern .NET software.
The problem
Access applications often become critical long before anyone plans for their future
A database that began as a useful departmental tool can grow into a system that runs orders, operations, reporting or customer service. Its value is real—but so are the risks when the original developer has left, documentation is thin or a 32-bit dependency blocks an Office upgrade.
A safe migration starts by recovering what the application actually does. Moving tables alone does not migrate the forms, reports, VBA, queries, integrations and operational habits that make the system useful.
32-bit VBA or API calls fail on 64-bit Office
Missing references, ActiveX or OCX dependencies
Undocumented forms, reports and business rules
Linked tables, file shares and ODBC connections
Slow performance, corruption or record locking
One person understands how the system works
Compiled MDE or ACCDE files without source
No reliable estimate for replacing the application
The approach
Recover the application before deciding how to replace it
The best route may be stabilisation, a SQL Server back end, a staged .NET replacement or a combination of all three.
Separate
Distinguish data storage, business rules and user experience so each layer can move at the safest time.
Replace in stages
Prove data integrity and business behaviour as capabilities move to SQL Server, APIs and supportable .NET applications.
Migration route
Discover. Baseline. Migrate. Prove.
- 01
Discover
Identify files, users, versions, source availability, linked systems and operational constraints.
- 02
Baseline
Capture schema, data quality, behaviour, dependencies, performance and critical user journeys.
- 03
Migrate
Move agreed data and capabilities in controlled increments with rollback and reconciliation.
- 04
Prove
Test outputs, workflows, permissions and operational readiness before retiring old components.
Practical options
Not every Access system needs the same destination
Keep Access working safely
Resolve compatibility problems, reduce immediate operational risk and document the system while a longer-term decision is made.
Move the data to SQL Server
Retain a suitable Access front end temporarily while centralising data, improving control and preparing for further change.
Replace the application with .NET
Rebuild selected workflows as a web or desktop application, preserving valuable rules without reproducing every historical constraint.
Assessment deliverables
A credible scope before a costly migration begins
The first engagement is designed to replace guesswork with evidence and a commercial decision.
- Application, data and dependency inventory
- 32-bit and 64-bit compatibility findings
- VBA, query, form and report complexity assessment
- Data-quality and migration-risk summary
- Recommended target architecture
- Phased roadmap, priorities and decision points
- Indicative delivery scope and investment
Common questions
What an Access migration really involves
Can the data move before the whole application?
Often, yes. A carefully assessed Access front end can temporarily use SQL Server through linked tables while later replacement stages are planned.
Why can 64-bit Office break an old database?
Legacy VBA may use 32-bit Windows API declarations, controls or drivers. These need to be identified and updated or replaced—not simply reinstalled.
Will a migration tool convert everything?
No. Tools can accelerate parts of the schema and data move, but forms, reports, VBA, Access-specific queries and operational behaviour still require analysis and engineering.
Good fit
This service is designed for
- Business-critical MDB or ACCDB applications
- Access systems blocking an Office or Windows upgrade
- Organisations moving data to SQL Server or Azure SQL
- Teams replacing Access workflows with .NET
- Inherited applications with little reliable documentation
Important constraints
What can affect the scope
- The number of databases, users and linked systems
- Whether editable source files are available
- Password protection and compiled MDE or ACCDE files
- Custom controls, drivers and external automation
- Data quality and the evidence available for testing
Commercial starting point
Assessment from £2,500 + VAT
A fixed-scope assessment covers one defined application or closely related application set and ends with a written migration recommendation. Final scope depends on application count, source availability, integrations, VBA complexity and data volume.
Request an assessment
Still relying on an ageing Access application?