Re: How to use a logon screen to log into a secured Database?

anonymous_at_discussions.microsoft.com
Date: 08/10/04 

Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 16:20:31 -0700

Jeff,

That looks like a smart solution!
I haven't implemented or tested it, but it makes a lot of
sence.

thanks a lot for remebering and sharing your expierience!

Kind regards

Norman
>-----Original Message-----
>Hi Norman,
>
>Here is a work-around I use when I need a custom login
screen as an entry point to a fully secured
>Access database. You may be able to do the same. These
are copy/pastes from previous posts of mine.
>Just bear with me and read through everything.
>
>Here ya go.....
>
>> No, you cannot change the default Access login screen
that appears with a secured database. This
>> object is not exposed to the developer.
>>
>> You can, however, make your own custom login form in a
second unsecured database. Your users will
>> probably never know the difference. For a detailed walk-
through on how to set this up, see my
>steps
>> in a post from a couple of months ago:
>>
>> http://tinyurl.com/32nfg
>
>After further checking, the most important post was not
archived on Google, probably because I had a
>small screen shot attachment on it. Here are all the
steps again:
>
>>>>>>>>>
>1. Create a new blank, unsecured database.
>
>2. Create a new form with the following properties:
>
>- Pop up: Yes
>- Modal: Yes
>- Auto Center: Yes
>- Allow Edits: Yes
>- Allow Deletions: No
>- Allow Additions: Yes
>- Scroll Bars: Neither
>- Record Selectors: No
>- Navigation Buttons: No
>- Dividing Lines: No
>- Border Style: Thin
>- Control Box: Yes (for now)
>- Min Max Buttons: No
>- Close Button: Yes (for now)
>- Shortcut Menu: No
>
>2. Add a text box for the user name (txtUserName) and one
for the password (txtPassword). Set the
>Input Mask for the password text box to "Password" (no
quotes though).
>
>3. Create a command button called cmdLogin and one called
cmdExit.
>
>4. Copy/paste this code into the click event for cmdLogin:
>
>Private Sub cmdLogin_Click()
>On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
>
> If IsNull(Me.txtUserName) Then
> ' User Name box is empty
> MsgBox "Please enter your User Name before
continuing.", _
> vbInformation, "Enter User Name"
> Me.txtUserName.SetFocus
> GoTo ExitPoint
> End If
>
> If IsNull(Me.txtPassword) Then
> ' Password box is empty
> MsgBox "Please enter your Password before
continuing.", _
> vbInformation, "Missing Password"
> Me.txtPassword.SetFocus
> GoTo ExitPoint
> End If
>
> Dim strPath As String
>
> strPath = Chr(34) & "C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE" & Chr(34) & " "
>_
> & Chr(34) & "<Full Path To Your Database Here>" &
Chr(34) & " " _
> & "/wrkgrp " & Chr(34) & "<Full Path To Your MDW
File Here>" & Chr(34) & " " _
> & "/User " & Chr(34) & Me.txtUserName & Chr(34)
& " " _
> & "/Pwd " & Chr(34) & Me.txtPassword & Chr(34)
>
> Shell strPath, vbMaximizedFocus
> Application.Quit
>
>ExitPoint:
> Exit Sub
>
>ErrorHandler:
> fncErrMessage err.Number, err.Description
> Resume ExitPoint
>
>End Sub
>
>You will need to enter your full path to the database
file and MDW file in the appropriate places.
>(Also adjust your error handing instead of mine.)
>
>5. Add this code to the click event for cmdExit:
>
>Private Sub cmdExit_Click()
>On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
>
> DoCmd.Quit
>
>ExitPoint:
> Exit Sub
>
>ErrorHandler:
> fncErrMessage err.Number, err.Description
> Resume ExitPoint
>
>End Sub
>
>(Again, adjust your error handing instead of mine.)
>
>6. To hide the Access Window go to this link:
>
>http://www.mvps.org/access/api/api0019.htm
>
>- Copy/paste all the code to a new standard module.
>- Compile the code, save the module and name it
modHideAccessWindow.
>- Open your login form and go to Design View.
>- Open the code behind the form and copy this code into
the Form's Open event:
>
>Private Sub Form_Open(Cancel As Integer)
>
> Me.Visible = True
> fSetAccessWindow (SW_HIDE)
>
>End Sub
>
>(Add in some error handling code)
>
>7. Make all the formatting changes you wish to the form.
Don't make it the Startup form yet!
>
>8. Compile the code, save and close the form. Then open
it up to test. The Access window should be
>hidden and only your form should be showing. Test
entering a valid user name and password and then
>hit the Login button. You should see a bit of screen
flickering and then your secured database
>should open followed immediately by the unsecured one
closing. I have pretty slow processors and
>this happens really quickly. On faster processors it
should be almost instantaneous.
>
>9. Close everything and then re-open the login database.
Open the form and test with an invalid user
>name/password combination. You will be presented with the
default Access login form. To me it's no
>big deal nor to my users. When they ask what it is I
simply say it's the "gatekeeper." "You must
>have entered your information incorrectly." They
completely understand and don't even give it a
