Only one user can log in at a time problem.

[Cam]

Hello,

I have an Access database splitted into FE & BE. The BE &
workgroup are placed in the same folder in a network drive.
I emailed the FE to users and instructed them to copy to
their C: drive and created a shortcut so the path is
directed to the workgroup in the network drive.

In the database, I created an user account called "mfg"
for users to log in. There are several users using the mfg
account to log in the database at the same time. The
problem is once one mfg user is log on, there other users
cannot log in, it said the following: "Couldn't use (the
path to the workgroup MDW file); file already in use."

Any suggestion & help on how I can eliminate this issue so
more than one users can log in the same time with only
users access right permission. Thanks

PS. The only reason I didn't create more than one user
account is because there are 20 users or more. I remember
someone suggested not to create 20 user account as it is
more difficult to manage as one user account is more
easier to manage.

 

[Joan Wild]

Users need modify permissions on the folder where the backend and mdw are.

Also, I think you mis-understood what was suggested. They probably meant
create a group and assign permissions to the group. You then could create
as many users as you like. It's quite easy to manage users this way.

 

[Cam]

Hello Joan,

Thanks for your sugguestion.
1) Only System Admin can change permissions on the folder
in the network drive.
2) So, your sugguestion is to create individual users
account and join them to the users (only) permission group.
Will this solve the problem that only one user can log &
open the database at a time?

 

[Joan Wild]

Hi Cam,

Hello Joan,

Thanks for your sugguestion.
1) Only System Admin can change permissions on the folder
in the network drive.

Naturally, so tell them to give the users modify permissions. This is not
optional - all users need this access in order to create the associated ldb
files. If they don't have it, the first person in won't be able to create
the ldb and the mdb will be opened exclusively.

2) So, your sugguestion is to create individual users
account and join them to the users (only) permission group.

No I mean, in Access, create a single group. Grant whatever permissions you
like to this group. Then you can create users and make them a member of
this group. You won't have to assign permissions to the user at all -
they'll inherit the needed permissions from the group. That way, if you add
new objects, you only have to assign permissions to the group (rather than
to each and every user).

Will this solve the problem that only one user can log &
open the database at a time?

No see above - they must have modify permission on the folder.--

Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

 

[cam]

Hi Joan,

I checked with the System Admins and all users do have
read, write, modify permissions to the folders. But I am
still having the same problem.

Once I log into the database from one computer as users
account, it display the message: "Couldn't use (the
path to the workgroup MDW file); file already in use."
when another users try to log into the database from
another computer.

Thanks for any other sugguestion.

 

[Cam]

Hi Joan, It's me again.

I noticed one thing that might help you understand the
issue I am having.
1) When I check on the "Ownership" in the Properties under
the Security tab (right click on the database file), I
noticed the owner is "LOU001\Adminstrators", LOU001 is my
computer name. But when I did the same check for the MDW
and BE file in the network, it said the owner is "loulc
(Full name)", which is my Windows NT log in name.
2) The shortcut I created for users is: "C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Office\Office\msaccess.exe" "C:\MQA
Database\MfgLog02.mdb" /wrkgrp "\\Tual\Shared\Quality\MQA
Database\Workgroup\MQA.mdw"
3) We are using Windows NT for the network and MS Access
97.

I hope this will explain a little more. Thanks again.

 

[Joan Wild]

Could you test the SA's assertion (just to be sure). As one of the users,
open Windows Explorer and go to the
\\Tual\Shared\Quality\MQADatabase\Workgroup\ folder. Right-click, choose
new, text file. Save the file. Then delete the file.

If you can't do all of that, then they do not have the necessary
permissions.

 

[Joan Wild]

Is the backend mdb also located in the same folder as the mdw? What is the
name of the backend?

 

[Cam]

Hi Joan,

The be mdb is located in the MQA Database folder, where
the mdw is in the Workgroup folder, which is inside the
MQA Database folder.
The name of the be is MfgLog02_be.

 

[Joan Wild]

They don't need to be in separate folders, but I would double-check by
testing that users can create and delete a text file in all the folders
involved. See my other post from yesterday.