System.mdw file duplication query

[Gav]

After a standard installation of MS Office (including MS
Access) I found the System.mdw file duplicated into three
different folders -
Program Files\Common Files\ -
Program Files\MS Office\Office -
Windows\System.
If the workgroup specified is in only one of these
folders, what purpose do the others serve? Could they be
remanents of an earlier version of MS Access? I have never
set up any security, so these are all default settings.

 

[Joan Wild]

I have two versions of Access on this computer. I have always found
system.mdw in Windows\system folder. I've never seen it in either of the
other two locations.

It is possible that they are workgroup files that someone created to secure
a database. Do/did you have any secure databases?

I'd suggest you rename the other two (system1.mdw maybe). You could test
all your databases, and if you get no errors, then I'd say it's safe to
delete these.