On-Premise Data Gateway and Access Databases

[mgaynor]

Hello,

Can the On-Premise Data Gateway connect to an Access Database.  It's marked as 'Yes' in the Power BI data sources list (link below) but it is not listed in the Data Source Type list on the Gateway.   The below link also mentions that it is  'Supported with the ACE OLEDB provider, installed on the same machine as the gateway' but doesn't offer any other detail or info.  Is there any official documentation about setting up this connection.  I've seen various workaround around ideas but I'd rather have an official yes/no and how-to.

Power BI data sources - Power BI | Microsoft Docs

[v-zhangti · Accepted solution]

Hi, @mgaynor 

If you're connecting to an Access database from Power Query Online, the system that contains the on-premises data gateway must have the 64-bit version of the Access Database Engine 2010 OLEDB provider installed.

If you're loading an Access database to Power BI Desktop, the versions of the Access Database Engine 2010 OLEDB provider and Power BI Desktop on that machine must match (that is, either 32-bit or 64-bit).

This is the relevant document, hope to help you:

https://docs.microsoft.com/power-query/connectors/accessdatabase#import-access-database-to-power-bi-... 

https://docs.microsoft.com/power-bi/connect-data/desktop-access-database-errors 

Best Regards,

Community Support Team _Charlotte

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[mgaynor]

Thanks.  I suspected they'd be moving away from it too, if it was supported at all, but the messages are mixed or just incorrect.  I'd rather not worry about Access but this is a one-off situation where my org was wanting it.  

[edhans]

It used to be it only worked with the Personal Gateway, not the Enterprise Gateway. I see the doc you linked to doesn't have that distinction, but I am wondering if it is wrong and should be updated. I do not recall MS announcing support for MS Access in the Enterprise Gateway. They seem to be depreciating usage scenarios for Access, not increasing them.