Access 2007 for Starters: The Missing Manual

Getting Started

It's time to begin your journey and launch Access. You'll start at a spiffy Getting Started page (Figure 1-1).

Figure 1-1. The Getting Started page is a bit of a cross between a Windows program and a Web page. Use the links on the left to browse through different categories of templates (ready-to-go databases that you can download and fill with your own information). Or check out the links on the bottom, which show you the latest Access news and tips.

The Getting Started page looks a little dizzying at first glance, but it really serves just three purposes:

• It shows you recent content from Microsoft's Office Online Web site. For example, you can read helpful articles about Access, find timesaving tips, or download updates. All links open in a separate browser window.

• It lets you open a database you used recently. Look for the Open Recent Data-base section on the right, which gives you a list.

  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: Using Someone Else's Database

  Can I use an Access database I didn't design?

  Although every database follows the same two-step process (first somebody creates it, and then people fill it with information), the same person doesn't need to perform both jobs. In fact, in the business world, different people often work separately on these two tasks.

  For example, a summer student whiz kid at a beer store may build a database for tracking orders (task #1). The ...