Query access database from SQL management studio without using linked servers

You can use OPENROWSET or OPENQUERY. For example (per Microsoft's Northwind):

 SELECT CustomerID, CompanyName
   FROM OPENROWSET('Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0',
             'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\SAMPLES\Northwind.mdb';
             'admin';'',Customers)

Adding a linked server just allows ease of configuration, so different processes can use the connection without having to specify connection details. I don't believe a Linked Server actually adds any functionality that can't be obtained through one of the two OPEN options.

How about OPENROWSET().