Chapter 5: Read APPX Data with Excel, Access and LibreOffice
Choose 32-bit LibreOffice Calc and Base
The native Base wizard, table browser and saved query passed with this 5.5.4 configuration. Calc import, save, fresh-process reopen and authenticated Refresh Range also passed. All seven records and nine fields match the independent native sample.
Use a 32-bit LibreOffice client with this 32-bit ODBC driver. A 64-bit LibreOffice process cannot load this driver or use its 32-bit AppxODBC DSN. The bitness requirement is the reason for choosing the x86 package; the tests do not establish a requirement to use an older LibreOffice release.
The installation history and the tested version are different:
| Item | What was used |
|---|---|
| Starting download | Official LibreOffice 25.8.7 Windows x86 MSI, obtained while that package was available from the vendor. |
| Version used for Base and Calc | 26.2.6.3, x86, after LibreOffice's own updater ran on first launch. |
| Existing installed copy | The separate 64-bit LibreOffice installation was kept. It was not used for these ODBC tests. |
LibreOffice labels the 32-bit Windows architecture deprecated. This is the vendor's support label for x86, not an APPX instruction to install an obsolete release. Check the official LibreOffice download page for an available 32-bit Windows build and its support status. If the current download selector no longer offers x86, an older vendor package may be available from the official archive. An archived package is an installation source; its presence does not establish current maintenance or APPX compatibility.
The 25.8.7 commands below reproduce the starting package used in this test. They are not a requirement to downgrade. Record the running version under Help → About LibreOffice after updates and verify that the executable is x86; the download filename alone does not identify the process that ultimately connects.
Keep an existing 64-bit installation while testing x86
For this test, the official MSI was administratively extracted into its own folder. This exposes the x86 program without replacing the installed 64-bit product or changing Windows file associations. With a locally downloaded MSI and an unused target folder, run this in Command Prompt as administrator:
msiexec.exe /a "C:\Downloads\LibreOffice_25.8.7_Win_x86.msi" TARGETDIR="C:\Tools\LibreOffice-x86" /qb
Substitute the actual download path. Wait for extraction to finish and check the resulting program\soffice.exe. Use that exact executable to start the 32-bit client. A separate profile also keeps its database registrations and settings distinct:
"C:\Tools\LibreOffice-x86\program\soffice.exe" -env:UserInstallation=file:///C:/Tools/LibreOffice-x86-profile --base
Close existing test instances before selecting another profile. If the updater restarts LibreOffice, check the running version and the database registration in the profile actually in use. The 5.5.1 test reproduced a missing registration after an updater restart selected another profile. Re-registering its saved .odb file restored Calc refresh. The separate 5.5.4 native profile retained its registration through the tested reopen.
A normal 32-bit LibreOffice installation can also provide Calc and Base. Use its supported installer when replacing an existing installation; the administrative extraction is the coexistence method tested here. Finish the driver and DSN checks before either client recipe. No Java or embedded-database setup was used for the ODBC connection described below.