Microsoft Access Beginner Level 1 - Complete 4-Hour Course

Welcome to the most comprehensive beginner course for Microsoft Access available. My name is Richard Rost. I am a 2023 Microsoft MVP. My videos have been viewed over 30 MILLION times on YouTube. This is my Access Beginner Level 1 course, which is the perfect place to get started if you have little or no experience with Access.

This course is valid for 2007, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and of course Access 365. It's over 4 hours long, and I hope you enjoy! When you're ready for Level 2, it is now available FREE:

LEVEL TWO:

00. Introduction (00:00)
01. What is Microsoft Access? (15:17)
02. Planning Your Database (29:27)
03. Getting Started (51:21)
04. Customer Table, Part 1 (1:08:01)
05. Customer Table, Part 2 (1:33:15)
06. Entering Data, Part 1 (1:54:44)
07. Entering Data, Part 2 (2:15:52)
08. Sorting & Filtering (2:31:01)
09. Customer Queries (2:49:31)
10. Customer Form 1 (3:14:27)
11. Customer Form 2 (3:33:16)
12. Customer Reports (3:43:22)

In Lesson 1, we're going to learn what Microsoft Access is, and what it's used for. You will learn some database terminology. We'll discuss the benefits of a database.

In Lesson 2, we're going to discuss planning your database. What tables do you need? What fields should go in each table?

In Lesson 3, we're going to get started creating our first new blank database file. We'll go over the Access Interface, switch the setting from Tabbed Documents to Overlapping Windows.

In Lesson 4, we're going to create our first table. We'll learn about field names, naming conventions, data types, and we'll start building the Customer Table.

In Lesson 5, we're going to decide whether certain fields should be text or number. We'll learn about long integers and doubles. We'll see why you should always include an AutoNumber ID field. You'll see how to move fields around in the table. We'll learn about the Primary Key field.

In Lesson 6, we're going to learn how to enter and edit data in our Microsoft Access Tables. We'll see AutoNumbers in action, learn how to resize a column, discuss 2-character state codes, only storing digits in phone number fields, various date/time formats that are allowed, what #### in a field means, see how the Date Picker works, what the 2-digit year cutoff date is, how to toggle a yes/no field with the keyboard, how to open the Zoom window, and learn what Dirty records are.

In Lesson 7, I'll show you where and how to download my copy of the database so you don't have to do a lot of typing if you don't want to. We'll learn about record selectors, how to turn off the delete confirmation warning, how to save table layout changes, and how to move columns around. We'll also discuss how AutoNumbers are not reused and why you shouldn't worry about them.

In Lesson 8, we'll learn how to sort and filter our records. You'll see how to perform a single-field sort. You'll learn the difference between text, numeric, alphanumeric, and date sorts. hen, we'll see how to filter records. If the boss only wants to see customers from New York, you'll know how to apply that filter to display the correct records. You'll learn how to print a table or send it as an email attachment.

In Lesson 9, we'll learn how to create queries to display our data in different ways. We'll see how to add a table to a query, add fields from the table to the query, and run the query to display results. Then we'll learn how to add sorting to our query using multiple fields, and add criteria.

In Lesson 10, we're going to build a customer form to present our user with a nice friendly interface for adding and editing records. We'll see how the quick form builder works. We'll learn about navigation, layout view, deleting records, and the different types of forms in Microsoft Access.

In Lesson 11, we're going to learn the right way to build a form using form Design View. This is a preview of a lesson that I normally used to cover in Level 2. We'll learn about setting the Record Source, adding existing fields from the table to the form, resizing objects - your labels and your text boxes - and changing colors.

In Lesson 12, we will learn how to make a couple of different customer reports.

LINKS:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

[patricklimacher]

You have a very clear voice and accent, which makes it easy for a foreigner to follow your course. Furthermore, you structured the course didactically very well. I would like to thank you for this nota bene free service. I do not take it for granted. This is very good content.

