Jet OleDb 4.0 and Office 12.0 Access Database Engine

Have you ever found problem where you want to edit an office files (*.doc, *.xls, *.docx, *.xlsx) on dekstop without the Office application? yeah, I’m sure this is a common problem found by  developers when their application trying to edit an office file on a server without  (read :  not allowed to install) Office installed on it? :P  and I think nowadays still a lot of developers out there using interop / COM files in their program, unfortunately they can’t just install the COM objects without installing the office on the server.

Well, I suggest you to recode you application, change the codes from using COM object to System.Data.OleDb namespace. Trust me this would get around the licensing issue (read : don’t need to install the Office application) but still you need to makesure you have JetOleDb already installed for Office 2003 and Office 12.0 Access Database Engine for office 2007.

For Jet OleDb 4.0 actually already installed on OS XP, but if you found program failed due on OleDbCommand.Connection due to missing msjetoledb40.dll 2 ways around this:

1. Reduce your component visibilty, then the "Jet Database OLEDB Support"
   compoent will come into view, and you can add it.
2. Copy the file "msjetoledb40.dll"
   from a XP Professional (system32), and use "regsvr32" to register it.

You can find out more about Jet OleDb 4.0 from here and you can find out more about Office 12.0 Access Database Engine for office 2007 here.