Microsoft KB Archive Search

Notice: This website is an unofficial Microsoft Knowledge Base (hereinafter KB) archive and is intended to provide a reliable access to deleted content from Microsoft KB. All KB articles are owned by Microsoft Corporation. Read full disclaimer for more details.

  1. Home
  2. "Microsoft Access can't change the working directory to" error message when you start Access

"Microsoft Access can't change the working directory to" error message when you start Access

View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q208683

↑ Back to the top

Symptoms

When you start Microsoft Access, you may receive the following error message:
Microsoft Access can't change the working directory to <default database folder>
where <default database folder> is the path that appears as the default database folder in the Default database folder box on the General tab.

If you click OK or press ENTER, Microsoft Access opens.

↑ Back to the top

Cause

You receive this error message if either of the following conditions is true:
  • The Default Database Folder property is not pointing to a valid path.
  • The path is longer than 260 characters.

↑ Back to the top

Resolution

Make sure that the drive is valid and that the path is 260 or fewer characters.

↑ Back to the top

More information

To check the default folder for Microsoft Access, follow these steps:
  1. Start Microsoft Access and open any database.
  2. On the Tools menu, click Options.
  3. In the Options dialog box, click the General tab. Note the path in the Default Database Folder box.
Typically during Microsoft Access installation, the default folder is set to C:\My Documents, which represents the Microsoft Access Startup folder.

↑ Back to the top

Keywords: KB208683, kbprb, kberrmsg, kbenv

↑ Back to the top

Article Info
Article ID : 208683
Revision : 5
Created on : 1/23/2007
Published on : 1/23/2007
Exists online : False
Views : 505