[r.senthilramalingam]

I finished the 4 hour beginner training phase. It was a fantastic experience, and only now, after several training films, have I fully grasped MS Access. Thank you for your time and consideration, and please continue to educate us on this subject.

[moizrashid]

Brilliant training Richard. You made the the concepts so easy to grasp. I am slowly moving away from Excel to Access for those of my projects having lots of data and not necessarily having to do any data analysis on them. Thanks a lot

[benjaminstewart]

Been watching different videos of yours for a few weeks or so now. Love your knowledge, thorougness and teaching style! Keep up the great work!!

[alphaxg]

This is the absolute best Microsoft Office-based training anywhere! Mr. Rost is a master teacher. I've learned so much in such a short period of time. His teaching style enables fast learning and very strong retention. This is like taking an expensive university course. OUTSTANDING!!!!

[fridazerlina]

Very helpful! I enjoyed your 4-hour course and still continuing to the next course

[kenlynch]

This is a great vid, Access is finally getting into my head after many previous attempts elsewhere. I like this guy, everything is explained perfectly and with a bit of personality and humour....and any fan of Rush, gets my vote every you :o)

[Pwecko]

I'm half way through this video and I have to say it is excellent. I paid for a course but found it really difficult. The tutor went straight into building a database in the datasheet view and without preparing any tables beforehand. Even as a beginner, I realised that that wasn't a good way of doing it.
Mr Rost, you are a superb teacher. I wish I'd found you first. Thank you for your efforts in making this video and presenting it to the world. You deserve a medal.

[marcarmando]

Hi, I just run into your Access 1 tutorial and I can't regret it. I thank God for making our paths met. I wasn't aware what Access has as efficiency tools for effective management. I have a lot to learn and I am engaged to it. THANK YOU A Bunch!!!

[enchantinglysimple]

I love how clear you are about the learning process and not rushing it! I have adhd, and so this type of instruction works really well for me. Thank you for making these videos for those who want to learn, but have never done it before. - Joseph

[augustusmakori]

Awesome content. Everything well explained exhaustively. I'd like the next Level 2 series. Looking forward to continue with the learning

[drywaller]

Fab. I have Richard's earlier CD's and, as usual, great clarity. Must update my laptop & Office. Thank you. Bill

[quasideus]

Thank you for this vid of yours i really need refresher like this, gosh all I've learn in my college just flush out of my mind.
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much💕

[euqkojb]

This course was perfect for my needs. The pace was perfect, it is easily searchable for reviewing a topic and I greatly look forward to viewing the other videos.

[tahjscott]

These tutorials are so good, easy to follow and I'm definitely learning. I'm aiming to become certified in MS Access, and will be using your course to do the MS Access Expert Exam. Wish me luck.

[Galstaf]

This is invaluable, an engaging and very thorough foundation. I am taking your advice and not building my company's transition from Excel->Access just yet, but I have already tables, fields and formats well tweaked thanks to this. In the spirit of sharing, around 2:08:00 you are discussing date format and how dd/mm/yyyy is more logical than mm/dd/yyyy - the reason why the US still uses mm/dd is the postal service - vast continent and so people until relatively late were still writing just the month/year on correspondance because the precise day wasn't really relevent when it was going to take a month or two to reach the intended recipient, whereas in Europe even in the 1840s mail would get there in a day or two so people started introducing the day/month to their correspondance much sooner and so when standardisation came along we were in different places. Why the metric system hasn't been adopted yet - there's a several pint discussion.

[MoodyAlshehaby]

Thank you, first time for me to open access, and it's going well so far, thanks to you. I admit I was kind of furstrated the first 40 minutes, but after starting getting into access I started to feel good. Will go through next levels and up to the advanced level, I am excited. Thank you.

[carlosalfredo]

The best course i have ever attended in my lifetime. Thank you

[nabilxgmail]

Absolutely brilliant ! Thank you for your dedication.

[amanda-sophiap]

Soooo good! Great instructor! Thanks Richard!