Virus Warning

[Paul Richards]

Every time I open my database I get a warning about unfriendly VBA micro
viruses. What's causing this and is there any way to stop the warning?

 

[Ed Warren]

Tools --> Macro --> Security --> set to low (if you know the source of your
*.mdb file). Access comes set the Medium to protect you in case you are
opening some database you 'found' or someone 'sent you' that could contain
viruses.

Ed Warren

 

[Paul Richards]

Ed: thanks

Tools --> Macro --> Security --> set to low (if you know the source of your
*.mdb file). Access comes set the Medium to protect you in case you are
opening some database you 'found' or someone 'sent you' that could contain
viruses.

Ed Warren

 

[Duncan Bachen]

Ed: thanks

Actually, you might want to digitally sign your code. This way you still
have the protection to prompt you if there is a virus, but it will be
skipped for those digital signatures which you allow.

While the message might be annoying, in today's age of virus problems,
it was put there for a reason.

 

[Paul Richards]

Ed: there is no Security option when I go into Tools --> Macro.

I'm using Access 2003

 

[Ed Warren]

I'm also using Access 2003 and I have that setting, it could be your
personal permission settings preclude you seeing the security setting.

Ed Warren.

 

[Rick Brandt]

Actually, you might want to digitally sign your code. This way you
still have the protection to prompt you if there is a virus, but it
will be skipped for those digital signatures which you allow.

While the message might be annoying, in today's age of virus problems,
it was put there for a reason.

I disagree. The warning does not come up when there is a virus. It comes up
EVERY time and the user bypasses it EVERY time. It's totally useless and is
there for PR reasons not real ones.

 

[Paul Richards]

Ed: how do I get round the security settings issue?

 

[Duncan Bachen]

I disagree. The warning does not come up when there is a virus. It comes up
EVERY time and the user bypasses it EVERY time. It's totally useless and is
there for PR reasons not real ones.

Then we can agree to disagree.

It's there to prevent the execution of code without your explicit
consent. Since you can have code run automatically and some of the
earlier Access code didn't run in the sandbox, it allowed direct access
to your system -- a nice big security hole.

While using an mdb/mde file isn't a typically way of distributing a
virus, it was a perfectly plausible scenario with that security flaw.

This warning puts your system into the sandbox mode and is asking you if
you trust the designer of the database.

If you use digital signatures, you can avoid the warning and still be
protected.

For what it's worth, the next version of Access will handle the security
trust differently. One thing is that you'll be able to explicitly
specify a trusted directory. This means on your corporate network, you
can put all your databases in a single location (or specify multiple
locations) and not have to sign each one.

Unless the end user specifically copies the viral database to that
location to run it first (rather than running it from an attachment), it
will be stopped.

 

[Ed Warren]

Sorry, I can't even figure out why you can't see the Macro Security setting,
someone else will have to provide more insight.

Ed Warren.

 

[Guest]

Paul - it IS there you just have to wait..., ie, click Tools then leave it
like that for a few seconds and the menu will expand further OR click Tools
and then click the double arrow at the bottom to expand it immediately

James

 

[Paul Richards]

I have full menus on - I don't like the expanding ones.

 

[Brendan Reynolds]

Try re-setting your main menu bar ...

Right-click any menu or toolbar, and select Customize. In the Customize
dialog box, select the Toolbars tab. In the list of toolbars, select Menu
Bar. Click the Reset button.

 

[Paul Richards]

Brendan: Brilliant – that’s solved the problem. I’ve no idea why I
should need to Reset because I’ve never attempted any Customization.

Thanks.

 

[Brendan Reynolds]

I'm not sure why it happens either. I think it is related somehow to how the
installer detects settings from a previous installation. I'm guessing that
you had an earlier version of Access installed before you installed Access
2003? If I'm right, I think this would not happen on a PC that has never had
an earlier version installed.