Retaining security when giving an Access Database to someone

[MikeTruscott]

Hi everyone,

I have an access database which will be sent all over the place and used my a number of people not connected to my current network.

We want certain people to have admin priveledges and some to have read-only etc. This will therefore have to be implemented using passowrds.

On my machine, I can set up user accounts with the relevant permissions (using the wizard), no problem, but when I'm done it leaves me with 4 files (main db, shortcut to main db, a backup and a security file detailng users and their permissions).

When I send this to someone, the main db doesn't open. So, what I think I'm trying to ask is......Can I set up permissions, keep the passwords etc secret and secure and have everything in one or two files so that I can send it to someone and they can't do anything to it that I don't want them to?

Any help much appreciated.

Regards

Mike

 

[Crowley16]

the mdw file stores usernames and passwords, your mdb objects will validate itself against this mdw file, IF you tell it to...

therefore, in your shortcut, start the dababase with the /wrkgrp switch and point it the the mdw file you have created...

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Procrastinate Now!

 

[MikeTruscott]

Hi Crowley16, thanks for replying so quickly!

I looked at the shortcut that the wizard created and it uses the /wrkgrp switch already. My problem was that when I copy the files onto another machine the entries in the shortcut don't change.....so it's trying to refer to my machine and not finding it!

I've created a batch file to stop this now, which replaces the target strings in the shortcut file. I've deleted the backup file so am now left with three files altogether, which will have to do.

My final question is....if someone creates their own security file and sticks that into the shortcut, will it bypass the security and open the database with their own permissions?.....Or is the original security file linked to the database in such a way that it contains the only set of permissions that the database will use?

Kinda like only one key will unlock the door, so to speak!

Many thanks again

Mike

 

[abaldwin]

Simple way to get into access dbs "secured" with an mdw file is

Assuming the original mdw had a user "admin" and a new or existing system.mdw has an admin user

replace the mdw with another mdw that you have admin rights with and viola....access to access.

If you are going to deploy sensative data to users outside yoru control you should look at an msde or similar solution that you can install as part of an application and create users and rights that your application is programmed to use.


Andy Baldwin

"Testing is the most overlooked programming language on the books!"

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