>second thought. No problems at all.
>
>10. Once you're sure everything is working properly and
you are happy with the layout go back to the
>Form's Properties and make the following changes:
>
>- Control Box: No
>- Close Button: No
>
>Save and close the form.
>
>11. Make a backup of this MDB file. Now make an MDE file
from this MDB. Open up the MDE file and
>make it the Startup form by going to Tools--Startup.
Close the database and the re-open.
>Double-check to make sure everything is working properly
one more time. Close everything. Now hold
>down the Shift key and open the MDE file again to bypass
the Startup. Go back to Tools-Startup and
>uncheck everything. Probably not really needed, but let's
do it anyway. Close the MDE file.
>
>12. Download MVP Albert Kallal's nifty database utility
that will turn off the Shift key bypass:
>
>http://www.attcanada.net/~kallal.msn/msaccess/msaccess.htm
l
>
>Look for: "By Pass Shift Key Code"
>
>If set up properly using the DDL argument only users who
are members of the Admins group will be
>able to turn off this feature. Details on that can be
found here by the Mighty MichKa:
>
>http://www.mvps.org/access/general/gen0040.htm
>
>13. Disable the shift key bypass on the MDE file using
the utility. Open the MDE file one last time
>and you should not be able to stop the form from
displaying. Only the form should show in the middle
>of the screen with no Access Window. The Exit button to
completely close the database is necessary
>because you will see NOTHING in the Task Bar for this
database!
>
>14. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. I hope
I didn't miss any steps.
>
>I'm sure I'm going to get yelled at for this (...head
ducking...), but I attached a screen shot to
>demonstrate. A picture is worth a thousand words
(although I appear to be getting close to that!).
>
>This setup solved several problems for me:
>- I needed a way to log into not only the main program,
but a sample database as well.
>A simple checkbox on my custom login screen accomplishes
that.
>- I needed an easy way to back up the BE tables (this is
single workstation setup).
>A simple button on the form copies the whole BE to a
folder and date stamps it.
>Since they're not accessing the tables from this
unsecured database I don't have to worry
>about corruption. Even if by chance the tables are being
accessed my error handling
>stops the process and flashes up a nice message box.
>- I needed a way for the users to enter a Product Code
before using the program.
>- I wanted to have a EULA form pop up first and have them
agree to it before accessing
>the main database program.
>
>It works really, really nice for me.
>
>WHEW!!! I should be a Microsoft Tech writer!
>
>Good luck and I hope it helps!
>
>>>>>>>>>>
>
>I then forgot something important so here is the second
post:
>
>I knew I would miss something.
>
>In the code for the cmdLogin you need to specify the
exact location to the Msaccess.exe file. So
>double check that location on your machine against the
code I gave you before proceeding.
>
>You could also use code to find the location yourself.
Something like so:
>
>' Code Start
>Private Sub cmdLogin_Click()
>On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
>
> If IsNull(Me.txtUserName) Then
> ' User Name box is empty
> MsgBox "Please enter your User Name before
continuing.", _
> vbInformation, "Enter User Name"
> Me.txtUserName.SetFocus
> GoTo ExitPoint
> End If
>
> If IsNull(Me.txtPassword) Then
> ' Password box is empty
> MsgBox "Please enter your Password before
continuing.", _
> vbInformation, "Missing Password"
> Me.txtPassword.SetFocus
> GoTo ExitPoint
> End If
>
> Dim strPath As String
> Dim strAccDir As String
> Dim strAccPath As String
>
> strAccDir = SysCmd(acSysCmdAccessDir)
> strAccPath = strAccDir & "MSACCESS.EXE"
>
> strPath = Chr(34) & strAccPath & Chr(34) & " " _
> & Chr(34) & "<Full Path To Database File Here>" &
Chr(34) & " " _
> & "/wrkgrp " & Chr(34) & "<Full Path To MDW File
Here>" & Chr(34) & " " _
> & "/User " & Chr(34) & Me.txtUserName & Chr(34)
& " " _
> & "/Pwd " & Chr(34) & Me.txtPassword & Chr(34)
>
> Shell strPath, vbMaximizedFocus
> Application.Quit
>
>ExitPoint:
> Exit Sub
>
>ErrorHandler:
> fncErrMessage err.Number, err.Description
> Resume ExitPoint
>
>End Sub
>' Code End
>
>(Again, substitute your own error handling)
>This may not work, however, if more than one Access
version (and/or a runtime) is installed on the
>same machine. I have not fully tested that scenario.
>
>Hope that helps.
>
>--
>Jeff Conrad
>Access Junkie
>Bend, Oregon
>*284 Days Left*
>
>"Norman Fritag" <muenchr@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
>news:BLdRc.280$VJ.16716@nnrp1.ozemail.com.au...
>> Hi there,
>>
>> I wounder how I would go on about building a logon
screen where as people
>> log into a secured database?
>>
>> At the moment I am using a shortcut with a string
sequence as a prompt and I
>> am interested to get to a log in screen solution.
>>
>> any suggestions???
>>
>> Regards Norman
>
>
>.
>