Creating a shortcut that opens a multi-level security in a runtime

[Sacapuce]

I created a database with one front-end mdb file linked to a back end mdb
file with data in it. The database is to be used by multiple users so I
added login and password using Access security facility (using a MDW file).
To open the database, I therefore use a shortcut that linke the MASACCESS.exe
file to the Front-end mdb file via the WORKGROUP MDW file. The statement is
written in the 'target' box of the shortcut property window and it looks like
that: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\MSACCESS.EXE" "C:\Program
Files\FrontEnd.mdb" /WRKGRP "C:\Program Files\Security.mdw"

So far, all is well.

Next, I create a runtime application using the developers extensions
(wizard). I chose to create a shortcut on the desktop and I test the MSI
file on another computer. What I find is that the shortcut does not refer to
the MDW file. Instead, it only points to the ACCDR file.

I go back to the wizard and try to fiddle the shortcut statement by adding
VBA commands such as: /WRKGRP "C:\Program Files\Security.mdw" but it still
does not refer to the runtime file and does not work.

How can I solve the problem and get the setup file to create a shorcut that
is properly referenced to both the runtime MSACCESS.exe and MDW file?

Any help would be much appreciated
Many thanks
Sacapuce

 

[Chris O'C via AccessMonster.com]

Access user level security only works on Jet dbs, not ACE dbs. If the file's
extension is mdb, mde, mda or mdt, it's a Jet db and requires an mdw file for
the user to join that workgroup. If the file's extension is accdb, accde,
accdt or accdr, it's an ACE db, and an mdw file isn't needed because there
aren't any workgroups.

Your accdr file can't be secured with Access user level security.

Chris
Microsoft MVP

 

[Sacapuce]

Chris,
I am puzzled and confused.

I created an mdb file with an MDW and packaged it using the developers
extensions. It produced an ACCDR file for the front-end and an mdb for the
back-end database. The Shortcut target only mentioned the ACCDR file. I
changed the target property to "C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Office\Office12\MSACCESS.EXE" "C:\Program Files\FrontEnd.mdb" /WRKGRP
"C:\Program Files\Security.mdw" and it worked on a separate computer that did
not have Access installed on it (it was using the runtime).

In the 'Access 2007 programmers reference book', chapter 21 they seem to
imply that it should indeed work.

Still the problem is that I cannot reference the shortcut target property
properly.

Any idea of what is going on and what I can do to remedy the situation? In
the meantime, I am going to try to find a computer that had never had access
installed on it to test the runtime again.

Thanks for all your help

 

[Chris O'C via AccessMonster.com]

When the authors wrote that book the Access 2007 developer extensions hadn't
been released yet so what's in the book might not match what Microsoft told
them to expect.

I've deployed plenty of mdbs with user level security but I haven't used the
Access 2007 developer extensions yet to deploy a secure db. Maybe someone
else who's deployed a secure mdb with the Access 2007 developer extensions
can jump in this thread and provide some more advice.

Check if the accdr file is really an accdb file or just an mdb file renamed.
If it's the latter, you can rename the extension to mdb and use it with the
workgroup file.

Chris
Microsoft MVP