How to export attachments (images) with a given name to a folder?

Question

My ex-colleague built an Access database with many record sets and each of them has one to five pictures attached. The size of the database is now really big (about 2 GB) and it

Answer 1

Create a new module

From the menu:

Create -> Module (it is in the right corner)

Create the following function (mostly this is copy/paste from Microsoft Documentation)

    Public Function SaveAttachments(strPath As String, Optional strPattern As String = "*.*") As Long
    Dim dbs As DAO.Database
    Dim rst As DAO.Recordset2
    Dim rsA As DAO.Recordset2
    Dim fld As DAO.Field2
    Dim strFullPath As String
    
    'Get the database, recordset, and attachment field
    Set dbs = CurrentDb

    '
    ' MODIFY THIS LINE
    '
    Set rst = dbs.OpenRecordset("NAME_OF_THE_TABLE")
    '
    ' MODIFY THIS LINE
    '
    Set fld = rst("TABLE_FIELD_WITH_THE_ATTACHMENTS")
    
    'Navigate through the table
    Do While Not rst.EOF
    
        'Get the recordset for the Attachments field
        Set rsA = fld.Value
        
        'Save all attachments in the field
        Do While Not rsA.EOF
            If rsA("FileName") Like strPattern Then
                strFullPath = strPath & "\" & rsA("FileName")
                
                'Make sure the file does not exist and save
                If Dir(strFullPath) = "" Then
                    rsA("FileData").SaveToFile strFullPath
                End If
                
                'Increment the number of files saved
                SaveAttachments = SaveAttachments + 1
            End If
            
            'Next attachment
            rsA.MoveNext
        Loop
        rsA.Close
        
        'Next record
        rst.MoveNext
    Loop
    
    rst.Close
    dbs.Close
    
    Set fld = Nothing
    Set rsA = Nothing
    Set rst = Nothing
    Set dbs = Nothing
End Function

Sub ExportData()
  '
  ' MODIFY THIS LINE
  '
  SaveAttachments ("PATH_TO_THE_DIRECTORY_WHERE_YOU_WANT_THE_FILES_STORED")
End Sub

Then run this (F5)