The 1Gb Access Database limit

Post #65,640 by Meerkat 11/28/02 6:30:39 PM Reply	The 1Gb Access Database limit I was just curious about Access (97 in this case) limiting the size of its Database to 1 Gig. I was just wondering if there's any sound reason for it, or it's just an artifical limit imposed to encourage people to upgrade to SQL Server or something. (I know Access XP or whatever it is has a 2gig limit) Disclaimer: No, it's not me using Access! :-) Cheers, John. John. Busy lad.
Post #65,655 by static 11/28/02 8:20:25 PM Reply	Probably a Windows OS limit. Windows has a file size limit of 2Gb in older versions. If the programmer unwisely used signed values in the file access logic, then that halves. Wade. "Ah. One of the difficult questions."
Post #65,667 by mmoffitt 11/28/02 10:44:20 PM Reply	I don't think it's Windoze, but I'll look into it. Doesn't ring true for me if MSDE (w/2 Gig limit) and SQL Server (w/theoretical terabyte limit - although performance would suck on a single processor box) could be run instead of Access on the same box. Sounds like a product limit to me.
Post #65,672 by JayMehaffey 11/29/02 12:34:18 AM Reply	Practical I think From my experience it is more of a practical limit then anything else in older versions. Access starts to get flaky before you reach the size limit. I suspect though, that in Access versions after Access 97 it's more of an artifical limit. After 97 they threw out the old DB engine and stuck a cut down SQL Sever engine in there. I don't have any real experience with anything after Access 97 to say how much more powerful it is though. Jay
Post #65,736 by mmoffitt 11/29/02 4:38:07 PM Reply	That's an option, isn't it? I believe with Access 2K you can choose your poison. You can continue to use the old Jet engine OR use the MSDE (Microsoft Desktop Engine). MSDE is a scaled down version of Sql Server. It shipped at the same time Sql Server 7 did. IIRC, the limits on MSDE proper are 2 Gig database limits and 5 concurrent connections. MSDE is free (as in beer). The Access implementation of that engine does not have, I don't think, the 5 connection limitation, but I suspect it's the same product.

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