Free online MDB to XML converter

A receiving application, integration script, or archival system may require Access records as XML instead of the original database file. Exporting the records produces a portable text-based file that can be exchanged without installing Microsoft Access.

What the MDB format is

.mdb is the Microsoft Access database format used primarily by Access 2003 and earlier. Later Access versions can open and edit many MDB files, and the Access Database Engine is also used by legacy applications that connect to them.

An MDB file can contain tables, queries, forms, reports, macros, relationships, indexes, and VBA modules. XML conversion normally targets the data in tables or query results; it is not a complete conversion of every object in the database.

What the XML format is

XML stores structured information in nested elements and attributes. It is text-based, platform-independent, and supported by integration platforms, web applications, programming languages, document systems, and archival workflows.

XML can represent column names, values, and optional schema information. The receiving system must still support the particular element names, namespaces, data types, and encoding produced by the exporter; XML does not define one universal database structure.

How to convert MDB to XML

Using Microsoft Access

1. Make a backup of the original .mdb file and open it in Microsoft Access. Supply the database password if the file is protected.
2. In Access 2007 and later, open the External Data tab, choose More in the Export group, and select XML File. In Access 2003, use File → Export and select XML.
3. Enter an output name such as database.xml and select the destination folder.
4. Choose the table or saved query to export. Export each required object separately, or create a query containing the required columns and records before exporting.
5. In the export options, select Data to export records. Select Schema of the data when the importer needs field definitions or an XSD schema. Select Presentation of your data only if the receiving workflow uses Access presentation metadata.
6. Open the resulting XML, and any accompanying schema or presentation files, in an XML editor. Check dates, null values, Unicode characters, decimal values, and field names before importing it elsewhere.

Using 101convert.com

You can convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software: upload the MDB file, choose XML as the output format, start the conversion, and download the result. This type of conversion may export accessible data without reproducing Access-specific objects or the exact XML schema required by another application. Do not upload confidential, personal, or regulated data unless the service's storage and retention terms are acceptable.

Automating recurring exports

Microsoft Access can automate exports with VBA's Application.ExportXML method. For example, a table export can use Application.ExportXML acExportTable, "Customers", "C:/Exports/Customers.xml"; replace Customers with the table name and use acExportQuery for a saved query. Access VBA also supports filters and additional export options, but the exact flags and output files depend on the Access version. Automation requires Microsoft Access or a compatible Access runtime and does not eliminate the need to validate the generated XML.

Quality and compatibility limits

Access XML export is generally data-centric. Forms, reports, macros, VBA code, user permissions, relationships, indexes, and query behavior are not equivalent to a complete MDB migration and may require separate reconstruction.

Exporting a query can produce different results from exporting its source table because joins, filters, calculated fields, aggregation, and parameters affect the output. Parameterized queries must have their values supplied before export.

Attachments, OLE objects, multivalued fields, large Memo or Long Text values, and other Access-specific types may be encoded differently, omitted, or rejected by the target importer. Verify binary content and long text independently when those fields matter.

If the receiving application specifies an XSD, namespace, element naming convention, or encoding requirement, compare the Access output with that specification. Transform the file with XSLT or a custom script when necessary, then validate it against the target XSD before import.