Connecting to a Database with the ODBC Administrator
- Updated2025-07-23
- 1 minute(s) read
To access databases through the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard, you must have an ODBC driver for each database system you use. Each ODBC driver must register itself with the operating system when you install it. You must also define and name data sources in the ODBC Administrator on the Windows Control Panel, which typically requires information such as a server, database, and additional database-specific options. You can define one or more data sources for each ODBC driver. Navigate to the standard Windows Control Panel facility for administrative tools and select Data Sources (ODBC) to launch the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box.
(Windows 10/8.1/7) If you use the ODBC Administrator and you receive any warnings, follow the prompts. You might need administrator access to create a new Database Source Name (DSN).