Security!

[Cesar Urquidi]

Hello,
I have a database with users and permissions set up, but when I try to open
other databases with no users and permissions set up, it still asks me for a
password.
Why???

 

[John W. Vinson]

Hello,
I have a database with users and permissions set up, but when I try to open
other databases with no users and permissions set up, it still asks me for a
password.
Why???

Because the user ID's and passwords are NOT stored in your database; instead
they are stored in a .MDW file. If you don't create a new .mdw file for your
custom database (as you should), all of the users and passwords will be set in
the default C:\Windows\System32\SYSTEM.MDW file, and that file will be used
for all Access databases.

Download the Microsoft Access 2000 Security FAQ:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/207793/en-us

and read the section about specifying the workgroup file. Heck, read the whole
thing, carefully, twice, and make sure you've followed all the steps.

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

Hello,
I have a database with users and permissions set up, but when I try to
open
other databases with no users and permissions set up, it still asks me for
a
password.
Why???

In addition to what John mentioned, you either have to change workgroups, or
use a shortcut to invoke the correct one for your database. The shortcut
should read like:

C:\Program Files\Office10\MSACCESS.EXE "C:\Database\MyApp.mdb" /wrkgrp
"C:\Database\Secure.mdw"

 

[Cesar Urquidi]

I have two .mdw files, one in the c drive, and the other in the k drive
(network drive).
I have two databases, one in the c drive, and the other in the k drive
(network drive).
I changed the database in the c drive to the system.mdw located in the c
drive, but when I try to open the database in the k drive, it is not
protected anymore.
I changed the database in the k drive to the system.mdw located in the k
drive, but when I try to open the database in the c drive, it is protected.
It looks like I'm going back in circles.

 

[John W. Vinson]

I have two .mdw files, one in the c drive, and the other in the k drive
(network drive).
I have two databases, one in the c drive, and the other in the k drive
(network drive).
I changed the database in the c drive to the system.mdw located in the c
drive, but when I try to open the database in the k drive, it is not
protected anymore.
I changed the database in the k drive to the system.mdw located in the k
drive, but when I try to open the database in the c drive, it is protected.
It looks like I'm going back in circles.

Download and carefully study the Microsoft Access 2000 Security FAQ:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/207793/en-us

Your database *is not correctly secured*.

There are two almost-independent things going on. The .mdw file (whichever
file you're using) contains information about Users (with their passwords) and
Groups; it contains absolutely *nothing* about the objects in your database.
The database contains information with each object (Form, Table, query, etc.)
indicating which Users and which Groups have permission to use that object and
how.

It would appear that the default Admin user still has permission to pretty
much everything. That's a key mistake, and leaves your database completely
insecure. Admin should have absolutely minimal or no permissions to anything!

Again... read the FAQ. Security is complicated, and it's easy to go astray.

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

In addition to John's advice, here's a list of other helpful sites on Access
security:

Security FAQ
http://support.microsoft.com/download/support/mslfiles/SECFAQ.EXE

Lynn Trapp's summarization:
http://www.ltcomputerdesigns.com/The10Steps.htm

KB articles:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q165009
http://download.microsoft.com/download/access97/faq1/1/win98/en-us/secfaq.exe
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=325261

Joan Wild's articles:
http://www.jmwild.com/security02.htm
http://www.jmwild.com/security97.htm
http://www.jmwild.com/SecureNoLogin.htm
http://www.jmwild.com/Unsecure.htm