Re: Locked database prohibits changing security

From: MTennant (mhtennant_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 08/10/04 

Date: 9 Aug 2004 18:09:19 -0700

"Joan Wild" <jwild@nospamtyenet.com> wrote in message news:<eeybqfweEHA.3632@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl>...
> MTennant wrote:
>
> > I am an Access amateur, in that I have created databases using wizards
> > but don't know coding. After installing Access 2003, I followed all
> > the scary and annoying warnings to download security measures and use
> > the security wizard.
>
> You misread the warnings. It wasn't necessary to run the security wizard.
>
> The wizard should have done the following (provided you didn't decline)
> - create a desktop shortcut to start your database
> - create a backup of your database
> - created a report of important information to print out.
>
> > I obviously didn't understand what I was doing,
> > and now I am required to enter a password....even though I didn't set
> > up one....and it won't let me in. I downloaded a program that
> > supposedly finds the missing password for you, but the program
> > reported that there isn't a password.
>
> Is it asking for just a password, or username/password. I think the latter.
> The program you tried was to find a database password (that's not the same
> as username/password)
>
> >
> > I don't need security and just want to open the databases, as I could
> > with previous versions of Access. Can anyone help? Many thanks.
>
> Since you don't want security, try the following:
>
> Use start, search, and locate all files on your computer *.mdw
> One should be named system.mdw, and there will/should be others.
>
> Open Access, but don't open a database. Go to Tools, security, workgroup
> administrator. This will tell you the mdw file you are currently joined to.
> Click on Join and navigate to the system.mdw you found above. This should
> be the workgroup that ships with Access, and should be clear of any
> security.
>
> If you are still getting a login, then close Access, find the system.mdw and
> rename it to system1.mdw. Open Access and it should create a new system.mdw
> for you with no login required.
>
> Also if you did run one of your databases through the wizard, there will be
> an unsecured version of it. It will be in the same folder, but have a bak
> extension rather than mdb. If you see if, delete the mdb and rename the bak
> to have a mdb extension. You should be back to square one, but post back if
> any further problems.

You are absolutely right...it was asking for a username/password.
Actually, I had previously joined all the other .mdws, then got "can't
open without permission" message, so this time deleted the .mdw to
which it was pointing, and let Access use the default workgroup file.
Then followed your advice, deleted the "secure" db, and renamed the
.bak one. Worked like a charm, can now get into everything, free and
clear (and unsecure). Thanks so much!

Relevant Pages

  • Re: How to remove password dialog?
    ... around with Access security anymore. ... Don't run the wizard. ... >wizard to secure your ... >> database. ...
    (microsoft.public.access.security)
  • Re: Used security wizard but no logon prompt?
    ... Don't use the Security Wizard in Access 2K. ... You are still joined to the default workgroup, not your secure workgroup. ... only when opening the secured database. ...
    (microsoft.public.access.security)
  • Re: Password Problems
    ... > I used the User Level Security Wizard. ... How did you open the database? ... Did you use the desktop shortcut the wizard ... you should not have set a password for Admin (the ...
    (microsoft.public.access.security)
  • Re: security wizard cannot be run
    ... and a potentially naive question - if security details are held in an mdw ... "Joan Wild" wrote: ... So now I assume I have to apply security from the start. ... Then I have to split the database and copy the FE and the shortcut to ...
    (microsoft.public.access.security)
  • Re: Back-End Security question
    ... After splitting, I applied security to ... If I use the shortcut the Wizard provided, ... If you used the database splitter wizard to split the database after ...
    (comp.databases.ms-access)