If you can open and browse the tables without errors, the database is neither encrypted nor corrupted.
So you are probably facing some custom field level encryption.
/gustav
Main Topics
Browse All TopicsI have an access database password protected and contains a single table. After I enter the password and open the table I found that the data looks like encrypted. Sample like this
"ÅWGÉܼG"
Even I dont know it is encrypted or corrupted.
The person who has made this database and a windows application in VB6 to access this has left the firm without notice and no source code available. Now I have to make the same interface in c# windows application.
How can I access this data using c#.
Regards
This Question has been solved and asker verified All Experts Exchange premium technology solutions are available to subscription members.
Experts Exchange has been collecting answers to technology questions since 1996…3 million and counting! If you have a question, chances are we already have your answer.
If you can't find the exact answer you're looking for, ask our exclusive community of 50,000 experts. You’ll get a personalized answer from a trusted professional.
Thousands of free tech tips, tricks, how-to’s and tutorials are available in our peer reviewed articles section. See for yourself how smart our experts are, no login required.
Access the answers to your technology questions today.
30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.
Members of the expert community talk about why the experience at Experts Exchange is different than what you will find anywhere else.

Try it out and discover for yourself.
30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.
Join the community of experts here and help other tech pros by answering question in your area of expertise. You can earn FREE access to all Experts Exchange's premium features and resources.
Then it would seem that this data has been secured by a customize encryption method. As such, it would violate EE guidelines for us to assist you in decrypting it.
Can you not contact the former employee and get their source code? It would seem that, if this was developed on company time and belongs to the company, that you'd have quite a bit of legal backing to force this employee to provide you with the source code.
Business Accounts
Answer for Membership
by: LSMConsultingPosted on 2009-01-26 at 08:14:13ID: 23467934
If it's corrupted, then try to Compact the database (make a copy first). If you can't open it in Access, you can use the JetComp utility (http://support.microsoft. com/kb/273 956).
If it's encrypted:
When you open a database that is encrypted BY ACCESS, Access will decrypt the data "on the fly" ... that is, if you successfully open an encrypted database and then doubleclick a table to view it, Access will show it to you in a decrypted state. This would lead one to believe that the data in YOUR database is encrypted by some other method, and as such we would be unable to assist you (EE guidelines prohibit this). You would need to have this method in order to use the data.
Suffice it to say that if your VB programmer knew what they were doing and used a strong encryption measure, you'll have a heckuva time decrypting this.