Access 97 Security issue Can't make a MDE

[Guest]

I am trying to make a MDE of a database. I have both Admin user rights to
the dayabase as a user AND can sign in simply as admin, the user that was
used to secure the database.

When I try to compile the mdb I get an error "The current user account does
not have permission to make an MDE file from this database". To make an MDE
file do the following:

Several suggestions are listed, the one that applies seems to be "Make sure
that the user account has Modify Design or Administer permissions for the
MSysModules2 table in the database.

This seems to be my problem, I do NOT have Modify Design or Administer
permissions for the table. Not signed in as the Admin user or as myself with
Admin rights. I am not able to CHANGE these rights. Is there any way I CAN
change these rights? Or have I somehow "Locked myself out of my own database"?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Keith Wilby]

I do NOT have Modify Design or Administer
permissions for the table. Not signed in as the Admin user or as
myself with Admin rights. I am not able to CHANGE these rights.

This is confusing me a little - are you trying to make admin changes whilst
not logged on as an admin user?

If you are logged on as an admin user and can't make the change then it
might be down to database ownership - AIUI you need to be the owner of the
database object(s) to make the change you describe.

That being the case then the step by step example on my web site may be of
use. BTW, have you read and understood the MS KB article on user-level
security?

Regards,
Keith.
www.keithwilby.com

 

['69 Camaro]

Hi, Rick.

admin, the user that was
used to secure the database.

If the default Admin user was the owner of the database when it was secured,
then the database is not secure. For the steps needed to secure an Access
database, please read the Security FAQ on the following Web page:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=/support/access/content/secfaq.asp

When I try to compile the mdb I get an error "The current user account does
not have permission to make an MDE file from this database".

It's best to log in as the owner of the database before creating the MDE
file, but a non-owner user with the following permissions can usually create
the MDE file without trouble: Open/run database, open exclusive, modify
design or administer for all tables, and read design permissions for all
objects.

Several suggestions are listed, the one that applies seems to be "Make sure
that the user account has Modify Design or Administer permissions for the
MSysModules2 table in the database.

The MSysModules2 table is a system table. No user has either of these
permissions on any of the system tables. For more information, check the
"Can't make an MDE!" checklist on the following Web page to help you
determine if there are any other reasons why you can't create the MDE
database:

http://www.Access.QBuilt.com/html/conversion.html

HTH.

Gunny

See http://www.QBuilt.com for all your database needs.
See http://www.Access.QBuilt.com for Microsoft Access tips.

(Please remove ZERO_SPAM from my reply E-mail address, so that a message
will be forwarded to me.)

 

[Keith Wilby]

The MSysModules2 table is a system table. No user has either of these
permissions on any of the system tables.

Whenever I've made an MDE in A97 I've had to set permissions on that system
table to get it to work for non-admin users, I assumed this was a bug.
It's been a while since I worked with MDEs but I'm pretty sure that was the
case.

 

[Guest]

I am the owner of the database, I was signed in with my own user ID which I
use for all other security administration for users of the DB. I have a user
ID I used to initially secure the DB (admin) is the username which ALSO has
admin rights. I am unable to make the MDE as either user. I will read the
info that you provided, thank you!

My problem is likely something else, I just assumed since the error
indicated I needed these other rights to this table that I should be able to
CHANGE them and simply proceed!

 

[Guest]

Yes, I know what you are talking about. Once you created the MDE you had to
reset the permissions. But in this case the permissions are PREVENTING me
from making the MDE in the first place, so I am stuck BEFORE this problem,
That is why I chose this list, I thought that my problem was a result of a
security issue in that I could not set them for this table. Reading above it
looks like I SHOULD NOT be able to do this!? So something else must be the
problem!?

 

['69 Camaro]

Hi, Keith.

Whenever I've made an MDE in A97 I've had to set permissions on that system
table to get it to work for non-admin users, I assumed this was a bug.

Yes. It is a bug in Access 97. One can read more information on this bug
on this Web page:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?id=170696

The permissions needed on the MSysModules2 table for non-Admin group users
to open the Access 97 MDE are:

- Read Data
- Read Design
- Update Data
- Insert Data
- Delete Data

So Modify Design or Administer permissions aren't needed for this system
table in order for the non-Admin group users to open the Access 97 MDE,
which is a good thing because even members of the Admin group don't have the
Modify Design or Administer permissions for this table.

