do not have necessary permissions . . .

[lshippee]

I've used the security wizard for the first time as a trial to learn about it -- and I have some learning to do! The end result is this error message when I try to open the secured version:

You do not have the necessary permissions to use the *:/*.mdb object. Have your system administrator or the person who created the object establish the appropriate permissions for you.

I've been able to recoup my database by opening the unsecured backup copy created by the wizard, so I'm not out any work or time. I would like to understand what the problem is here, though, for future use.

I have the secured.mdw file in which I am shown as a user belonging only to Admins with full permissions and as a member (the only member) of the group admins.

I created the DB in my personal network drive; therefore I am the owner, but unfortunately have no idea what is wrong here or how to fix it.

I've reviewed the MS FAQs, the help files, and my available text, but am not finding anything that describes my situation. Any other suggestions?

Leslie Shippee
Information Analyst

 

[RickSpr]

Did you get the log on prompt when you tried to open the database? If not, then the problem is either that you neglected to assign a password to the Admin user in secured.mdw, or that you need to join the secure.mdw workgroup using the Workgroup Administrator.

If you logged on as the user in the Admins group, using the .mdw file created during the user-level security setup procedure, you should at least be able to open the database--unless you revoked Open permissions from the Admins group. In that case, the database Owner may be the only user who can open it.

I have the secured.mdw file in which I am shown as a user belonging only to Admins with full permissions and as a member (the only member) of the group admins.

Permissions are stored in the database, now the .mdw file. If you can't open the secured database, then you can't see the permissions you have in it.

I created the DB in my personal network drive; therefore I am the owner...

No, the Owner is the user who was logged on when the secured copy was created. ('Owner' here refers to what Access has recorded as the owner, in the database. You may own the file in the file system, but that doesn't make you the database Owner for Access security purposes.)

The Access 97 User Security Wizard was incomplete. You were expected to take several critical steps, described in the help file, before running the security wizard. If you're using A97, perhaps you didn't complete those steps.

Access 2000's User Security Wizard (or whatever it's called) is much more bulletproof, but you still have to follow its instructions carefully.

In either case, don't just run the wizard. Look in the help file for the topic on setting up user-level security. Then print it and follow it carefully. Don't skip over any steps because you don't understand them. You need to read more of the help file until you do understand them.

If you follow the procedure carefully, starting with your backup copy, I'm sure it will come out fine. But if you get stuck again, including with understanding the help file topics, come back to Tek-Tips for assistance. Rick Sprague

 

[lshippee]

Rick,

Thanks for your reply. I get only the error message noted above when I try to open the database -- no logon prompt.

In the secured.mdw report I find the following:
Workgroup Information File: \Secured.mdw
User Name: MyName
Workgroup ID: swtrial1

Groups:
Name: Admins
Group ID: <Previously Created>
Users: lshippee

Other groups listed include all the default group names available from the wizard -- I did not make changes. Group ID for all groups except 'Admins' is a system generated alphanumeric string.

Users:
Name: lshippee
Personal ID: system-generated alphanumeric string
Password: admin
Groups: Admins, Full Permissions

Name: admin
Personal ID: <Previously created>
Password: system-generated alphanumeric string
Groups: Users

Other users listed have a system-generated alphanumeric string for the personal id and a password assigned by me.

It does appear to me that I did not assign a password to the user 'Admin' as you suspected. I've looked at secured.mdw and do not see a way to change this. Is there, or is it a matter of starting again and correcting in a new setup?

Thanks again,

Leslie Shippee



Leslie Shippee
Information Analyst

 

[RickSpr]

1. Run the Workgroup Administrator to verify that you are joined to the secured.mdw workgroup.

2. Open any unsecured database (or, simply start Access and create a new database).

3. Choose Tools|Security|User and Group Accounts from the menu.

4. Click the Change Logon Password tab.

5. Leave the Old Password: box blank. Enter a password of your choosing in the New Password: and Verify: boxes.

6. Click OK.

7. Shut down Access.

8. Double-click your secured database. Because the Admin user now has a password, you should be prompted to log on. Rick Sprague
To write a program from scratch, first create the universe. - Paraphrased from Albert Einstein