Access DB says it's read only after copying to new hard drive location

[blackrabbit]

We are in the process of moving files on our file server from one share structure to a new more organized structure on the same structure.

In my testing I set up a robocopy job to copy a departments files to the new structure and had them test to make sure permissions were good and that data copied ok. They noticed however that when ever they open thier access databases now they get the following error:

The database 'dbname' is read-only
You won't be able to save changes made to data or object definitions in this database

They did confirm to me that they can infact make changes and that the changes were saved when they exit and reopen the db. I chekced the file properties and nothing is set to read only and all share and ntfs permissions are good.

I've spent a lot of time googling this issue and have rebooted the file server as one blog suggested. They are using Access 2003 and I am using Access 2007. When I open them in 2007 I don't get the error but they keep getting it.

They won't let me proceed with the real copy of data/switch over to new shares until this error goes away. I'm looking for a solution that doesn't require me to create a new db and import the old data or do save-as or things like that since they have hundreds of these databases.

I've run into this before years ago and since I don't use access very often I have no idea what the fix was.

 

[Hap007]

I would check to see what version all of your users are running and what version the mdb files on the network are.

You probably have already checked, but I thought I would mention it.

Are all the users using a shared Access security file (mdw extension)

Also, you should not be opening the files in Access 2007 when the users are opening them in Access 2003

FInal thought, are the user's using a Shortcut to open the db's? If so, What are the parameters in the shortcut?

Good Luck,
Hap...



Access Developer

http://www.fcs-software.com/fcsaccessdev.html

Access based Accounting Solutions - with free source code
Access Consultants forum

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=1121

 

[blackrabbit]

They are accessing them direcrtly from the share, no shortcuts or anything like that. I installed access 2003 on another machine and everything works fine for me. Then I checked and my access 2003 is sp2 and they are using sp3 so I upgraded mine to sp3 as well.

Even with sp3 everyhting works fine for me as well but not for them. I'm wondering if it's some sort of permissions things though, but in my robocopy job I specified to bring over the security permissions. It's very baffling.

 

[blackrabbit]

I even went so far as to grant them full control permissions on the db's and they atill get the same thing. Is there a setting in access itself that could opening them in read-only mode that I can clear?

 

[dhookom]

Have you had your users attempt to create and then delete a simple text/notepad file in the server folder?

Duane
Hook'D on Access
MS Access MVP

 

[Hap007]

Yes, there is an option in Access that let's a user open a file read-only.

I do not think it is controled by a setting. When you use the find file method, and high light a file, next to the 'Open' button there is a drop down arrow that let's you pick how to open the file. I do not think that is your problem.

Since you can open them, but the other users can not, it truly sounds like a network security issue.

Make sure the users have create, read, write, edit and delete privileges for all files in the network folder.

Try Duane's suggestion, because that might show a problem if you can not perform his test.

Hap...

Access Developer

http://www.fcs-software.com/fcsaccessdev.html

Access based Accounting Solutions - with free source code
Access Consultants forum

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=1121

 

[blackrabbit]

Turns out it was a permissions issue, but not very easily found. Turns out these share are really cryptainers on a decru datafort and the ACL is supposed to sync between the ntfs permissions and the datafort and that wasn't happening. Too bad no one at my office told me that a week ago lol. Once I figured that out I got the syncronization of the ACL working and now all is well. Thanks.