ACC2000: How to Import Spreadsheets from MS Works for Windows

ID: Q209726

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Access 2000
Microsoft Works for Windows, versions 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 4.5

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

This article applies only to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb).

SUMMARY

This article explains how to transfer your spreadsheet files from Microsoft Works into a Microsoft Access database (.mdb).

MORE INFORMATION

To convert a Works for Windows spreadsheet to Access

NOTE: If you have Microsoft Works 2.0, you can simply import the spreadsheet files directly into Access (see the "To import a Works spreadsheet" section later in this article) without having to complete the following steps. If you have Works 3.0 or later, first follow these steps:

Open the spreadsheet file in Works for Windows.

On the File menu, click Save As.

Under Save File as Type, choose the appropriate converter:


   Works for Windows 4.0 and later: click Lotus 1-2-3
   Works for Windows 3.0x:          click Works 2.0

Click Save.

To import a Works spreadsheet

Start Access and open the database into which you want to import the Works spreadsheet.

On the File menu, point to Get External Data, and then click Import.

In the Import box, select the correct folder for the Look In field, and then click Lotus 1-2-3 in the Files of Type list. To import the spreadsheet, click the spreadsheet file that you want to import, and then click Import.

This starts the Import Spreadsheet Wizard. Follow the instructions in the wizard to import your spreadsheet.

NOTE: If the first row of a Works spreadsheet contains column names, Access can use the column names as the field names for the new table. If the first row of the spreadsheet does not contain column names, Access uses default field names for the fields in the new table.

The fields in the new table have the same data types as your Works spreadsheet, with the following exceptions:

Fields formatted as TRUE or FALSE in Works are converted to Number fields in Access, with a 1 indicating True and a 0 indicating False.
Microsoft Works Formula fields are converted to Number fields with values.

REFERENCES

For more information about importing data, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type "Importing" in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

For additional information about importing Works database files into Access, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q93429 How to Import a Works for Windows Database to MS Access

Additional query words: w_works wks wk1 worksheet


Keywords          : kbinterop kbdta IntpOff 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000; WINDOWS|MACINTOS:2.0,3.0,4.0,4.5
Platform          : WINDOWS WINDOWS|MACINTOS 
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: June 10, 1999