password required for one user and not others (Access 2003)

[Guest]

I have a database that was set up to require a password for everyone who used
it. Now, only one user has to enter a password; all other users can get into
the database without being prompted for a password. The User and Group
Permissions dialog shows all the users. How do I get Access to prompt for a
password for all users again?
Thank you.
JerryK

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Sounds as though you may not have secured the database properly.

The most common mistake is forgetting to remove the Admin user from the
Admins group. (You're automatically logged in as Admin if you don't supply
credentials)

 

[Guest]

I checked the Admin user as you suggested. It is not part of the Admins
group. However, I noticed something else. On the PC that asks for a
login/password, the security dialog lists all the users. On one PC that does
NOT ask for a login or password, the security dialog lists only the Admin
user. I verified that they are both using the same database. But, I will
check again (I do make mistakes).

Is the security information stored in the .mdb file? I see a .ldb file.
Could that be causing a problem? Thank you.

 

[Scott McDaniel]

I checked the Admin user as you suggested. It is not part of the Admins
group. However, I noticed something else. On the PC that asks for a
login/password, the security dialog lists all the users. On one PC that does
NOT ask for a login or password, the security dialog lists only the Admin
user. I verified that they are both using the same database. But, I will
check again (I do make mistakes).

Then you haven't correctly secured the database. The PC that prompts for login is likely "joined" to a workgroup where
the Admin user has a password (which is what causes the login prompt), but the other machines are not ... and if you had
correctly secured the database, the other machines would throw the "YOu don't have necessary permissions" error ...

ULS is a tricky and complex subject, and it trips up even seasoned developers. I'd suggest starting again with ULS, this
time after reading up a bit on the subject (www.jmwild.com is a good place to start, and has links to several other
excellent resources, including Jack MacDonald's excellent whitepaper on ULS). Try this on a copy of your database, and
get things right before you move forward on your "live" database.

Is the security information stored in the .mdb file?

Some of it is. The workgroup file (the .mdw file) stores Users, Groups, User-Group Memberships, and Passwords. The .mdb
files stores Object Permissions (i.e. which User/Group can open which Object). So the full setup includes the workgroup
file, and the .mdb/.mde file. Basically the workgroup file authenticates the User/Password combo ... from that point,
the .mdw file does basically nothing, and the .mde/mdb file determines what the user can/cannot do.

I see a .ldb file.
Could that be causing a problem? Thank you.

The .ldb file is the "locking" file that Access creates whenever a user opens the file. It contains info about who is in
the file, etc but has nothing to do with security.
Scott McDaniel
scott@takemeout_infotrakker.com
www.infotrakker.com