How do I connect to Peachtree using ODBC/OLEDB?

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1 Answer ID: Last Updated: 9/11/09 Summary: How do I connect to Peachtree using ODBC/OLEDB? Question: How do I connect to Peachtree using ODBC/OLEDB? Answer: Peachtree 2010 (Pro Accounting and later) offers a way to connect to your company data through applications other than Peachtree. You can now create a read-only Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) and Object Linking and Embedding (OLE DB) connection to your Peachtree database. This connection can be created with any application that supports ODBC or OLEDB. Data can be extracted directly from the Peachtree company database into other applications such as Microsoft Excel and Access. With the entire Peachtree database accessible, you can create custom reports and analyze financial information. In order to use an ODBC or OLE DB connection with your Peachtree data, you must have security for the company set to allow this type of access. Follow the steps below for allowing access to your company data through ODBC or OLE DB. 1. Open Peachtree and your company 2. Select Maintain, Users, Set up security 3. If prompted with the following message, click OK. 4. Select the Crystal Reports/Data Access tab on the User Security window 5. Select who can access company data from Crystal Reports, OLEDB, and ODBC. Your options are: No one: External access is denied for everyone including the users you have set up in your company. Only one user: Restricts access to only the user selected. This user ID and password must be used when accessing the company data using ODBC or OLE DB Anyone: Anyone can access the data through ODBC or OLE DB and providing the generic user ID of Crystal and a blank password.

2 6. Click Close to close the window and you will be ready to use and ODBC or OLE DB connection for read-only access to your company data. Create an ODBC Data Source Before you can connect to the Peachtree database via ODBC, it is necessary to first add the Pervasive database engine as an ODBC data source. This can be achieved by completing the following steps: 1. Select Start, Run 2. In the open box, type odbcad32 and click OK. 3. The ODBC Data Source Administrator window appears. 4. Click the Add button on the right to add the Pervasive database as a user data source.

3 Complete steps 5 through 7 for a standalone installation or steps 8 through 13 for a network installation. 5. In the Create New Data Source window select the Pervasive ODBC Engine Interface and click Finish. 6. The Pervasive ODBC Engine DSN Setup window appears. Enter a Data Source Name and select the Database Name from the drop-down list. The Database Name will appear as the company name in Peachtree. Click OK.

4 7. The Data Source Name should now appear in the User Data Sources list. Select OK and skip to step 14. Complete steps 8 through 13 for network installations 8. In the Create New Data Source window select the Pervasive ODBC Client Interface and click Finish.

5 9. The Pervasive ODBC Client DSN Setup window appears. Enter a Data Source Name and an Address. The Address will be the IP Address or the computer name to the server where the Peachtree data is located. Click Create. 10. Enter the User Name and Password on the login window.

6 Note: Enter the login information of the user that has access to the company data from Crystal Reports. If all users are allowed access, enter Crystal as the User Name and leave the Password field blank. If access has been restricted to only one user, enter the user ID and password of that user. Only the first eight characters of the user s password can be used when accessing Peachtree data from an external source. 11. The Create Engine DSN window appears. Enter a Data Source Name and select the Database Name from the drop-down list. The Database Name will appear as the company name in Peachtree. Click OK. 12. The Data Source Name will appear in the Data Source Name drop down list in the Pervasive ODBC Client DSN Setup window. Click OK.

7 13. The Data Source Name should now appear in the User Data Sources list. Select OK. 14. You will now be able to use the new ODBC connection in a 3 rd party application of your choice that supports ODBC.

8 Using the ODBC Connection to Peachtree You will be able to use the ODBC connection that you created in the steps above in any application that supports ODBC. For this example, we will be using Microsoft Access to retrieve data from Peachtree using the ODBC connection you created above. 1. Open Microsoft Access and select File, Open. 2. On the Open window, choose ODBC Databases() from the Files of type drop-down menu. 3. On the Select Data Source window, click the Machine Data Source tab. 4. Choose the ODBC data source that was created in the steps above and select OK. 5. Enter the User Name and Password on the login window. Note: Enter the login information of the user that has access to the company data from Crystal Reports. If all users are allowed access, enter Crystal as the User Name and leave the Password field blank. If access has been restricted to only one user, enter the user ID and password of that user. Only the first eight characters of the user s password can be used when accessing Peachtree data from an external source. 6. Select one or more tables from the list (hold down the control key to select more than one table) and click OK. 7. You will now see the selected tables listed in the database window Connecting to Peachtree using OLEDB With the OLEDB connector, an application can connect directly to a Peachtree database. We will use Microsoft Excel for this example. 1. In a new spreadsheet select Data, Import External Data, and Import Data. 2. Browse to the individual company data folder. 3. Select the CrystalReports.udl file and click Open.

9 4. You may be prompted with the Data Link Properties window. If this window does not appear, skip to step 5. On the Connection tab, the Data Source and Location fields are already populated. Enter the User name and Password for the company database. If all users are granted access to the database, the User name is Crystal and the Password is left blank. Check the Blank Password check box if no password is needed. Click OK. Note: Enter the login information of the user that has access to the company data from Crystal Reports. If all users are allowed access, enter Crystal as the User Name and leave the Password field blank. If access has been restricted to only one user, enter the user ID and password of that user. Only the first eight characters of the user s password can be used when accessing Peachtree data from an external source. 5. Select a table from the list and click OK.

10 6. On the Import Data window, choose if the data will be placed on an Existing worksheet or a New worksheet. Click OK. 7. The data will populate in the worksheet.