Read Only

[Keith]

In Excel I can limit users to be able to open in 'Read Only' whilst I can
open in 'Read/Write' with the correct password, is the same facility
available in Access, if so, how? Would this also allow me to make amendments
which are prevented if I am not the only user to have the database open?

Thanks

Keith

 

[Rick Brandt]

In Excel I can limit users to be able to open in 'Read Only' whilst I can open
in 'Read/Write' with the correct password, is the same facility available in
Access, if so, how? Would this also allow me to make amendments which are
prevented if I am not the only user to have the database open?

You can use the read only property of the file or of the folder the MDB resides
in only if you want read only for everyone or if you are satisfied with you
having edit access only when none of the read only users are in the file.

If you need to have mixed permissions at the same time then you have to use
Access User Level Security which is an advanced topic. With that you can give
some users/groups different levels of access to individual objects so it is very
flexible, but again, not easy to set up if you have never done it before.

 

[Keith]

Thanks for the advice, I tried this on a 'dummy' database first and I have
set up a 'Read Only' user group, if I open the database on 1 PC as a user in
the 'Read only' user group, it is working in so much as I cannot amend, add
or delete anything, but if I leave the database open on this PC (read only)
and I then open up the database on another PC as a full Admin user, it still
tells me that I do not have the database open Exclusive if I try to add a
new form for example. Any help is gratefully received.

Thanks

Keith

 

[Rick Brandt]

Thanks for the advice, I tried this on a 'dummy' database first and I
have set up a 'Read Only' user group, if I open the database on 1 PC
as a user in the 'Read only' user group, it is working in so much as
I cannot amend, add or delete anything, but if I leave the database
open on this PC (read only) and I then open up the database on
another PC as a full Admin user, it still tells me that I do not have
the database open Exclusive if I try to add a new form for example.
Any help is gratefully received.

Regardless of read only or otherwise you must be the ONLY person in the file
to create new forms, reports, and modules or to make changes to existing
ones. Access 97 was the last version that allowed design changes while
others were in the file (and even then it was a bad idea).

You should change to a split application model where each user has their own
local MDB file that has links to a shared file containing only tables. That
way you can be working on the next batch of changes to the "front end" file
local to your PC and then you distribute that new file to your users when
completed. This way the only file that requires "booting everyone out" when
you need to work on it is the shared data file which typically will need
fewer changes than the front end.