title: Visual Studio 15 (also 12) – Open Access database - "Could not find installable ISAM."
body: <p>I am migrating a VB6 database app to VB 2015.</p>
  
  <p><em>NB: The first problem was the missing ACE.OLEDB.12.0 provider.  Installing the “Redistributable Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable Engine” solved that problem on both my 32bit and 64bit computers.  I am testing this code on 3 computers – Win7, Win10 and Win 10 64bit.</em></p>
  
  <p>However, this has been followed by the “…installable ISAM” problem.  The connection has been made apparently, but the program blocks on the Open() command – giving the ISAM error.  Following in the simple test code:</p>
  
  <pre><code>Imports System.Data.OleDb
  Public Class frmTitles
      Dim BooksConnection As OleDbConnection
      Private Sub frmTitles_Load (sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
      'connect to books database
      BooksConnection = New leDbConnection("Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;     DataSource = d:\VB-Data\BooksDB.accdb")
      'open the connection
      BooksConnection.Open()  ‘ Blocks here
      'display state
      lblState.Text = BooksConnection.State.ToString
      'close the connection
      BooksConnection. Close()
      'display state
      lblState.Text += BooksConnection.State.ToString
      'dispose of the connection object
      BooksConnection.Dispose()
  End Sub
  End Class
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Please note that trying to connect an .mdb database produces the same error is produced:</p>
  
  <pre><code>BooksConnection = New OleDbConnection("Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0; DataSource = d:\VB-Data\Books.mdb") 
  </code></pre>