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How to reinstall MS Access

Kenneth Gash 20 Reputation points
2026-05-14T17:10:42.13+00:00

I purchased stand alone Access 2019 through Techsoup for non-profits. It did not come as an EXE or MSI but rather a script which automatically installed Access. The program is now showing significant problems and crashes and I would like to reinstall it while keeping all the data and tables. Is this possible to do? Thank you, Ken Gash

Microsoft 365 and Office | Access | For business | Windows
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George Hepworth 22,855 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2026-05-14T17:33:50.9966667+00:00

Short answer, yes you can reinstall Access.

The AI answer is essentially correct, albeit a bit wordy.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-05-14T17:10:51.7666667+00:00

    Yes, Access 2019 can be reinstalled without affecting existing databases, because the program and the data files are separate.

    Key points:

    1. Access databases are stored in files (for example, .accdb, .mdb) on the drive. Reinstalling or repairing Office/Access does not delete or overwrite these data files.
    2. Before doing anything, make backup copies of all Access database files and any related front-end/back-end files to a safe location.
    3. Since Access was installed via a script (likely using the Office Deployment Tool), reinstallation is done the same way:
      • Run the same deployment script or process that was originally provided by Techsoup to install Access 2019 again on the same machine.
      • This will reinstall the Access application binaries but will not touch the .accdb/.mdb files.
    4. If Access is part of an Office suite on the machine, another option is to repair or reinstall Office:
      • Use the standard Office repair/reinstall process for Office 2019 (as described in the Office install/troubleshoot articles in the references below).
      • After the repair/reinstall, open the existing database files from their current locations.

    If the installation is Access 2019 Enterprise, do not install a separate runtime, as that would replace the full version. In that case, the Office Deployment Tool must be used to specify the AccessRuntimeRetail product only when a runtime is needed, not to replace the full product.

    References:

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