I have setup security for my database using the security wizard, the
shortcut thats created during this process is the only way into the
database,
as the database is a multi user environment is this the best way to go?
It's fine. I assume you are using version 2003. Open Access (not via the
shortcut) and go to Tools, Security, Workgroup Administrator, and ensure
that it shows you joined by default to system.mdw (the standard workgroup
file that ships with Access).
as
all my users access it via a copy of this shortcut.
As long as all users have Access installed in the same place, and also
install the FE in the same folder on their computer, then a straight copy of
the shortcut is fine.
You need to copy the secure mdw that the wizard created, to the server in a
folder that has Modify permission for all the users. Also copy the backend
to this folder. If you right-click the shortcut on your desktop and look at
the target it will have something like:
"path to msaccess.exe" "path to FE.mdb" /wrkgrp "path to secure mdw"
You'll need to modify the "path to secure mdw" to reflect its new location
on the server. You can use the UNC pathname \\servername\path\... rather
than a mapped drive letter.
Next you'll need to open via the shortcut and go to Tools, Database
Utilities, Linked Table Manager; put a check at the bottom of that dialog,
Select All and navigate to the backend in its new location on the server - I
suggest you use My Network Places to find it so that UNC pathnames are used
in the links.
When doing it this way all my users will be using the same FE wont they?
Now that you have the backend and secure mdw on the server and your copy of
the FE and your shortcut now point to the right places, you can copy the FE
and the shortcut to each user (they'll put it on their computer). As I
said, if they put the FE in a different folder than you, or their
installation has msaccess.exe in a different folder, you'll need to modify
their shortcut to reflect these paths.
