setting up user-groups

[Redbeard]

I was playing around with the security settings to see if that would
help me with my multiuser problem (see other thread). I set up myself
as the administrator, and put myself and coworkers in a Data users
group. After that, I could log in, but it wouldn't recognize me as an
administrator when I tried to open the database with the Shift key (to
bypass hiding the database window etc.).

Also, when I put the front-end on a coworker's machine (who I had
listed in my workgroup), it wouldn't even bring up the login screen.

Using Access 2000. I'm a poweruser on my network, but NOT an
administrator.

I don't HAVE to have this level of security UNLESS it is required to
allow multiple users. Nobody except the authorized users will even be
able to get to the frontend anyway, so if they are already logged into
their machine, I can assume that they are authorized to use the
database. But I hate not knowing how something works and this is going
to bug the heck out of me until I know what I did wrong.

Did I miss any obvious steps?

 

[Joan Wild]

I was playing around with the security settings to see if that would
help me with my multiuser problem (see other thread).

One should never play with the security settings without some prior
studying. Security in Access is quite complex and folks new to it find it
hard to 'get right'.

You should download and study the security FAQ, and practice. You must
follow the steps exactly as outlined, or your database won't be secure. I
see you are using 2000 - as the FAQ states, don't use the security wizard
in 2000 as it is flawed.

FAQ - http://support.microsoft.com/?id=207793

By the way, I don't think this will solve your multiuser problem at all -
it's not related and you do not need to implement security in a multiuser
environment.

I set up myself

as the administrator, and put myself and coworkers in a Data users
group. After that, I could log in, but it wouldn't recognize me as an
administrator when I tried to open the database with the Shift key (to
bypass hiding the database window etc.).

What do you mean you set yourself up as administrator? Do you mean you
added your username to the Admins Group, or did you create a new group to be
administrator?

Also, when I put the front-end on a coworker's machine (who I had
listed in my workgroup), it wouldn't even bring up the login screen.

Then that indicates that you missed a step in securing it

Using Access 2000. I'm a poweruser on my network, but NOT an
administrator.

I don't HAVE to have this level of security UNLESS it is required to
allow multiple users. Nobody except the authorized users will even be
able to get to the frontend anyway, so if they are already logged into
their machine, I can assume that they are authorized to use the
database. But I hate not knowing how something works and this is
going to bug the heck out of me until I know what I did wrong.

Did I miss any obvious steps?

I would say plenty. The very first step is to create a new workgroup file
to secure it with (I'm not sure if you did that?). You need to follow the
steps exactly. I've also outlined the steps at
www.jmwild.com/AccessSecurity.htm

As for your multiuser problem, do all users (windows) have full permission
on the folder where the backend is located? They need this in order to
create/delete the ldb file that's associated with the database.

 

[Redbeard]

Thanks for the info. If I don't need to set up the security to get the
database to work for multiple users, then I can worry about learning it
later.

Yes, all of the users would have permisssion to read and write to the
directory where the backend is located. And only those people who have
those permissions would have access to the front-end database anyway.

 

[Joan Wild]

Yes, all of the users would have permisssion to read and write to the
directory where the backend is located. And only those people who
have those permissions would have access to the front-end database
anyway.

They also need create and delete permission.

 

[Redbeard]

They do. It is a shared folder, and everyone has full user-level
permissions.

 

[Joan Wild]

Have you split the database and put just the backend on the server, with
each user using a copy of the frontend on their computer?