HTH.

Gunny

See http://www.QBuilt.com for all your database needs.
See http://www.Access.QBuilt.com for Microsoft Access tips.

(Please remove ZERO_SPAM from my reply E-mail address, so that a message
will be forwarded to me.)

 

[Chris Reveille]

Why not create a new MDB and import all the
tables,queries,forms,macros,reports, and modules.

Chris Reveille

 

['69 Camaro]

Hi, Rick.

I have a user
ID I used to initially secure the DB (admin) is the username which ALSO has
admin rights.

If the Admin user has the right to open the database (or has any other
permissions), then the database has not been secured. Anyone with a copy of
Access can open your database because their workgroup file gives the Admin
user the right to open the database and the ability to administer every
user-defined object in the database. One cannot delete this user, but one
must remove all permissions assigned to this user in order to secure the
database.

For best results, secure the database while joined to the secure workgroup
and logged in as the owner of the database, and don't remove or reduce the
owner's permissions for anything in the database. Ensure that a
user-created workgroup is used for securing the database, not the default
workgroup that comes with every installation of Access.

HTH.

Gunny

See http://www.QBuilt.com for all your database needs.
See http://www.Access.QBuilt.com for Microsoft Access tips.

(Please remove ZERO_SPAM from my reply E-mail address, so that a message
will be forwarded to me.)

 

[Guest]

I figured that since I had not done anything explicitly that I know of to set
these permissions that I would likely end up importing the problem along with
everything else. Maybe I will give that a shot, I am going to go through the
check list recommended first though.

Rick

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

Admin rights. I am not able to CHANGE these rights. Is there any way

This seems to be a basic problem. If you had sufficient permissions on
the database, you would be able to both make an mde, and change the
security settings on that table.

Normally I work as both the Owner of the database (and all objects
in it), and as a member of the Admins group used to create the database.

If you can't easily work out what happened to your security settings,
then you may want to start over again with a new database: then you
will know that you are the owner of everything, and that you have the
admins group used to create the database.


BTW, we don't reset this table permission after making the mde. Instead,
we give database admin permission to our user group. Database admin
permission is required by our user group so that users can change database
'properties', and user database admin permission ensures that the
correct user security settings propagate for these tables when you make
an mde. 'Admin' permission for the database object is NOT THE SAME
and does NOT MEAN THE SAME THING as 'Admin' permission for any other
kind of object in the database.

(david)

 

[Keith Wilby]

Yes. It is a bug in Access 97. One can read more information on this
bug on this Web page:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?id=170696

Thanks Gunny )

 

[Keith Wilby]

Yes, I know what you are talking about. Once you created the MDE you
had to reset the permissions. But in this case the permissions are
PREVENTING me from making the MDE in the first place, so I am stuck
BEFORE this problem, That is why I chose this list, I thought that my
problem was a result of a security issue in that I could not set them
for this table.

Oh I see. Are you the owner of all the database objects, including the db
itself?

 

['69 Camaro]

You're welcome.

Gunny

See http://www.QBuilt.com for all your database needs.
See http://www.Access.QBuilt.com for Microsoft Access tips.

(Please remove ZERO_SPAM from my reply E-mail address, so that a message
will be forwarded to me.)

 

[Guest]

Since everyone was so darn helpfull and provided such great info I thought I
would drop a note to share that the problem is solved and the solution came
from this discussion (Many thanks to all who contributed!).

I started going through the step by step checklist provided by Gunny at:
http://www.Access.QBuilt.com/html/conversion.html taking NOTHING for granted,
checking everything. Sure enough when I got to:

"If the database is secured using user-level security, are you currently
logged in as the owner of the database, or at least a member of the Admins
group? (For best results, make sure that you are logged into the workgroup
as the owner of the database. Being a member of the Admins group will
usually work, but not always.)"


Specifically checking although I KNEW I was the owner of the DB and all of
its components I double checked and SURE ENOUGH my boss apperently had to do
something in my absense one day and somehow ended up the owner of the
MSysModules2 table!!

When I logged in as him it was a snap to make the MDE as well as reclaim
MOST of the stuff I was no longer the owner of.

Great thing is I learned a couple other things in the process. I had been
looking for a good explanation of Acess security, now I have it as well as a
better understanding of some other issues.

Can't thank the group enough! Best wishs to all!!!

Rick