Using Backstage View in Access 2010

Synopsis: Backstage View was introduced in Office 2007, and has been improved on Office 2010. Backstage View in Access 2010 is the gateway to operations such as creating and saving and databases.

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Backstage View was introduced in Access 2007, and it was significantly improved in Access 2010. In effect, it replaces the older File menu and the commands accessed from it. In fact, in Access 2007 access to Backstage View was via a round button called the Microsoft Office Button, but that has now been replaced by the new File button. It can be a little confusing at first that you click the File button to access Backstage View, but once you’ve done that what you see is very different from anything you would have seen in a version of Access pre-2007.

You can see the list of available options on the left.

At the top of the list you see familiar options such as Save and Open. Beneath the Close Database option there is also a list of recently opened databases for quick access.

The command with the highlight here is Info. In the window on the right you can see two important buttons. One gives access to the commands to Compact & Repair your database. The other enables you to encrypt and password protect an Access 2007 or later database.

To the right of these is a link that says “View and edit database properties”. Click on that link and information about the current database is displayed.

The dialog that appears has five tabs, each containing information about your database. In some cases you can add or update information. In this example you could add details of the Manager or Company in the spaces provided. Click Cancel to exit this dialog or OK if you have made any changes that you want to keep.

Selecting Recent in Backstage View provides access to a longer list of recently-opened databases.

To create a new database, select New.

Here you can select one of the available templates as the basis for a new database. The ones at the top are the ones that are available locally, such as templates you have used recently which are in “Recent templates”. If you have made a template of your own you would normally find it in “My templates”.

There is another section of templates and template folders headed “Office.com Templates”. The templates here are available from Office.com, provided that you have an Internet connection, of course. Subject to certain licensing conditions, you can use these templates to give you a head start in the development of the database you need.

The next option available from Backstage View is Print, and below that is Save & Publish.

Here you can save, publish, package or distribute your database in a number of formats, including the older – or “legacy” – MS Access formats such as Access 2002-2003 format.

Backstage View also provides a Help button, and below that the Options button provides access to the Access 2010 options.

The Access Options dialog contains several pages of options that you can use to customize both the Access workspace and the features of individual databases. These pages include:

• Proofing and Language settings for localization
• Facilities to customize the ribbon
• Trust and security settings

The final option available from Backstage View is the Exit button at the bottom. Click that and Access 2010 exits.

Simon Calder

Chris “Simon” Calder was working as a Project Manager in IT for one of Los Angeles’ most prestigious cultural institutions, LACMA.He taught himself to use Microsoft Project from a giant textbook and hated every moment of it. Online learning was in its infancy then, but he spotted an opportunity and made an online MS Project course - the rest, as they say, is history!