access denied

[Guest]

We cannot open any Access 2000 files on one of three computers because of an
incorrect password or username that must have been set on that computer, only.
(The other computers, not linked, have no username or password set for
Access).

Is there a workaround to get these files to open?
Unless advised otherwise, I am considering manually removing Access and
reinstalling in hopes that this will resolve the issue.

 

[Rick B]

If it is asking for a UserID and Password, then that is tied to the
workgroup file. Simply use the Workgroup administrator to rejoin the
SYSTEM.MDW workgroup. If someone added a password to the ADMIN user in that
workgroup, have them sign in with it, then reset the password.

 

[Guest]

Therein lies the delima. We do not know for certain who the workgroup
administrator is because the name that pops up for userID does not claim to
have set it or a password. Your suggestion is appreciated, but the issue
remains unresolved.

 

[Chris Mills]

We cannot open any Access 2000 files on one of three computers because of an

incorrect password or username that must have been set on that computer, only.
(The other computers, not linked, have no username or password set for
Access).

Is there a workaround to get these files to open?

Yes certainly, it's no problem.
Just follow the links given by Jeff Conrad for password cracking at:
http://home.bendbroadband.com/conradsystems/accessjunkie/mdetomdb.html
never mind the name of the link, never mind the purpose of security, you can
find all Access cracking tools, mostly free, here at the links on this MVP
website.

Chris

 

[Guest]

I still cannot get into the 'User and Group accounts...' to disable the Admin
PW.

I visited the sites you listed and downloaded 3 different programs that I
thought would help. However, they did not meet my expectations since they
only provided unlocking to data bases.

I have removed MSAccess w/Office CD and "reinstalled" without resolution.
I have removed Office (ouch!) through Add/Remove, then reinstalled. No
progress with that procedure either.

 

[TC]

Have you tried what Rick suggested? Use the workgroup administrator
function to (a) note what workgroup file you are currently joined to,
then (b) join the standard one named system.mdw, then try again. If it
works, you're laughing. If not, you could go back to the one in (a),
and thus be no worse off.

Remember that when it asks for a username/password, this does not
/necessarily/ mean that the database has been protected with user-level
security. It just means someone has added a password to the Admin user
of the default workgroup file. If you try the standard workgroup file,
or create a new one, this will suppress the username/password prompt,
and that might be enough to let you right back in.

HTH,
TC

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your response, TC.
I tried most of what Rick suggested. However, seems this never was a
database issue. I could not even get to workgoup admin simply due to the
logon and PW required to enter 'User and Group Accts..'; the real issue.

I just spent over an hour with MS engineer (for a price that was affordable
in our case). Problem solved. Since usernames and passwords do not exist in
our office to use Access (except on the one-machine), it became an issue of
replacing that security with "original" installation security---none. A
little experimentation from several points led to the discovery of 2
'system.mdw' files; one "old" from original install and one "new" from a
security set sometime ago. We just replaced the "new" file with the "old"
(saved the "new" just in case...). Issue resolved! Our security is back to
original condition w/o logon required. Obviously, this is not for everyone,
but it works for us today.

 

[TC]

Ok, well done

It was just what I said: "Use the workgroup administrator function to
(a) note what workgroup file you are currently joined to, then (b) join
the standard one named system.mdw, then try again."

Cheers,
TC

 

[Guest]

Actually,
1) The workgroup administrator function was never available to view a
workgroup file. That would have been welcomed if it could have been accessed.
2) As it was, we discovered that the wrong standard workgroup was being
loaded since there were two 'system.mdw'; one older than the other. The
newest had to be replaced with what was determined to be the original,
created from an installation done several years ago.

Thanks for your comments.
Best Regards,

 

[TC]

Ah, good point on 1).

Up to A97(?), workgroup admin was a seperate program. It did not
require you to log on, even if the PC's current default wgf did. So, if
the PC's current default wgf was wrong (or corrupted), you could
happily use the workgroup admin program to create or select another
wgf.

Now that workgroup admin is an Access function, I guess there is no way
to get to it, until you have logged on! (if required by the current
default wgf).

Is that what happened to you?

Cheers,
TC

 

[Guest]

Yes, that is the case.

 

[TC]

Ok. That is a "Catch 22" scenario that did not used to happen before.

I guess you could repace the current system.mdw, OR, start Access using
a shortcut with the /wrkgrp switch to use a standard (no-logon) wgf
that you kept around for that purpose.

Cheers,
TC