Does Microsoft Access work on Windows on ARM (either on a Windows PC or in Parallels on a ARM-chip-powered Mac)?

Question

Hi everybody,

I am a teacher. I am giving an introductory course to Microsoft Access after now and then.

Currently, I am thinking about my next computer. I am pretty sure that all the stuff I need (and currently work with on my x64-Windows-machine) works on Windows on ARM besides Microsoft Access. For it, I read about some issues. Can anyone support such reports or put my mind to ease that Access works on Windows on ARM?

Likewise, I read about issues with Access on Windows in ARM running in Parallels on a ARM-chip-powered Mac. Can anyone support such reports or put my mind to ease that Access works on Windows on ARM running in Parallels on a ARM-chip-powered Mac?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Answer 1

Hello

I am Abdal and I would be glad to help you with your question.

Microsoft Access does run on Windows on ARM, but there may be some limitations or issues that you should be aware of. Access is part of Microsoft Office suite, which is available for ARM-based Windows devices, including Microsoft Surface Pro X, Samsung Galaxy Book S, and Lenovo Yoga C630. However, some Access features that rely on 32-bit add-ins or ActiveX controls may not work on ARM-based Windows devices.

Regarding running Access on a ARM-chip-powered Mac through Parallels, it depends on the version of Parallels you are using. Parallels Desktop 16.5 and later versions support running Windows 10 on ARM as a guest operating system on M1 Macs, but there may still be compatibility issues with certain Windows apps, including Microsoft Access.

In summary, Microsoft Access does work on Windows on ARM, but you should be aware of potential limitations with certain features that rely on 32-bit add-ins or ActiveX controls. Running Access on a ARM-chip-powered Mac through Parallels may also have compatibility issues, depending on the version of Parallels and the specific features of Access you are using.

I hope this information helps.

Regards,

Abdal

Answer 2

If you only need Microsoft Access Runtime, which would be for like .net apps accessing MDB/ ACCDB, you can download it here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=50040. This solution does work with running a Windows for ARM VM.