Re: Security not clicking

Joan, I think I have done my best here! The report printed and all
looked good until I copied the secured database to the network. When I
went to another computer to access it, it pointed to my desktop. It
appears that I did not create a good shortcut (please help).
Also, I am ready to create front and back ends. So I copied the
secured database then tried to delete tables on this copy. I get an
error that relationships have to be deleted as well( is this normal and
do I just accept to delete the relationships?).
I am free floating in water at this time, hope I don't sink! This is
the first time I am doing the split.
Thanks again
Billy
Joan Wild wrote:
Billy, you need to join the mdw that has no users in it - just the Admin
user, Admins Group and Users Group.
Next open Access and create a new mdb.
Next import all objects from your mdb.

Does this work? If so (and only if it does), then run the security wizard,
choosing to create a new mdw. Be sure you don't decline any opportunity the
wizard gives you to backup your database, print any report, etc. Also be
sure to check the option to create a desktop shortcut.

You are basically starting from scratch.

--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

Billy wrote:
Also, when I join the mdw I have just created, the accounts and users
I created are not available. When I rejoin the system mdw, the
accounts are there
Joan Wild wrote:
Let's proceed cautiously here. As I understand it you now have a
single unsecured mdb file - is that correct?

Open Access and go to Tools, Security, Workgroup Administrator and
post back with the path to the mdw it shows.

What version of Access are you using?


--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

Billy wrote:
Also, do I need to rejoin the system mdw when running security
wizard? Sorry, these are simple things but they cause chaos.
Billy
Billy wrote:
That worked! You are awesome. Now one more question, is it safe to
split the database when it is secure or when it is not secure? I
am kinda have to start the whole process again.
Thanks
Billy
Joan Wild wrote:
In that case you are joined to a mdw file that is not pristine.

Have you searched for all *.mdw files and renamed them?

Then start Access, and it'll create a new system.mdw for you (one
with just the Admin user, Admins Group and Users Group).


--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

Billy wrote:
Thanks again. Now when I create a new mdb, it comes with users
and accounts that I created at the begining. I do not want
this. I want to create a new account. How do I do this?
Billy
Joan Wild wrote:
Why are you opening the mdw? There is no need to do this.

If you're using 2002 or 2003, the wizard would have created a
backup of your unsecure mdb. You'll find it in the same location
as your mdb, with the same name, but it'll have a bak extension.
Rename it to have a mdb extension - that should be your unsecure
mdb. However if you've run the wizard a number of times, it's
possible that it is a partially secured mdb.

I hope you can find a copy of your mdb that is totally unsecure.

You can use Start, Search, Files and Folders, and locate all mdw
files on your computer. Rename every one that you find eg.
system.mdw to system1.mdw.

Now open Access; it will create a new pristine system.mdw for
you. Now open your unsecure mdb. I would then create a new mdb
and import everything from your mdb, just to be sure it's
unsecure.


--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

Billy wrote:
Now there is a new problem. When I determine the current work
group, I get an mdw file that is located on my desk top.
(?dbengine.systemdb). When I open this file, it is empty. I
would like to get back to the default system mdw. How do I do
this? I think that is the reason why I cannot successfully use
the original unsecured database to continue enhancing security.
Please advise
Billy
Joan Wild wrote:
It is unusual for it to take that long.

Did you start with the original unsecured copy of your
database?

Did you compile and compact the mdb before running the wizard?


--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

Billy wrote:
Thanks alot Joan for this info.
I have followed the right procedure but now it is taking time
before the report prints.
I have been waiting for almost 1 hour for it to complete
enhancing security..(is this normal?). I restarted the whole
process and deleted the other .mdw files I had created
earlier. I hope I can finish it soon.
Billy
Joan Wild wrote:
You do not create a shortcut on the network.

