MS Access 97 Security questions

[jliebman]

All,

I recently started at a company that has a number of older MS Access
97 database applications that support production and order
fulfillment. There is one database with which I have the following
problems:

1) no one can make modifications to the database except by logging in
using the database creator's userid and password on the workstation
used by that person, who has of course left the company. Anyone else
who tries to access the database, even the system administrator, gets
the message "You dont have the nececssary permissions to use the
xxxxxxxxx object.Have your system administrator or the person who
created the object establish the appropriate permissions for you."

2) We logged in and "added" another person with the same permissions
as the creator for all database objects, except we did not change the
database object "ownerships", and the problem still persists. I
suspect that the ownerships are the problem. Is this so?

3) I dont know anything about the restriction to a particular machine.
Can anyone enlighten me on this issue?

TIA

JL

 

[Joan Wild]

You need to make the mdw available to all users. There is a workgroup file
on that workstation that is in use when you open the mdb.

Either the computer is joined by default to this mdw file, or you are using
a desktop shortcut on that computer (the shortcut is specifying the mdw to
use).

Copy that mdw to a location where all can access it. Create a desktop
shortcut for each user to launch the mdb.
"path to msaccess.exe" "path to mdb" /wrkgrp "path to secure mdw"

 

[Keith Wilby]

Please don't multi-post. I wouldn't have needed to answer elsewhere had I
known you had a good response here.

Keith.

 

[Keith Wilby]

Whoops. This post relates to "Problem with MS Access 97 database security"
which was also posted to the securty forum.

 

[jliebman]

You need to make the mdw available to all users. There is a workgroup file
on that workstation that is in use when you open the mdb.

Either the computer is joined by default to this mdw file, or you are using
a desktop shortcut on that computer (the shortcut is specifying the mdw to
use).

Copy that mdw to a location where all can access it. Create a desktop
shortcut for each user to launch the mdb.
"path to msaccess.exe" "path to mdb" /wrkgrp "path to secure mdw"

--
Joan Wild









- Show quoted text -

Joan,

Sorry for using the "reply to author" function instead of the reply -
I am having to use Google groups and I am unfamilar with the
application - I'm offsite and not able to use Agent. To get this on
the record for all:

Perhaps I didnt clearly state the problem - users all over the
building are using the application in question - its just that it
cannot be maintained or modified except on the creator's PC using the
creator's userid and password - does that sound like an MDW file
problem, or is it the result of the database objects ownership
settings, or something else entirely?

JL

 

[jliebman]

Please don't multi-post. I wouldn't have needed to answer elsewhere had I
known you had a good response here.

Keith.

Keith,

Sorry - I wont do it again.

JL

 

[Joan Wild]

Joan,

Perhaps I didnt clearly state the problem - users all over the
building are using the application in question - its just that it
cannot be maintained or modified except on the creator's PC using the
creator's userid and password - does that sound like an MDW file
problem, or is it the result of the database objects ownership
settings, or something else entirely?

It sounds like the developer secured it so that the Users Group has some
limited permissions (enough to use it, but not change design). This would
allow the users to use the mdb without needing to login - they are using
their standard system.mdw and being silently logged in as 'Admin', which is
a member of the Users Group and so gets those permissions.

When you need to actually make design changes, you need to login using the
secure mdw on the developer's computer; using that mdw and logging in as a
user that is a member of the Admins Group, allows you to make the changes.
You'd then assign the necessary permissions to the Users Group and deploy.
The users in this case don't need to use the secure mdw.