How to import or link LOG text files into MS Access databases?
OR: How to force MS Access to work with text files having different extensions?

In MS Access, If you try to import or link a text file not having one of the following extensions: txt, csv, asc or htm

Ms Access displays an error message:
You can only import files having txt,csv,asc,htm,html extension

To examine in a more accurate method the server’s LOG files, my project required to import and/or link text files having the LOG extension.
Something the MS Access refused to do... A solution had thus to be found.

There are several solutions:

• The first, of course, is to rename the files to one of the accepted extensions!
• Another more persistent solution:
• Open the registry;
• Go the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Jet\4.0\Engines\Text
• Modify the entry (SZ) named DisabledExtensions (originally having the text value "!txt, csv, asc,htm,html”
• Add to this entry the desired extension.
• Example, if you wish to add the extension log, give the entry the following value "!txt, csv,asc,htm,html,log"

• When MS Access displays the Open File dialog box for selecting the text file, only files having the basic extensions are displayed.
• To force displaying your desired extension:
• Add the extension to another entry named Extensions in this same key.