1. Copy the backend to the server (you've done this).
2. Copy the secure mdw to the server(you've done this).
However you said the mdw needed you to import data. Can you
describe exactly the messages you received. There is no
need to import or do anything to the mdw.
Mdw did not show all users as per one-step security wizard
report. I believe you said you had multiple mdw files and so
likely there is a mix of which one should be used. I
suggest you revert to your unsecured database and start
over. You need only one secure mdw. Once you have it done,
it's that mdw that goes on the server. And it *will*
contain all the users you need.

Is your database split right now?
Yes - Good put the backend on the server. Open the frontend
on your PC, and use Tools, Linked Table Manager, and
refresh the links; be sure to put a check at the bottom to
prompt for location and choose the location of the backend
on the server. No - Split the database. See
www.jmwild.com/SplitSecure.htm for steps. Put the backend
on the server and refresh the links as per the above.

If the wizard created a desktop shortcut for you on your PC,
right-click it and choose properties. It'll open to the
Shortcut tab and the Target line will be selected. The
target will take the form similar to: "path to msaccess.exe"
"path to secure mdb" /wrkgrp "path to secure mdw" secure mdb
will be the original database on your PC - modify it (if
necessary) to reflect the path to the frontend on your c:
drive.
path to secure mdw will be the secure mdw you used to secure
your mdb (somewhere on your C: drive) - change the path to
reflect the location of the secure mdw on the server.

Now, you'll have the backend and secure mdw on the server, a
copy of the frontend on your PC, and a shortcut on your
desktop.

To set up other users you can just copy the frontend from
your PC to them. In addition you can copy the shortcut from
your desktop to them (a shortcut is just a file with a lnk
extension).
Ensure that you put the frontend in the same location on
their PC as it is in your's OR if you put it in a different
location, then modify the shortcut on *their* PC to reflect
the location of the frontend i.e. the target would look
like: "path to msaccess.exe" "path to frontend" /wrkgrp
"path to secure mdw on server"
and example:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\msaccess.exe"
"c:\MyApp\frontend.mdb" /wrkgrp
"F:\databasefiles\secure.mdw"

Just another little wrinkle, but you can use the UNC
pathname for the mdw; i.e. \\servername\path\secure.mdw
rather than 'F:' drive; this way you don't have to worry
about someone having a different drive mapping than you.


--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

Billy wrote:
Joan,
Your help is great, but would you please provide step by
step process of creating a shortcut on the network as well
as securing the backend and/or frontend.
The secured database is seated on my desktop. I copied it
to a folder in the network..successful, I also copied the
mdw file to the same folder....successful, however, I
realised that the mdw file needed me to import data..(is
this normal?). At the same time, the mdw did not show
everybody shown on the one-step security wizard
report...(is this also normal?). If you have some links
like the one you sent yesterday, I would appreciate. I
have to admit that it is the first time I am securing a
database on my own. Thanks for your help so far.
Billy
Joan Wild wrote:
You need to copy the secure mdw and the mdb to a folder on
the server that everyone has access to. All users will
need read/write/create/delete windows permissions on that
folder.

You can give each user a desktop shortcut the uses the
secure mdw and opens the secure mdb. The target would
look like: "path to msaccess.exe" "path to secure mdb"
/wrkgrp "path to secure mdw"

It is highly recommended that you split the database. Put
the backend (tables/relationships only) mdb on the server.
A copy of the frontend (all other objects, and table links
to the backend) mdb would go on each user's computer.
You'd modify the shortcut above so that the path to secure
mdb would be the path to the frontend.

If everyone has Access installed in the same folder, and
the frontend is installed in the same location on each
PC, you can copy the shortcut to each person.

Since you've secured it, you shouldn't use the database
splitter wizard, as that will result in an unsecure
backend mdb. Instead split it manually.

See www.jmwild.com/SplitSecure.htm



--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

Billy wrote:
Everything seems to be going well at this point! Now how
do I distribute the database to the network or rather how
do I create a shortcut that can be accessed by everybody
on the common drive? Billy

.

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