Article #27138: How to create Data Link File with Windows 2000

ADO comes installed on Windows 2000. You have to download it and install it for earlier Windows versions. When you install it, Data Link File shows up in the New Menu under Windows Explorer, making it quite easy to create a Data Link File. Below are two ways to easily create a Data Link file with Windows 2000 and Windows Explorer.

1. Select New | Text Document. Rename the resulting file to have a UDL extension. Double click on the file.
2. Open Notepad and place the following in it:

REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.UDL\ShellNew]
@="MSDASC"
"Data"=hex:ff,fe,5b,00,6f,00,6c,00,65,00,64,00,62,00,5d,00,0d,00,0a,00,3b,00,
20,00,45,00,76,00,65,00,72,00,79,00,74,00,68,00,69,00,6e,00,67,00,20,00,61,
00,66,00,74,00,65,00,72,00,20,00,74,00,68,00,69,00,73,00,20,00,6c,00,69,00,
6e,00,65,00,20,00,69,00,73,00,20,00,61,00,6e,00,20,00,4f,00,4c,00,45,00,20,
00,44,00,42,00,20,00,69,00,6e,00,69,00,74,00,73,00,74,00,72,00,69,00,6e,00,
67,00,0d,00,0a,00,50,00,52,00,4f,00,56,00,49,00,44,00,45,00,52,00,3d,00,6d,
00,73,00,64,00,61,00,73,00,71,00,6c,00,3b,00,0d,00,0a,00

Save the file with a .REG extension. Double click on the file. This will cause this to be automatically be entered in the appropriate place in your registry. After restarting Windows Explorer, Microsoft Data Link will be in the New menu.

Last Modified: 27-MAR-01