Workgroup security files.

[miaplacidus]

I'm a newbie at Access scurity. I created a copy of a
database and worked the the steps in the FAQ on how to
protect your dataase, created a workgroup file etc.
Everything worked fine.

Now all of my databases request a password on opening and
they all have the same users etc as the one I was playing
with. This includes DB's on the network drive and my local
drive. What gives?

Isn't a workgroup file DB specific?

 

[Lynn Trapp]

No, the workgroup that you are joined to is specific to each computer. If
you used the wizard to do your security, then it created a shortcut on your
desktop. If you did it manually, then you need to create that shortcut
manually. You need to join the system.mdw file that shipped with Access and
then use the shortcut to open your secure databases. The syntax for the
shortcut target is:

"FullPathToMSAccess.exe" "FullPathToDatabase.mdb" /wrkgrp
"FullPathToSecure.mdw"

 

[miaplacidus]

I don't think that was the answer to my question.

1). If I have an employees DB and a press release DB on my
computer, then I apply security to the employees DB; why
does that affect the press release DB?

2). I don't understand your message.I'm sure the shortcut
is there, but it's transparent to me. I click on the DB in
explorer and the password dialog opens. Under what
circumstances would I need to use the (commandline?)
statements you quoted?

3). Why do I need to open access and the DB on onecommand
line? If I open the DB doesn't that intantiate Access?

4). How is FullPathToSecure different from FullPathToDB if
the DB is secure?

5). What does the flag /wrkgrp do if the shortcut is
already operational?

6). Suppose I wanted different users and a different
usergroup for differnt DB's on the same machine. Is that
what the shortcut FullPathToDB /wrkgrp is supposed to?
That is direct that DB to its own workgroup?

7). Can I use the wizard to create a second workgroup?

 

[Rick Brandt]

I don't think that was the answer to my question.

1). If I have an employees DB and a press release DB on my
computer, then I apply security to the employees DB; why
does that affect the press release DB?

It doesn't. Whether you are prompted at Access launch is controlled by the
workgroup file you are using, not the database file you are opening.

There are two separate things happening that are related, but distinct.
You open Access using a workgroup file. Which workgroup file is either
specified as a command line argument or else your default workgroup file is
used.

The workgroup either has a password on the "Admin" user or it doesn't. If
it does you are required to provide a user name and a password. If it
doesn't you are automatically logged in as "Admin".

Access now has a session started and "knows" who the current user is and to
what groups he is a member. Nothing about any *file* that might be opened
has come into play yet.

Now then, when a specific file is opened Access takes the user and group
information that it already knows and checks to see if the current user has
proper authorities to the file being opened (because that information is
stored in the file being opened). If the user has proper authorities, the
file opens. If not, an error message is displayed and it is not.

You have apparently "joined" or made as your default, a workgroup file with
a password on the "Admin" user so you are prompted for a login EVERY TIME
you use Access. Again, what file or files you might intend to use does not
matter. If you only need to use this particular workfile some of the time
then you don't want it as your default. Just use the workgroup
administrator tool to change your default back to a workgroup file that
doesn't have a password on the "Admin" user (like the default System.mdw)
and the prompts will go away. You can then create a shortcut for your
secured file that specifies a different workgroup file as a command line
argument so you are only prompted when you use that shortcut.

 

[Lynn Trapp]

Answers inline below

--
Lynn Trapp
MS Access MVP
www.ltcomputerdesigns.com
Access Security: www.ltcomputerdesigns.com/Security.htm

I don't think that was the answer to my question.

1). If I have an employees DB and a press release DB on my
computer, then I apply security to the employees DB; why
does that affect the press release DB?

Rick Brandt has covered this well in another post.

2). I don't understand your message.I'm sure the shortcut
is there, but it's transparent to me. I click on the DB in
explorer and the password dialog opens. Under what
circumstances would I need to use the (commandline?)
statements you quoted?

Use it if you want one database to be secure while others are not.

3). Why do I need to open access and the DB on onecommand
line? If I open the DB doesn't that intantiate Access?

Because it will not run the /wrkgrp switch without the reference to
msaccess.exe

4). How is FullPathToSecure different from FullPathToDB if
the DB is secure?

It assures that you are using the workgroup information file for this
specific database.

5). What does the flag /wrkgrp do if the shortcut is
already operational?

See #4

6). Suppose I wanted different users and a different
usergroup for differnt DB's on the same machine. Is that
what the shortcut FullPathToDB /wrkgrp is supposed to?
That is direct that DB to its own workgroup?
Yes.


7). Can I use the wizard to create a second workgroup?

Yes

 

[miaplacidus]

-----Original Message-----


It doesn't. Whether you are prompted at Access launch is controlled by the
workgroup file you are using, not the database file you are opening.

There are two separate things happening that are related, but distinct.
You open Access using a workgroup file. Which workgroup file is either
specified as a command line argument or else your default workgroup file is
used.

The workgroup either has a password on the "Admin" user or it doesn't. If
it does you are required to provide a user name and a password. If it
doesn't you are automatically logged in as "Admin".

Access now has a session started and "knows" who the current user is and to
what groups he is a member. Nothing about any *file* that might be opened
has come into play yet.

Now then, when a specific file is opened Access takes the user and group
information that it already knows and checks to see if the current user has
proper authorities to the file being opened (because that information is
stored in the file being opened). If the user has proper authorities, the
file opens. If not, an error message is displayed and it is not.

You have apparently "joined" or made as your default, a workgroup file with
a password on the "Admin" user so you are prompted for a login EVERY TIME
you use Access. Again, what file or files you might intend to use does not
matter. If you only need to use this particular workfile some of the time
then you don't want it as your default. Just use the workgroup
administrator tool to change your default back to a workgroup file that
doesn't have a password on the "Admin" user (like the default System.mdw)
and the prompts will go away. You can then create a shortcut for your
secured file that specifies a different workgroup file as a command line
argument so you are only prompted when you use that shortcut.


--
I don't check the Email account attached
to this message. Send instead to...
RBrandt at Hunter dot com


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