MS Word Drop-Down List with MS Access Data

[SgtTurbo]

I've found a few threads (not specifically on this site) doing what I'm attempting, but none work in 2007 or later versions.

I have a MS Word Form with a Drop-Down List (Legacy Control) with a list of employee names. Each time a change in employees occurs, I have to go change this form. I'd like the drop-down list to update the available options upon opening, based on information in an Access DB. I have future intentions of improving on this concept on another form which I'd like to fill in other text fields on the Word Form based on the value selected from the first dropdown.

I'm comfortable with VBA, but can't figure this one out. I wish I could just recreate these forms in Access (report), but they belong to another agency.

I have both Word and Access in versions 2010 and 2013. The back-end that I'm wanting to work with data in is in .mdb format.

Here's a link to a thread that was apparently successful in earlier versions of MS Office: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/how-do-i/how-do-i-dynamically-fill-microsoft-word-fields-using-access-data/

Here's the code from the above mentioned thread:
On "This Document"

Private Sub Document_Open()
'Populate employee dropdown field.
    Dim db As DAO.Database
    Dim rst As DAO.Recordset
    Dim strSQL As String
    Dim strPath As String
    Dim doc As Document
        Set doc = ThisDocument
            strSQL = "SELECT LastName FROM Employees ORDER BY LastName"
            strPath = "H:\SPD\" _
                & "Northwind 2007 sample.mdb"
'Update path to database file.
        Set db = OpenDatabase(strPath)
        Set rst = db.OpenRecordset(strSQL)
            Do While Not rst.EOF
                With doc.FormFields("wfLastName").DropDown.ListEntries
                    .Add Name:=rst(0)
                End With
                    rst.MoveNext
            Loop
        Set db = Nothing
        Set rst = Nothing
End Sub
 

This is on the Module:

Sub FillDependentFields()
'Fill form fields based on selected employee
'in wfEmployeeDropdown.
    Dim db As DAO.Database
    Dim rst As DAO.Recordset
    Dim doc As Document
    Dim strSQL As String
    Dim strPath As String
        Set doc = ThisDocument
            strSQL = "SELECT TitleOfCourtesy, FirstName FROM Employees " _
                & "WHERE LastName = '" _
                & doc.FormFields("wfLastName").Result _
                & "'"
            strPath = "C:Program FilesMicrosoft Office11OFFICE11SAMPLESNorthwind.mdb"
        Set db = OpenDatabase(strPath)
        Set rst = db.OpenRecordset(strSQL)
'Ignore Null values from Access data.
On Error Resume Next
            doc.FormFields("wfTitleOfCourtesy").Result = rst(0).Value
            doc.FormFields("wfFirstName").Result = rst(1).Value
        Set db = Nothing
        Set rst = Nothing
End Sub
 
Private Sub Document_Close()
'Clear  fields.
    Dim doc As Document
        Set doc = ThisDocument
            doc.FormFields("wfLastName").DropDown.ListEntries.Clear
            doc.FormFields("wfFirstName").TextInput.Clear
            doc.FormFields("wfTitleOfCourtesy").TextInput.Clear
'Close without saving or prompting.
    ActiveDocument.Saved = True
        Set rst = Nothing
End Sub
 

I've set the reference library "Microsoft DAO 3.6 Object Library." I have the Northwind Sample DB where I'm first trying to prove functionality before applying to my actual records (in .mdb format). I get an error upon opening my word form (actually it's a blank word doc, with macros enabled): Run-Time error '3343': Unrecognized database format 'H:\SPD\Northwind 2007 sample.mbd'." Debug brings me to line #13 of the first listed section of code (also shown below):

        Set db = OpenDatabase(strPath)
 

The path listed is a valid path. I've tried using "Microsoft Office 14.0 Access Database Engine Object Library" and changed DB format to .accdb, and every combination of these with similar results.