title: SQL Server linked server error 7303 to Access database
body: <p>I've performed multiple searches and read numerous pages and tried loads of different configurations and nothing seems to solve a nuisance problem we have.  We have a SQL server (2008 R2 v10.50.4000) that has several linked servers to several different access databases on a different server.  They are all set up using UNC paths and they work...for a time.  </p>
  
  <p>At some point, something happens and then we can no longer access the databases and the only way I have found to solve this is to restart the SQL server service, which obviously isn't ideal in a production environment.  This is the exact error message we get when we try to access it:</p>
  
  <p>OLE DB provider "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0" for linked server "<em>HIDDEN</em>" returned message "The Microsoft Access database engine cannot open or write to the file '\servername\path01\path02\path03\databasename.mdb'. It is already opened exclusively by another user, or you need permission to view and write its data.".</p>
  
  <p>Yet it works absolutely fine again if I restart the SQL Server service, so I know the settings are correct.  I strongly suspect it has something to do with the Microsoft ACE driver because they all (the Access database linked servers) stop working at the same time - even though they all look at different files.</p>
  
  <p>At this point I'm willing to try anything.</p>