Permissions

[bevans1]

I have copied a front end 'mde' file from a users machine and I am trying to run it on a lap top to but it says that I do not have the appropriate permissions to open the database..... see my system administrator etc......

What is the easiest way to access this database...
(I have taken copies of the WRKGADM.exe from his machine)

Thanks

Bow

 

[thornmastr]

The purpose of a properly defined MDE is to keep users, programmers, designers, etc out. The fact that you have the correct mdw file will not help since the MDE will not allow you to directly access it,

You need the MDB file. If you can’t get it, you don’t get to change anything.
Robert Berman
Data Base consultant
Vulcan Software Services
thornmastr@yahoo.com

 

[bevans1]

Thanks for your reply Robert....

I do not want to change anything, I want to view the front end.

Bow

 

[thornmastr]

Bow,

I am assuming you need to see something behind the front end, such as form design, queries, code, etc. unfortunately, if your FE is an MDE you can’t do it. mde’s are constrained by the following. As you can tell, if the appropriate privileges from the mdw file are set, you can get to some things but if you don’t already have the access rights, the probability of your being able to see anything are nill. Hopefully, you have the original MDB file somewhere. If not, you are out of luck.

If your database contains Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code, saving your Microsoft Access database as an MDE file compiles all modules, removes all editable source code, and compacts the destination database. Your Visual Basic code will continue to run, but it cannot be viewed or edited. Saving your database as an MDE file secures you forms and reports without requiring users to log on or requiring you to create and manage the user accounts and permissions that are needed for user-level security.
Your database will continue to function normally—-you can still update data and run reports. Additionally, the size of the database will be reduced due to the removal of the code, so memory usage is optimized, which will improve performance.
Saving your Access database as an MDE file prevents the following actions:
• Viewing, modifying, or creating forms, reports, or modules in Design view.
• Adding, deleting, or changing references to object libraries or databases.
• Changing code — an MDE file contains no source code.
• Importing or exporting forms, reports, or modules. However, tables, queries, data access pages, and macros can be imported from or exported to non-MDE databases.
Considerations if you need to modify the design of forms, reports, or modules
Be sure to keep a copy of your original Access database. If you need to modify the design of forms, reports, or modules in an MDE file, you must modify the original Access database, and then resave it as an MDE file. Saving an Access database containing tables as an MDE file creates complications reconciling different versions of the data if you need to modify the design of the forms, reports, or modules later. For this reason, saving an Access database as an MDE file is most appropriate for the front-end database of a front-end/back-end application.
Code no longer secured with user-level security
In previous versions of Access, user-level security could be used with VBA modules. In Microsoft Access 2000 and later, all Visual Basic code for an Access database (.mdb) file or an Access project (.adp) file, including stand-alone modules and class modules (such as code behind forms and reports) must be secured by setting a password, or by saving the database as an MDE or ADE file, which removes the source code.
Consideration before saving your database as an MDE file
Some restrictions may prevent you from saving your Access database as an MDE file:
• You must have password access to the Visual Basic code.
• If your database is replicated, you must first remove replication.
• If your Access database references another Access database, or add-in, you must save all Access databases or add-ins in the chain of references as MDE files.
Additionally, if you define a database password or user-level security before saving an Access database as an MDE file, those features will still apply to an MDE file created from that database. If your Access database has a database password or user-level security defined and you want to remove these features, you must do so before saving it as an MDE file.
To save an Access database that was secured with user-level security as an MDE file, you must meet the following requirements before you can proceed:
• You must join the workgroup information file that defines the user accounts used to access the database, or that were in use when the database was created.
• Your user account must have Open/Run and Open Exclusive permissions for the database.
• Your user account must have Modify Design or Administer permissions for any tables in the database, or you must be the owner of any tables in the database.
• Your user account must have Read Design permissions for all objects in the database.
About references and MDE files
If you try to create an MDE file from a Microsoft Access database (.mdb) or an add-in (.mda) that references another Access database or add-in, Access displays an error message and doesn't let you complete the operation. To save a database that references another database as an MDE file, you must save all databases in the chain of references as MDE files, starting from the first database referenced. After saving the first database as an MDE file, you must then update the reference in the next database to point to the new MDE file before saving it as an MDE file, and so on.
For example, if Database1.mdb references Database2.mdb, which references Database3.mda, you would proceed as follows:
1. Save Database3.mda as Database3.mde.
2. Open Database 2.mdb and change its reference to point to the new Database3.mde.
3. Save Database2.mdb as Database2.mde.
4. Open Database1.mdb and change its reference to point to the new Database2.mde.
5. Save Database1.mdb as Database1.mde.
About saving a replicated database as an MDE file
A replicated database (either a replica or Design Master) cannot be saved as an MDE file. To save a replicated database as an MDE file, you must first remove replication.
Once a database is saved as an MDE file, it can be replicated; however, replication is only recommended in situations where no further changes need to be made to the original database. There is no way to make changes to the design of forms, reports, or code in the Design Master MDE file, and design changes made in the original database can't be synchronized with pre-existing MDE replicas. For this reason, if you need to make a design change to a replica set of MDE files, you must make that change in the original database, resave it as an MDE file, and then create and distribute an entirely new replica set from the new MDE file.

Robert Berman
Data Base consultant
Vulcan Software Services
thornmastr@yahoo.com

 

[bevans1]

thanks again for your time Robert...

I,m on a data migration project and I dont need to change any of the database ..

I had the same problem with the back end on the user permissions front, but got round that when I was at the guys terminal. While he was logged on I exported all of his tables from the back end mdb file to a new database, and was able to read that no problem from my laptop.
Maybe I could do the same with the other db objects from the mde file.

I just wanted to have a look at the users input flow and check that I am picking the right info for the data migration, so I dont have to keep bugging the guy.....


I,ve done alot of developement work in Access and created mde files myself regularly inthe past but never really got my head round changing the user permissions on someone elses database...

Still its the weekend!!!

Thanks once again for all your time

Cheers

Bow