Help -- My permissions are changing themselves!!

[Guest]

I have user level security set up an Access database. There are only 2 users
with permissions to modify these permissions (myself and one other person).
The permissions keep getting changed -- at times even giving permissions to
the "Users" group! I keep changing them back, and they keep getting changed
again. The other user with permission to change them is the director of the
department, and says she isn't doing it. Also someone is going in and
deleting records from the data tables AND audit tables. Again, only 2 of us
have permissions to delete any data from tables, and neither one of us are
doing it.

I have already disabled shift+enter key, so no one can go to the database
window, except the director and myself on our logins. I have also wiped out
everthing in the "Startup" menu, except for the form I want the database to
open to.

What in the world can be happening that the permissions keep changing and
data is randomly getting deleted -- without the director or myself doing it?
I'm at my wit's end spending so much time re-doing the permissions, etc.

 

[Rick B]

Are you sure user-level security is set up correctly? If you try to join
the default SYSTEM.MDW and open the database, can you?

 

[Guest]

No, the db cannot be opened from the System.mdw -- only the mdw I created for
it. I'm almost certain I have user-level security setup right. I set it up
about a year ago, and worked perfectly until just recently. I didn't use the
wizard, but used step by step instructions -- even putting Admin in Users
group, then disabling Users group, etc.

 

[Joan Wild]

No, the db cannot be opened from the System.mdw -- only the mdw I
created for it. I'm almost certain I have user-level security setup
right. I set it up about a year ago, and worked perfectly until just
recently. I didn't use the wizard, but used step by step
instructions -- even putting Admin in Users group, then disabling
Users group, etc.

Have you imported objects from another database or from a backup?
Permissions don't come with the objects.

 

[Guest]

No, I haven't imported any objects. It's really odd because there are lots
of objects in the database and lots of users, with permissions based on the
particular group they are in. Somehow the permissions changed where some
groups had permission for almost everything, where they didn't have this
amount of permissions before.

 

[Joan Wild]

No, I haven't imported any objects. It's really odd because there
are lots of objects in the database and lots of users, with
permissions based on the particular group they are in. Somehow the
permissions changed where some groups had permission for almost
everything, where they didn't have this amount of permissions before.

Well I'm sorry, but someone somewhere is changing the permissions (in code,
importing/exporting objects). Permissions do not spontaneously change.

 

[TC]

Hopping in here (cos I can't see the original post):

As Joan says, permissions do not automagically change themselves. You
are undoubtedly misunderstanding something. The challenge is, to find
out what that something is

Here's my suggestion. Post again, giving the exact sequence of steps
that causes the error. (Ie. a list of instructions that someone else
could follow to reproduce the problem on your PC.) For example:

1. I double-clicked file blah.mdb - the database started ok and
displayed the proper startup form.

2. I closed that form by clicking the x button at the top-right corner.

3. Then I used Tools : Security : User Accounts to create a new user
"fred" - that seemed to work ok.

4. Then I ... etc. etc.

HTH,
TC

 

[Guest]

That's just it, Joan, I think someone other than the director or myself is
managing to get our passwords and get into the database and change
permissions. The permission that keeps coming back full permission
(including design) is "User" group permissions to the hidden
MSysAccessObjects table. There is no permission assigned to the "User" group
to open the database or access any of the visible tables except for this one
hidden one (MSysAccessObjects). I just checked, and in both front and back
ends, the "User" group permission to this hidden table had been again
assigned (when I removed it again, just two days ago). Why would this
permission keep coming back? The other person who has permissions to modify
permissions is gone on vacation, so she can't possibly be doing it, and I am
the only other person with permissions. Could someone have used password
recovery software to retrieve my password to go in and do this? If so, how
could I find this out and what to do about it?

 

[Joan Wild]

That's just it, Joan, I think someone other than the director or
myself is managing to get our passwords and get into the database and
change permissions. The permission that keeps coming back full
permission (including design) is "User" group permissions to the
hidden MSysAccessObjects table.

You should not be changing permissions on any of the MSys objects. The
Users Group normally has permission on some of them. Leave it alone.

I thought you were referring to your data tables.

 

[Guest]

I thought I was supposed to disable the "Users" groups on all of the tables,
which would include the hidden ones? Even so, if I changed it, would Access
change it back by itself, or would it have to be a person who changed it back?

 

[Joan Wild]

I thought I was supposed to disable the "Users" groups on all of the
tables, which would include the hidden ones?

Hidden ones yes, but not system tables.

 

[TC]

How about you post again, giving the /exact sequence of steps/ which
causes what you say is an error?

TC

 

[Guest]

OK, I'll try it again under "Permissions Keep Changing"