That's a good point about old developers sometimes hanging on to their files for years. I've been on both sides of this situation - tracking down a long-gone programmer, and being the one who archived old project backups "just in case." If the consultant who built the database is reachable, even in retirement, there's a reasonable chance they'll help out or at least know how the project was packaged originally. That's often the easiest path if you want access to the unlocked version or need a password, since prying open ACCDE or compiled files without the original code is nearly impossible and definitely not supported by Microsoft.

Of course, if you can't track them down, you're left with whatever you can pull off those old install discs or backups, like I discussed in the video. Always worth a try, though! Like a good wizard never throwing away an old spellbook, a smart Access developer rarely tosses old project files. Just make sure any request for passwords or source files is reasonable and respectful - sometimes there are licensing issues or confidentiality agreements to consider. But in many real-world cases, folks are just happy to see old work still in use.