I have a database using MS Access 2010. I've recently populated it with data giving a file size of 800 MB. I have another equivalent database populated with data from a colleague and it has a file size of 700 MB. Merging the two files results in an error because Access 2010 has a maximum file size of 2 GB. Microsoft say you can work around this problem by using a "link" to the second database. I did this and the file size is 1500 MB. In each case I have done a "compact & repair".
I do not understand why the merging of 700 MB and 800 MB file exceeds 1500 MB. Nor do I understand why the mere linking to the other file increased the size of the first file by 100% of the size of the second file (seems pointless of Microsoft to suggest this). In other words; I would expect to merge 700 and 800 MB to get 1500 MB, but I would expect to link 700 MB to 800 MB and have the 800 MB file increase in size by not more than 5%. Can anyone clarify this?
