Securing a database

[Guest]

I have tried everything I can think of to secure a database I have made. All
reference materials I have found state to run the wrkgrp.exe to create a new
workgroup file, but even though I downloaded the appropriate add-in for
Access 2000, when I try to run the Security add-in, I get an error message
stating "you are logged in as the unsecured, default Admin account. Exit
Access and log on with another account that is a member of the Admins group."
I get this message even when I have opened a new database that has no
security set. I have also run the security wizard, and I can only get the
database security to work on computers that have our default workgroup file
loaded, where I have run the security wizard. I have even tried creating
shortcuts to the secure database, using the wrkgrp switch that points to a
location where a copy of our workgroup file resides, and I have tried copying
the workgroup file into the same folder as the database I want to secure and
nothing works for users that do not have the workgroup file on their
computer. I really don't want to have to copy the workgroup file to all
users machines who will be using this new database. Is there something I am
doing wrong? How can I create a new workgroup file if the download
(sm2K.mde) will not run?

 

[Guest]

An update...

I got this to work almost right, using a switch in the shortcut command. As
long as our users open the database using the shortcut, it is fine. However,
once they login to the database, then if they launch Access, and select the
database location from the path that shows there, rather than using the
shortcut, the user can open the database and has full permissions to it. Why
is the workgroup not controlling the actual database? Is there a way to
assign another workgroup file to the database? I see no way to do that using
either the Add-in or the security wizard.

 

[TC]

If you can open a secured database /without/ using a shortcut with the
/wrkgrp switch, then:

(1) You have (inappropriately) joined to the securing workgroup file
using the workgroup administrator or program, or

(2) The database is not secured correctly - an extremely common
problem, usually caused by (a) not following a written list of explicit
instructions, or (b) adding, omitting or re-ordering steps.

HTH,
TC

 

[Guest]

I can't exactly follow the "written list of explicit directions" when the
first step in that list says to open the Wrkgadm.exe file and create a new
system.mdw. There is no such wrkgadm.exe file on my Windows/Access 2000
system, so I downloaded the Security add-in (sm2K) that Microsoft suggests
for Access 2000, but when I run that add in, I get the message "You are
logged in as the unsecured, default admin account. Exit Access and log on
with another account that is a member of the Admins group." I suspect this
is because that all of my databases are automatically attached to the
system.mdw file located in my C:\program Files\Common Files\Office\System
folder. And I can see no way to change which workgroup gets attached to
which database.

 

[TC]

The workgroup admin program was incorporated into Access, starting with
Access 2000 (IIRC). So it should be up in the menus somewhere.

Be that as may: the fact is, if you can open a secured db without using
a shortcut with the /wrkgrp switch, and you have not joined the
securing workgroup file using the workgroup admin program or function,
then, the database has not been properly secured. And the most common
cause of that, by a handsome country mile, is
adding/omitting/reordering steps!

As for the message: "You are logged in as the unsecured, default admin
account. Exit Access and log on with another account that is a member
of the Admins group." - they are probably just saying that you should
not log in (at that time) as the standard Admin user, because that user
is common to all installations of Access. They want you to log in as
some other user, not Admin, who is a member of the Admins group.

HTH,
TC

 

[Guest]

Hey - I got it! The whole trick was in being able to run the wrkgadm.exe
file and create a new workgroup. I could not find that file, until I
searched the internet and someone had posted that it often can be found in
the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\1033 folder. Once I ran that,
and then followed the steps listed in Microsoft's Knowledge Base article
#254372, word-for-word, and then when finished, made a shortcut to the new
database, with the properties listing the workgroup switch location
("C:\Program Files\Mircosoft Office\Office\MSACCESS>EXE"
"U:\taborp\Shared\Volunteer Database\Secure Volunteer.mdb" /wrkgrp
"U:\taborp\Shared\Volunteer Database\System.mdw") all seems to be working
right now. Thanks.

 

[TC]

Well done!

Just make sure that it /doesn't/ work when you double-click the
database file directly.

Cheers,
TC