Wrkgadm.exe

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Guest

Hi,
I am creating a new database. I considered copying my existing database to
use as a general framework for the new one because it has much of what I need
already created. My question is - when you copy a database does it use the
same Wrkgadm.exe file as the original?
Thank you
Capt OhNo
 
Yes, if you simply use Windows Explorer or the Dos Copy command to make a
copy of the file, then it will be an exact copy, including using the same
workgroup file. You may prefer creating a new database and importing the
objects you want from the old database. That will give you a cleaner start.
To open the old database to import the objects from you'll still need to use
the appropriate workgroup file; however, if you don't put an Admin password
on the new file, you should be able to change its workgroup file since it
could be opened using any workgroup file.
 
Captain said:
Hi,
I am creating a new database. I considered copying my existing
database to use as a general framework for the new one because it has
much of what I need already created. My question is - when you copy
a database does it use the same Wrkgadm.exe file as the original?
Thank you
Capt OhNo
Click to expand...

You have a couple misconceptions. Wrkgadm.exe is the utility that you can
use to "join" a workgroup file which simply means to make it your default
workgroup, and also to create new workgroup files. It is not in use during
the normal operation of Access and/or an Access application. What you are
referring to is a workgroup file which would be named like AnyName.MDW (the
default being System.MDW).

A workgroup file is always used when operating Access. The specific
workgroup file can be specified as a command line argument when opening
Access or else the user's default workgroup will be used. So which
workgroup file that is used has nothing to do with the MDB file that will be
opened.

An MDB file doesn't concern itself with which workgroup file is in use.
Only that certain groups and users with certain IDs have (or don't have)
permissions to certain objects. In a secured database it is "usually" the
case that there is exactly one workgroup file that contains the groups and
users that the database will recognize, but it is an important distinction
to make as many people assume that there is some sort of "link" between the
MDW and MDB file (there is not). Any number of different MDW files could be
set up with group and/or user accounts that have the same internal IDs and
the database only cares about those IDs.

Basic security lessons aside, if you're asking if (as it pertains to
security) if a copy of a file will behave the same as the original the
answer is yes. In fact the simple act of compacting a database actually
produces a new file that is a copy of the original after which the original
is deleted and the new file renamed. Obviously security would have to be
maintained during this process.
 
Thank you Wayne.
I have not implemented security on my database. I have read enough about
how its done that touching the Wrkgadm.exe file gives me the willies. I
would really like to do it but I think its the same problem as mentioned
below. I can't just make a copy of the database and implement Security
through trial and error because the copy has the same Wrkgadm.exe file.
Until you confirmed it below, I was assuming it did.
Capt OhNo
 
Rick,
Thank you for taking the time to clarify that. I have printed your response
and sometime in the future I will study it so that I can get the full
benefit. I do want to implement Security on the database and I believe your
response will help understand it better.
Much appreciated
Capt OhNo
 
If you have not implemented security, then the database won't care which
workgroup file you use because the database has no password on the Admin
account. As Rick mentioned, the security is actually in the database file.
It looks to the workgroup file for user names and groups (actually a key
that was created when the user/group was created). When you sign in using a
user name and password, it checks the workgroup file to verify the password
for the user and then get the key for that user. It will then use that key
to determine which permissions the user has in that database. This is the
reason that a report is generated when you add security to a database. The
report contains the user key for each user/group created. It is possible to
create a new workgroup file using this information. You could even create a
workgroup file with the information for two or more databases, as long as
none of the user names/groups were the same or if they were, that each
database was expecting the same key for that name.
 
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