ACC: "Data Source Not Found, No Default Driver Specified" Error

• Microsoft Access versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0

SYMPTOMS

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

When you are trying to attach a SQL Server table or trying to use a table that has already been attached, you may receive the following error message:

   Data source not found and no default driver specified.

CAUSE

You may have a missing, damaged, or incorrect ODBC.INI file.

Other situations may indirectly cause this error message. For more information, please see the following article here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

    ARTICLE-ID: Q102437
    TITLE:      ACC: Debugging & Troubleshooting Tips for Attached SQL
                Tables

RESOLUTION

Verify the following:

• There is an ODBC.INI file in your WINDOWS subdirectory.
• There is only one copy of the ODBC.INI file available on the computer you are using.
• The entries in the ODBC.INI file are correct for the SQL database server to which you want to connect.

MORE INFORMATION

The contents of your ODBC.INI file should resemble the following:

   [ODBC Data Sources]
   MYSERVER=SQL Server
   YOURSRVR=SQL Server

   [MYSERVER]
   Driver=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SQLSRVR.DLL
   Description=SQL Server on server MYSERVER
   OemToAnsi=No
   Network=dbnmp3
   Address=\\MYSERVER\PIPE\SQL\QUERY

   [YOURSRVR]
   Driver=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\SQLSRVR.DLL
   Description=SQL Server on server YOURSRVR
   OemToAnsi=No
   Network=dbnmp3
   Address=\\YOURSRVR\PIPE\SQL\QUERY

• The [MYSERVER] section is missing.
• The Driver= line is missing.
• The .DLL file on the Driver= line is missing its .DLL extension.
• The .DLL file is missing, damaged, or outdated.