How to Recover a Deleted Access Database (.accdb)

Updated on Oct 19, 2026 | by Qiling

Quick Navigation:

Find the Last Good Database Copy
Protect the Source Before Recovery
Recover With Qiling Deep Data Recovery
Verify the Recovered Files
Frequently Asked Questions

An Access database is more than a file name: it may contain related tables, forms, reports and links to external data. Recovering an ACCDB therefore requires both finding the file and checking whether the database actually opens.

Find the Last Good Database Copy

Close Access on every computer that uses the database. Search the original folder, Recycle Bin, shared-drive backups and any application-specific backup location. A recently compacted database may have a separate backup copy.

Note the exact path and extension. An .laccdb lock file is not the database; recovering it alone will not restore your records. If the database was stored on a network share, check the server's backup or snapshots first.

Access applications can split data into a back-end database and forms or reports into a front-end file. Before scanning, ask which ACCDB is missing: recovering the front-end alone will not restore records stored in a separate back-end.

A lock file named .laccdb can remain while users or integrations have the database open. Its presence identifies activity around an ACCDB, not a backup of the tables. Coordinate with other users before copying or testing shared database files.

Protect the Source Before Recovery

Do not create a new database with the same name in the source folder. New writes can overwrite deleted data, particularly on an SSD.

Prepare another physical disk for recovery output. If the source drive disconnects, clicks or reports read errors, stop repeated scans and consider a professional image.

Recover With Qiling Deep Data Recovery

Qiling Deep Data Recovery provides a visual scan of storage that Windows can detect. In this case, scan only the locally attached, stable disk that held the ACCDB; it cannot scan an inaccessible network server by itself. A listed file is only a candidate until you open and verify its recovered copy.

Step 1. Identify the Deleted ACCDB

Check Recycle Bin and available backups, then record the original disk and folder. If colleagues still have the database open, ask them to close it before testing a restored copy.

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Step 2. Select a File-Deletion Scan

For a recently deleted local database, choose Fast Scan. Use Recycle Bin Scan if it was emptied; choose Disk Scan only when the source partition disappeared. Do not scan a network shortcut as if it were a physical disk.

Step 3. Choose the Original Drive

Select the physical drive that contained the ACCDB, using its model and capacity rather than only the drive letter. Install and run the tool from another drive if possible.

Step 4. Inspect Database Candidates

Filter for .accdb and compare file names, paths, sizes and dates. A result that is only a few bytes or has no recognizable path may not be a complete database.

Step 5. Save and Test a Copy

Click Recover and save to another physical drive. Open a duplicate in Access, check critical tables and relationships, and compare record counts with a known backup.

Verify the Recovered Files

Keep the recovered database isolated until users confirm forms, reports and linked tables work. Do not replace the live shared database with an unverified candidate.

If the file opens with errors, compare it with Access backups and ask a database administrator to inspect a copy. Avoid repeated repair attempts on your only recovered file.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an .laccdb file restore the database?

No. It is a lock file, not the ACCDB containing the data.

Can I scan a mapped network drive?

Check the server's backup or snapshots. Scan a locally attached physical source only when you have access and it is stable.

Why does the recovered ACCDB open but show missing tables?

The file may be incomplete or linked tables may live in another database; verify both the database and its external sources.