Link to Salesforce data from Microsoft Access

To get started:

Before you can use the Salesforce ODBC driver to connect your application to Salesforce, you need to configure an ODBC data source. An ODBC data source stores the connection details for the target database (in this case, Salesforce) and the ODBC driver that is required to connect to it (in this case, the Salesforce ODBC driver).

To run ODBC Data Source Administrator (which you use to create a data source), in the Windows Run dialog box, enter this command if you're using a 64-bit version of Microsoft Office:

%windir%\system32\odbcad32.exe

–Or–

Enter this command if you're using a 32-bit version of Microsoft Office:

%windir%\syswow64\odbcad32.exe

If you are not sure whether your version of Microsoft Office is 32-bit or 64-bit, start Microsoft Access, and then look for the application's process in Task Manager. If the process name is MSACCESS.EXE *32, Microsoft Office is 32-bit. If the process name is MSACCESS.EXE, Microsoft Office is 64-bit.

To create a Salesforce ODBC driver data source:

  1. In ODBC Data Source Administrator, choose the System DSN tab, and then choose Add.
  2. In the Create New Data Source dialog box, choose Easysoft Salesforce ODBC SOQL Driver, and then choose Finish.
  3. Complete the DSN Setup dialog box:
    Setting Value
    DSN Salesforce
    User Name The name of your Salesforce user. For example, myuser@mydomain.com.
    Password The password for your Salesforce user.
    Token The security token for your Salesforce user, if required.

    To find out whether you need to supply a security token, choose the Test button. If the connection attempt fails with an error which contains LOGIN_MUST_USE_SECURITY_TOKEN, you need to supply one.

    Salesforce emails the security token to the email address associated with your Salesforce user account. If you have not received a security token, you can regenerate it. Salesforce will then email the new security token to you. To regenerate your security token, log in to Salesforce and then choose Setup from the user menu. Search for "security token" in the Quick Find box. Choose Reset Security Token in the Reset Security Token page. When you receive the token in your email client, copy it and then paste it into the Token field.
  4. Use the Test button to verify that you can successfully connect to Salesforce.

Using the Salesforce ODBC driver to access Salesforce data as linked data

  1. Open your Microsoft Access database.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • For Microsoft Access 2003 and earlier, on the File Menu, choose Get External Data > Link Tables.

      The Link dialog box is displayed.

    • For Microsoft Access 2007, on the External Data tab, choose More > ODBC Database.

      The Get External Data wizard starts.

    • For Microsoft Access 2010 and later, on the External Data tab, choose ODBC Database.

      The Get External Data wizard starts.

  3. Do one of the following:
    • For Microsoft Access 2003 and earlier, choose ODBC Databases from the Files of type list.
    • For Microsoft Access 2007 and later, choose Link to the data source by creating a linked table, and then choose OK.

    The Select Data Source dialog box is displayed.

  4. Choose your ODBC data source from the Machine Data Source list, and then choose OK.

    The Link Tables dialog box is displayed.

  5. Choose the table that you want to link and then choose OK.
  6. Choose the linked table in Microsoft Access, and then press Return to work with the linked data.