Access 2007 FAQ
How to I create a Blank database template that includes all the settings and objects I want?
Access 2007 introduces a new feature that allows you to create your own default database template for use with all new blank databases. Rather than set options for each new database after you create it, you can set your preferred options only one time and have those settings apply to each new database. To accomplish this, you first need to open a new blank database from the Getting Started screen.
You must name this new database Blank in order for this procedure to work. Type Blank in the File Name text box, and then click the Browse button to open the File New Database dialog box. So that Access 2007 will use this template file for all new databases, you must place this file in a specific subfolder in the Microsoft Office folder. Navigate to the following folder on your system drive by clicking the folder icons in the left pane of the File New Database dialog box:
\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates\1033\Access
This file path assumes a default installation of the 2007 Microsoft Office system, so your exact file path might be different if you chose a custom installation and selected a different installation path.
Here is a screenshot of the template location:
Important Note: If you are using Microsoft Windows Vista, you might not be able to save the Blank.accdb database into the needed template folder. Windows Vista uses User Account Control, which protects critical program folders. If your computer is connected to a domain, you get a prompt dialog box and then you can save to the correct folder. You might need to temporarily turn off User Account Control in order to save the database into the template folder. If you are in a corporate network environment, you should ask your system administrator for assistance with this procedure.
Now that you have an empty database with no objects, open the Access Options dialog box by clicking the Microsoft Office Button and then Access Options. If you need help with that task, please see the following page: Related Topic
Select all the options you want to set for any new databases in the various categories of the Access Options dialog box.You can also open the Visual Basic Editor (VBE) and select Options from the Tools menu to select options that apply to Visual Basic in all new databases.
Creating a custom blank database template saves you time by not having to continually set your personal Access options and VBE options each time you create a new database. In addition to this timesaver, you can also include specific code modules, forms, and any other database objects with new databases. If, for example, you have some common functions and procedures stored in standard code modules that you use in all your database files, you can include them in this Blank.accdb file. Instead of having to manually import these modules into all new data-bases, Access does all the work for you by including them in new databases!
How's that for a slick feature!
See more tips and tricks like this in our book: Microsoft Office Access 2007 Inside Out
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