Hi,

I'm in the throes of securing a DB, and I have come across
a curious fault (I think).

I've created a new MDW file, which is stored in a
directory other than the default system.MDW. It is stored
in the directory where my DB is.

When I link my application to it, Access uses it for all
files I open.

I unlink it (is that the right term?) and the default
system.mdw is used for all files. I've tried linking it as
a shortcut as described in the various papers, but either
Access uses the system.MDW, all the time, or my new one
all the time.

I thought that I could have Access using the default for
all DB's, apart from the one I created the new MDW for. I
suspect I'm doing something wrong, but frankly I'm puzzled.

Anyone able to help?

Thanks

Mark

"Mark Page" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:08ed01c35b23$2129db00$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi,
>
> I'm in the throes of securing a DB, and I have come across
> a curious fault (I think).
>
> I've created a new MDW file, which is stored in a
> directory other than the default system.MDW. It is stored
> in the directory where my DB is.
>
> When I link my application to it, Access uses it for all
> files I open.
>
> I unlink it (is that the right term?) and the default
> system.mdw is used for all files. I've tried linking it as
> a shortcut as described in the various papers, but either
> Access uses the system.MDW, all the time, or my new one
> all the time.
>
> I thought that I could have Access using the default for
> all DB's, apart from the one I created the new MDW for. I
> suspect I'm doing something wrong, but frankly I'm puzzled.

Your default workgroup (mdw file) is the one that you are "joined" to by using the
Workgroup Administrator utility. Access will always use your default mdw file unless
you use a command line argument to specify a different one. In that case the
non-default mdw is used only for that particular session of Access. The use of the
command line argument has no affect on what will happen the next time you open Access
directly or double-click a file.

The standard practice is to do as you suggest. Leave your default mdw file setting
alone and use shortcuts to open secured files and have these shortcuts specify a
different mdw file. This should be working for you. If you are joined to the
default non-secure workgroup and then open a secured file using a command line
argument this does not change your default workgroup. If you think it is doing this
please describe your steps exactly that reproduce this behavior.

Use the workgroup administrator to determine what workgroup you are joined
to by default (this is the workgroup file that Access will use for all
sessions). You'll want to be joined by default to the standard system.mdw.

Your shortcut isn't working likely because you haven't set the target
correctly. Please post what you have in the target. It should be
"path to msaccess.exe" "path to mdb" /wrkgrp "path to secure.mdw"

--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

"Mark Page" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:08ed01c35b23$2129db00$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi,
>
> I'm in the throes of securing a DB, and I have come across
> a curious fault (I think).
>
> I've created a new MDW file, which is stored in a
> directory other than the default system.MDW. It is stored
> in the directory where my DB is.
>
> When I link my application to it, Access uses it for all
> files I open.
>
> I unlink it (is that the right term?) and the default
> system.mdw is used for all files. I've tried linking it as
> a shortcut as described in the various papers, but either
> Access uses the system.MDW, all the time, or my new one
> all the time.
>
> I thought that I could have Access using the default for
> all DB's, apart from the one I created the new MDW for. I
> suspect I'm doing something wrong, but frankly I'm puzzled.
>
> Anyone able to help?
>
> Thanks
>
> Mark