odbc msaccess php5

Hi list, I am trying to get info out of a MS Access 2000 db. So far I have managed to do some of it but current part has me stumped. Set up Machine 1 - Debian 4, Apache, PHP5 unixodbc, mdbtools Machine 2 - WindowsXP, MS-Access Database is in a windows share that is smfs mounted on the linux box. $conn=odbc_connect("Database","",""); works $a = "abcd"; (this value exists in db) $stat = "Select * FROM " . '"Table Name"'; $qry = odbc_exec($conn,$stat); $res = odbc_result_all($qry) or die("Error: "); The above works as I expect it to.(Returns 70 rows) If I now want to add a where clause $stat = "SELECT * FROM " . '"Table Name"' . " Where " . '"Column Name" = " . $a; (This works) Now the place I fall into the abyss. if I change WHERE clause in $stat to " WHERE " . '"Column Name"' LIKE abc* (or other variations like abc% "abc%" "abc*" 'abc%' 'abc*') All I end up with is a blank page or Warning odbc_result_all No tuples available at this result index. Also I'm having trouble working out how to use a date in the WHERE clause. I've tried #yy-mm-dd# yy-mm-dd* dd/mm/yy etc etc (oh and yy/mm/dd 00:00:00 etc I realize this is probably more odbc/sql related but after a lot of goggling and reading I havent found the answer (about 5 days so far) And before everyone shouts use mySQL postgresql etc that isnt an option at this point in time. I dont need to update the records I just need to be able to read them with php. Oh and whilst I'm here is it possible to read an ms-query via odbc? (eg select * from myquery). Just thinking that may fix one of my problems (Caps and spaces in table/column names aaarrgghh) Peter Jackson