Free online MDB to ODT converter

What the MDB format is

.mdb is the database format used primarily by Microsoft Access through Access 2003 and earlier versions. It can contain tables, queries, forms, reports, relationships, indexes, macros, and Visual Basic for Applications code. You may encounter MDB files in older business applications, exported archives, legacy inventory systems, and databases shared by Access users.

An MDB file is a container for structured data, while ODT is a word-processing format. Consequently, there is no one-to-one conversion for every MDB object: tables and query results can become document tables, and reports can become formatted pages, but forms, relationships, macros, and executable database logic cannot be preserved as editable ODT features.

What the ODT format is

.odt is the OpenDocument Text format used by LibreOffice Writer, Apache OpenOffice, and other OpenDocument-compatible applications. It stores paragraphs, tables, styles, images, page layouts, headers, footers, and other word-processing content in an open, XML-based package.

ODT is suitable for distributing database reports as editable documents, printing selected records, and storing human-readable snapshots without requiring Microsoft Access. It is not suitable for preserving relational queries, data-entry forms, calculated database behavior, or a live connection to the MDB source.

How to actually convert MDB to ODT

Using 101convert.com

1. Open 101convert.com and select its MDB conversion tool.
2. Upload the .mdb file and choose ODT as the output format.
3. Start the conversion, then download the generated ODT file when processing finishes.
4. Open the result in LibreOffice Writer and check tables, page breaks, dates, number formats, and non-Latin characters before sharing it.

This route is suitable when the file contains ordinary tables or reports and you do not need to preserve Access-specific behavior. Do not upload a database containing confidential or regulated information unless the service's handling and retention terms meet your requirements.

Using LibreOffice and an MDB connection

1. Install LibreOffice and, on Windows, an appropriate Microsoft Access ODBC driver. Create an ODBC data source for the MDB file using the Windows ODBC Data Source Administrator.
2. In LibreOffice Base, choose File → New → Database, select Connect to an existing database, choose ODBC, and select the MDB data source.
3. Open the required table or query in Base. Select the records and fields to include, then copy them.
4. Open Writer with File → New → Text Document, paste the data, and choose a suitable paste option such as formatted text or an embedded table.
5. Apply Writer styles, adjust column widths and page orientation, then choose File → Save As and select ODF Text Document (.odt).

For a repeatable report, create or use a query in Access or Base first, because exporting an entire table may include technical ID fields and unnecessary columns. If the MDB contains an existing Access report, Microsoft Access can export that report to RTF or Word format; open the result in LibreOffice Writer and save it as .odt.

Quality and compatibility limits

Check the output manually: Access reports may use fonts, controls, grouping, conditional formatting, embedded charts, or page settings that do not map cleanly to Writer. Memo or long-text fields can alter line wrapping, binary attachments usually require separate extraction, and calculated fields may export only their displayed values rather than their formulas.

Password-protected, damaged, or encrypted MDB files may not open through ODBC or an online converter. Access-specific queries, VBA code, relationships, indexes, forms, and permissions remain in the original database and are not represented in an ODT file. Keep the original .mdb as the authoritative source and compare record counts and key totals after conversion.