Java `ClassNotFoundException: sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver`: Why and How to Fix It?

java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver Exception Occurring: Why?

When attempting to connect to an MS Access database using a DSN in Java, a common exception encountered is java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver. This issue occurs due to several reasons.

Cause: Missing JDBC-ODBC Driver Class in Classpath

The ClassNotFoundException is typically thrown when the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) cannot locate the specified class, in this case, the sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver. To resolve this issue, ensure that the JDBC-ODBC driver JAR file is included in the classpath of your application.

Deprecated Driver for Java 8 and Above

For Java 8 and higher, the JDBC-ODBC Bridge has been deprecated and removed. Hence, attempting to use the Class.forName() statement for the sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver will result in the aforementioned exception.

Solution: Update for Java 8 and Above

For Java versions 8 and above, the recommended approach to connect to Access databases is through alternative JDBC drivers such as UCanAccess. Here's an updated code snippet using UCanAccess:

import net.ucanaccess.jdbc.UcanaccessDriver;

// ...

try {
    Class.forName("net.ucanaccess.jdbc.UcanaccessDriver"); // for MS Access with UCanAccess driver

    String conURL = "jdbc:ucanaccess://path/to/database.mdb";
    Connection con = DriverManager.getConnection(conURL);
    // ...
} catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
    // Handle exception
}

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