Re: system.mdw

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Joan,

Thanks!

I think I got it now (famous last words). It didn't have anything to do
with my system.mdw being messed up. I just didn't understand that changes I
made in my "secure.mdw" would be reflected in the permissions available when
the project was opened joined to the system.mdw.

I still probably don't understand all of how that works, but I do now know
that I can take away all of user "admin"'s rights while joined to my
secure.mdw, and I can't even open the project using the system.mdw. By the
same token, I could join to the secure.mdw, open the project with my owner
Id, give admin all the rights, and he would be able to do about anything EVEN
WHEN the project was opened while joined to the system.mdw (not that I'd want
to do that....I've already taken away all his rights now).

Anyway, thanks again....very helpful just to know that the owner was stored
in the db...that got me thinking.

CW

"Joan Wild" wrote:

Cheese_whiz wrote:
I made a WIF to go along with and 'secure' my database, and it seems
ok. My login is listed as the "owner" and I've gimped the admin
user, modified the user group permissions, etc.

The problem is I think in the process I might have fragged my
system.mdw. A long time ago I tried messing with ULS and now when I
open my project, if the default mdw file is the "system.mdw", then
the "owner " is listed as "unknown" and the admin user (the only one
remaining) doesn't have the permissions necessary to administer most
of my tables, etc.

That actually sounds OK. The owner information is stored in the mdb. Since
you are opening using system.mdw, that workgroup doesn't have the owner in
it so it shows as unknown. Also you have only one user called Admin, and it
doesn't have any permissions to do anything, and rightly so. What *is*
wrong though, is that you were able to open the mdb as Admin. If secured
properly you shouldn't be able to even open it. Double-check the
permissions (while logged into your secure WIF) that the Users Group doesn't
still have permissions on the Database Object. Also verify that *every*
object isn't owned by Admin.

Your default mdw may be just fine. When using it, are you asked for a
username/password?

Is it possible to gimp the main/default mdw like that, and if so, can
I just copy someone elses "pristine" mdw file over mine and sort of
"start over" with a clean system.mdw file like that? (I don't have
easy access to the install disk but, in an emergency, I could get it)

If you think the system.mdw has been tainted, and you are using 2002 or
2003:

Make sure your default WIF is set to system.mdw (check in Tools, security,
workgroup administrator
Close Access and delete system.mdw.
Open Access and it'll create a pristine mdw.

If you are using an earlier version, you can copy system.mdw from another
computer.

--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP



.

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