Access97 conversion permission issue with Access2003

[Rey]

I have to convert an Access 97 database to 2003 database. I tried using the
wizard but for some reason I was getting an error message

"The current user account doesn't have permission to convert or enable this
database." with the following description.
<quote>
This error is usually associated with opening or converting a security
enhanced Access 97 or earlier database. If you are not the owner of the
database, you most likely will not have the necessary access rights to open
or convert it.

If you need to convert the database, you can:

Attempt to change the permissions on the system tables to include
Administrator rights (if you are a member of the Administrators group).

Have the owner convert the database.

Import all the objects from the database into a new database.

Note: the security settings currently present in the existing database will
not be present in the new database. </quote>

I just have the password to the database and I dont have the mdw that the
user would have to used to create the application. And the user no longer
works for the company so I dont the exact layout of the permission settings.

I tried to import the dataobjects to the new database and failed to do that
because of the permission failure "you dont have permission to import or
export or link database". Even though I typed the password it showed the
entrie list of tables but I was not able to pull them in to the new database.
Can anyone help me with this problem is there a way to descure the
permissions and rebuild the application using Access 2003. And also
the password that I have will take me into the Application but as soon as I
enter, It will get this conversion failure message. Please advice! How can I
convert this 97 old application.

 

[Chris O'C via AccessMonster.com]

From the security faq:

"Use the Workgroup Administrator program (Wrkgadm.exe) to create a new
workgroup information file. Write down the Name, Organization, and WorkGroup
ID strings that you will be prompted for when you create your new workgroup
information file and store them in a safe place. If your workgroup
information file ever becomes lost or corrupted, you can reconstruct it by
using these identical strings, which are then encrypted to create a unique
token. Without a valid workgroup information file, you could conceivably be
locked out of your database forever. Another reason to save this information
is for upgrading a secured Access database to a newer version of Access. The
recommended path for upgrading databases is to re-create the workgroup file
in the new version of Access before upgrading the database itself."

Find where that user stored the name, organization and workgroup ID so you
can recreate the mdw file and the user name and pid of a member of the admins
group (preferably the db owner) to recreate a user who can convert the db
file. Or have HR call that former employee for the info. Without the mdw
file and a member of the admins group to use it, your db will stay in Access
97 format.

Chris
Microsoft MVP

 

[Rey]

Thanks Chris for the input but what if there is no mdw file. I dont find
anything related to that. The database is password protected and I have used
one of the access password recovery tool to get the password and now I am
able to enter the password but as soon as I entered the password the system
was able to take the password and get me in to the conversion failure message
box. Is there a way to delete this password or desecure the database let us
just assume that there is no mdw file and it is simply a password protected
database. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Chris O'C via AccessMonster.com]

*Every* Jet db requires an mdw file to open it. If you've determined there
isn't user level security applied, just a db password, you need to open the
db exclusively to remove the db password. Run this code in another db and
replace with path, file name and db password.

Dim ws As Workspace
Dim db As Database

Set ws = CreateWorkspace("ws", "Admin", "", dbUseJet)
Set db = ws.OpenDatabase("c:\db.mdb", True, False, ";pwd=dbpassword")
db.NewPassword "dbpassword", ""
Set db = Nothing
Set ws = Nothing


Chris
Microsoft MVP

 

[Rey]

I ran this code from a different database but unfortunately I was getting a
runtime error 3033. You do not have necessary permission to use C:\documents
and settings....\temp.mdb object. Have your system admin or the person who
created this object establish the appropriate permissions for you.

Can you please guide me.

 

[Chris O'C via AccessMonster.com]

It means your assumption that there's no mdw file to secure this mdb was
wrong. Without the secure mdw file the mdb file will stay in Access 97
format unless you pay a service to convert it for you.

Time to track down that former employee for some info on where that mdw file
is, eh?

Chris
Microsoft MVP

I ran this code from a different database but unfortunately I was getting a
runtime error 3033. You do not have necessary permission to use C:\documents
and settings....\temp.mdb object. Have your system admin or the person who
created this object establish the appropriate permissions for you.

Can you please guide me.

*Every* Jet db requires an mdw file to open it. If you've determined there
isn't user level security applied, just a db password, you need to open the

[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]

 

[Rey]

Well we are trying to track that person and meanwhile the user got an
excelfile from a floppy that is used to convert to access97 And they are
okay in using that data, anyways I greatly appreciate and thank you very much
for your valuable time.

It means your assumption that there's no mdw file to secure this mdb was
wrong. Without the secure mdw file the mdb file will stay in Access 97
format unless you pay a service to convert it for you.

Time to track down that former employee for some info on where that mdw file
is, eh?

Chris
Microsoft MVP

I ran this code from a different database but unfortunately I was getting a
runtime error 3033. You do not have necessary permission to use C:\documents
and settings....\temp.mdb object. Have your system admin or the person who
created this object establish the appropriate permissions for you.

Can you please guide me.

*Every* Jet db requires an mdw file to open it. If you've determined there
isn't user level security applied, just a db password, you need to open the

[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]

just assume that there is no mdw file and it is simply a password protected
database. Any help would be greatly appreciated.