RE: security wizard cannot be run

Bad news.

Using the secure mdw a password is requested.

Using the system mdw a password is requested, but by leaving the password
blank the database can be opened.

Is there any hope of repairing this?

"Joan Wild" wrote:

That was just to get you back in. You should not be able to even open the
secure mdb while joined to system.mdw. If you can, then you need to start
over. Post back, if this is the case and I'll give you detailed step by step.

Get the security right first. Then you can split it, however do not use the
database splitter wizard as that will leave you with a secure FE but an
unsecure BE. Split it manually - details on my website.

As for each user, they'll have a copy of the frontend on their workstation.
If you install the frontend to the same folder on everyone's computer, and if
they all have a typical installation of Access, you can just copy the
shortcut and it will work. You'll put the mdw and backend on a folder on the
server.
--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP


"Desperate!!" wrote:

Thanks - I'm back into the database and it's requesting passwords.

Unfortunately I have 2 questions...

What's to stop people changing the shortcut (it still doesn't seem that the
database is very secure)

Secondly - my plan was to split the database and copy a front end to every
user. How does the shortcut work in that circumstance? Do I have to set up a
different shortcut to each users copy of the FE?

"Desperate!!" wrote:

I was fine with that until 'use your desktop shortcut'. From reading numerous
posts I think that is where I have to set up a shortcut that specifies the
file, the mdw and the path to access.exe......... I'll just set one up and be
back in 5 minutes!

Thanks for your continued patience - so far you've saved me a broken window
and some smashed computer hardware !!

"Joan Wild" wrote:

Don't panic.

Open Access (no mdb). Go to Tools, Security, Workgroup Administrator and
click on Join. Join your secure mdw file. Quit Access, and restart it. Go
to Tools, Security, User Accounts and click on Password tab. Set a password
for the Admin user.

Go back to Tools, security, workgroup administrator and click on join.
Rejoin your standard system.mdw file. Quit Access and use your desktop
shortcut to login as your user that has full permisisons.

--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP


"Desperate!!" wrote:

OK - this goes from bad to worse...

From what you said I understood that I need to assign the Admin user a
password. I tried to log on as Admin but couldn't get in to the database, so
I looged in as the user with full permissions and cleared the Admin users
password with the intention of going back into the database and setting a new
Admin users password. As a result Access won't let me even open the database.
What do I do now? Panic is starting to set in!

"Joan Wild" wrote:


"Desperate!!" wrote:

Thanks Joan, but the more I practise the more confused I get. I've tried
linking to a system.mdw and it won't let me reopen the database.

That's actually a good sign. You shouldn't be able to open a secure
database while joined to the system.mdw.


Using the secure.mdw I've been able to work out how to reactivate users
passwords, and all seemed to be going swimmingly until I tried to open the
database (which sits in a shared area on a network) from another user account
on the same PC and there was no request for passwords!!!

The login dialog will pop up only if you set a password for the Admin user.

That makes access security the brightest thing since george W. Bush, so I'm
sure I'm doing something fundamentally wrong. Why does the security only seem
to apply to a particular users software rather than the database itself?

Security permissions are stored in the mdb file. Usernames/groups/passwords
are stored in the secure mdw file. As long as the Admin user in that mdw
file has a password set, then you'll get a login prompt. Then the user must
log in using a valid username/password. Once the database opens, the
permissions on the objects in the mdb determine whether this user can
open/edit/etc. that object.

So create a desktop shortcut to open your mdb. The target will have the
following in it.
"path to msaccess.exe" "path to mdb" /wrkgrp "path to secure mdw"
substituting the correct paths of course.

Use that shortcut to open the mdb as a user that has full permissions to
everything (this would be the user you put into the Admins Group). This user
should have all permissions, and they are able to assign permissions to other
users, etc.

--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP


.

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