belong to more than one workgroup?

[Jackie]

I have a couple of databases, each with their own .mdw. Is it possible to
belong to more than one workgroup?

I've searched the KB and forums and can't find the problem specifically
addressed. Thanks, Jackie

 

[Rick B]

You only USE one workgroup at a time. When you open the database file, a
particular workgroup is used. You can have a valid userid and password in
as many workgroups as you want.

The best way to handle these is to create shortcuts for all your databases
that include the workgroup to use when the file is opened. This lets you
remain joined to your preferred or default workgroup for general daily
tasks, but when a secured database is opened, the appropriate workgroup file
is also used.

 

[Jackie]

How do you tell it which workgroup to use?

You only USE one workgroup at a time. When you open the database file, a
particular workgroup is used. You can have a valid userid and password in
as many workgroups as you want.

The best way to handle these is to create shortcuts for all your databases
that include the workgroup to use when the file is opened. This lets you
remain joined to your preferred or default workgroup for general daily
tasks, but when a secured database is opened, the appropriate workgroup file
is also used.

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Like Rick said: "create shortcuts for all your databases that include the
workgroup to use when the file is opened."

See http://support.microsoft.com/?id=209207 for details.

 

[TC]

Start the database via a shortcut of the following form:

(all on one line)

"full path to MSACCESS.EXE"
"full path to database file"
/wrkgrp "full path to workgroup file"

As for belonging to more than one workgroup, you need to understand the
importance of the Personal Identifier (PID) that you choose when you
create a new user. Say you create two users with the exact same name,
in two different workgroup files. If you give those users the same PID,
they will be considered, by Access, to be a single individual; ie. "the
same person". But if you give them /different/ PIDs, Access will
consider them to be two different people.

That is how you distinguish these cases:

* several workgroup files have user "Tom", and all those Toms are the
same person; but,

* they also have several "Jane"s, and all those Janes are /different/
people.

HTH,
TC

 

[Guest]

Yes, a workgroup is a database in which you look up
a security ID. You can put the same User or Group
into as many workgroups as you like.

If you belong to more that one workgroup, it won't matter
which workgroup you use: whichever workgroup you
look in, you will get the same security ID, so you can
use your secured application database

The first way to do this is to just make a file copy of
a workgroup: now all the users are in both workgroups,
and you can use either workgroup.

The second way to do this is to add the user or
group to a second workgroup. You need to use
exactly the same user/group NAME and Security
String, and Access will create exactly the same security
ID.

The disadvantage of belonging to multiple workgroups
is that the passwords are all separate: the password
will only be the same if you put the same password into
each workgroup file.

(david)

 

[TC]

david@epsomdotcomdotau wrote:

(snip)

The first way to do this is to just make a file copy of
a workgroup: now all the users are in both workgroups,
and you can use either workgroup.

Um, if you are happy for the two workgroup files to have the same
Admins group SID!

But often, when you are using multiple workgroups, you would want each
workgroup to have a different Admins group SID, even if they had users
and/or groups in common. In that case you have to create a new
workgroup with a different company, organization &/or WID.

Cheers,
TC