You can download the Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 provider by installing the Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 Redistributable
. While older 2010 versions are out of support, the 2016 redistributable remains the standard official source for this specific provider name. Microsoft Learn Official Download Links To get the 64-bit provider, download the file from the official Microsoft Download Center 64-bit Version: AccessDatabaseEngine_X64.exe during the download prompt. 32-bit Version: AccessDatabaseEngine.exe if you need to support 32-bit applications. Microsoft Learn Installation Steps Remove Old Versions
: Uninstall any previous versions of the Access Database Engine via the Control Panel to avoid conflicts. Run Installer : Double-click the downloaded and follow the on-screen prompts. Command Line (Optional)
: If you need to install both 32-bit and 64-bit versions on the same machine (which is normally blocked), you can run the installer through the command prompt with the AccessDatabaseEngine_X64.exe /passive Connection String Example
After installation, developers can use the following provider argument in their connection strings:
Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=C:\myFolder\myAccessFile.accdb; download microsoft.ace.oledb.12.0 provider for both 64-bit
: Support for the 2016 Redistributable officially ended on October 14, 2025. Microsoft now recommends the Microsoft 365 Access Runtime
for newer environments, though it may require updating connection strings to OLEDB.16.0 for a specific file type, like Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 Redistributable
The direct answer is that Microsoft has actively retired the standalone download links for the older Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 (Access 2010) driver. To resolve connection errors, you should instead download the highly compatible and currently supported Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 Redistributable. 🚀 How to Download & Install
To resolve the common error "The 'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0' provider is not registered on the local machine", follow these steps:
Visit the portal: Go to the Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 Download Page. Select your files: Choose AccessDatabaseEngine.exe for the 32-bit environment. You can download the Microsoft
Choose AccessDatabaseEngine_X64.exe for the 64-bit environment.
Run the installation: Double-click the file and follow the setup prompts. ⚠️ The "Both 64-bit and 32-bit" Catch
AccessDatabaseEngine.exeCause: You downloaded the wrong architecture for your OS. Fix: Run a 32-bit executable on 32-bit Windows or 64-bit on 64-bit Windows. Almost all modern servers are 64-bit.
Open 32-bit PowerShell (located at C:\Windows\SysWOW64\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe) and run the same script.
Expected result: No error message about missing provider. Why Microsoft Blocks It:
If you have ever tried to read an Excel file (.xlsx) or a CSV file directly from a SQL Server, an SSIS package, or a PowerShell script, you have likely encountered the infamous error:
"The 'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0' provider is not registered on the local machine."
This error is a rite of passage for database administrators and ETL developers. It occurs because your application is trying to use a 64-bit version of a driver, but only the 32-bit version is installed—or vice versa.
The solution is the Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable. This package contains the Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 provider. The catch is that Microsoft distributes this in two separate architectures (32-bit and 64-bit), and installing the wrong one can break existing Office installations.
In this article, we will walk you through exactly how to download microsoft.ace.oledb.12.0 provider for both 64-bit and 32-bit, how to install them safely on the same machine (using quiet mode hacks), and how to verify the installation.