Hey Hugh. Doing well, thanks. Great question.

You can absolutely use linked SQL Server tables in normal Access queries. Access queries do work against SQL Server linked tables, so no, SQL Server views are not the only method.

That said, views can often be better once the data is in SQL Server, especially for larger tables, complex joins, sorting, filtering, grouping, or anything where you want SQL Server to do the heavy lifting before the records come back to Access.

My usual approach is gradual. Move one table to SQL Server, relink it in Access, let the database run for a bit with your existing local queries, make sure everything behaves, then move the next table. Existing Access queries may continue to work just fine during that transition.

Then, once the tables are up on SQL Server and everything is stable, I look at the important queries and decide which ones should become SQL Server views for better performance and cleaner design.

So the answer is: Access queries can use linked SQL Server tables, but views are often the next optimization step, not a requirement from day one.