How to lock an MDB file, but yet allow application to access it

[Guest]

Hello,

We have two files that are MDB's. One of them is an actual Access file, the
other is a file that although it is also and MDB extension, it is a file that
is used by another program called ArcView 9.1 (a mapping program, aka as a
GIS program).

Anyway, the file that ArcView uses (with the MDB extension) is part of a
GeoDatabase that the ArcView program uses for making the map components link
propertly to the data from the database.

Our objective here is we would like to lock these two files so they CANNOT
be opened by anyone, as we don't want anyone to be able to copy the data from
the tables that reside inside the MDB files. We tried to set up the files
with a password, which worked fine, but that process locks out the ArcView
programs ability to read the two MDB files.

BTW, I am pretty sure the ArcView program uses SQL to read from the two MDB's.

So, what I want to know is if there is a way to get the ArcView file to be
able to read from the two MDB's, but yet block anyone from viewing the MDB's.

Maybe some type of script would be required to allow the ArcView to
penetrate through the MDB's locked state.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Phil.

 

[jacksonmacd]

Short answer - No.

You *can* secure the file to prevent people from messing with it, but
as you have discovered, ArcView will also be locked out. You would
have to modify ArcView to utilize your security settings. Security is
something that ArcView's authors would need to have implemented to do
what you want.

Longshot: if ArcView opens the MDB with a username other than the
default name of "Admin", then you could apply user-level security to
allow that user to open the files, but deny everybody else. You would
need to use the LDB Viewer to ascertain what username ArcView was
using to open the MDB. Highly unlikely that anything other than
"Admin" is used... And it would not be truly secure... just
inconvenient.

Hello,

We have two files that are MDB's. One of them is an actual Access file, the
other is a file that although it is also and MDB extension, it is a file that
is used by another program called ArcView 9.1 (a mapping program, aka as a
GIS program).

Anyway, the file that ArcView uses (with the MDB extension) is part of a
GeoDatabase that the ArcView program uses for making the map components link
propertly to the data from the database.

Our objective here is we would like to lock these two files so they CANNOT
be opened by anyone, as we don't want anyone to be able to copy the data from
the tables that reside inside the MDB files. We tried to set up the files
with a password, which worked fine, but that process locks out the ArcView
programs ability to read the two MDB files.

BTW, I am pretty sure the ArcView program uses SQL to read from the two MDB's.

So, what I want to know is if there is a way to get the ArcView file to be
able to read from the two MDB's, but yet block anyone from viewing the MDB's.

Maybe some type of script would be required to allow the ArcView to
penetrate through the MDB's locked state.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Phil.

**********************
(e-mail address removed)
remove uppercase letters for true email
http://www.geocities.com/jacksonmacd/ for info on MS Access security

 

[Guest]

Im not an expert with db security, but I have done something similar with SQL
server...

the location with the datbase files, remove ALL access to the directory
except of the 'SYSTEM' id. That will all no user to have access to the
system, but still allow the system to have access (im assume when ArcView
opens the files it uses the system account).

i did this to protect SQL server db backups to that no user could then take
a backup and retore it on his/her machine.

hope that helps.

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

system, but still allow the system to have access (im assume when

ArcView opens the files it uses the system account).

Right click on ArcView, select "run as" to select a different account.

(david)

 

[jacksonmacd]

Right-click "Run as" will change the *windows* account that the
program is being run under, but will it have any effect on the *jet*
account that is being used to open the MDB file? They are normally
different entities.

Right click on ArcView, select "run as" to select a different account.

(david)

**********************
(e-mail address removed)
remove uppercase letters for true email
http://www.geocities.com/jacksonmacd/ for info on MS Access security

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

program is being run under, but will it have any effect on the *jet*

No, it will not.

The answer to your original question, "is this possible" using
Jet, is No, it is not possible.

Ben has a described a method using Windows Security.

The Windows Security method is possible. You need Arcview
to run under a different account.

(david)