Security STILL an issue 3

[Daleen]

I designed a database at home and emailed it to work. At home I put security on it with User level, not with the wizard. I then put it on an NT server. There is NO security on it now, except at my machine. Everyone who has access to that folder can do anything they please. Yes, I obviously need help. From reading past FAQ's, I understand that using the wizard will take care of this. Is that true? This is the first time I have used 2000. Previously, I used 97 and was not too concerned about security, mostly because I didn't understand it. I also altered the menu on the database but the only thing that altered was my menu on my machine. No one else's. Where do I take security 101? Or can someone help me.
Daleen

 

[tlbroadbent]

Check faq181-83. Terry L. Broadbent
FAQ183-874 contains tips for posting questions in these forums.
NOTE: Reference to the FAQ is not directed at any individual.

 

[UncleJack]

I think you need to create a secure workgroup on your machine when you invoke security. Then use the command line option to invoke the secure workgroup with your application on the other machines. Make sure you remove the admin account from the application before invoking security or anybody will be able to access you database.

Always use the wizard to create the secure database and this will take a lot of the pain out of the otherwise Machiavellian process. I haven't tried securing an application with A2K because I hate the program, but it works fine on A97 and should be okay with A2K.

Uncle Jack

 

[Daleen]

Uncle Jack,
How do I delete all the security stuff I have previously put on and use the wizard? Do I have to start with a new database? How do I delete the default security I placed on my machine that I don't want? Will this wizard work on a network? I tried using the security wizard after i thought i had gotten rid of all other changes i had done on security and it wouldn't complete it at the end. I know it is difficult to teach a beginner.
Daleen

 

[lakers8175]

Daleen, you should have an .mdw file on your PC at home. Send that to work too, it's all of your security settings. You may need to rejoin to the security file (mdw) once you have it at work. Just remember the path of where you save it to. Do you know the name of your security file at home?


Sean

 

[UncleJack]

Sean has it right.

Uncle Jack

 

[Daleen]

Sean,
No, I don't know the name. How do I find a security file? How do I create a new .mdw file? Can I create a new one if I cannot find it? Can I replicate a secured Access database?
Daleen

 

[lakers8175]

On your PC at home do a find for *.MDW on your C drive. The default security file for Access is SYSTEM.mdw. I don't know how much security you set up but, Yes, you can create a new one buy clicking on tools, security. If you already have it set up, you may just want to get it from home. You need to be really carefull when setting up a security file because there are so many different ways to do it. Do you want all of your access programs to use the security file or just one. Will different PC's being using the same access program or just one? Is it on the Network or local?

Sean

 

[Daleen]

Sean,
I want the security to be on one Access Database that is placed on the server/network. There will be about 10 computers using this database + I will be replicating to two sites off campus and synchronizing weekly. I tried to use the security wizard as a last resort and at the end it wouldn't accept all the info I had put in. I tried several times using a variety of changes, but each time no good. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help!
Daleen

 

[lakers8175]

The first thing I would do once you get the security file form home is...
1. Save it on the network where the Access Database lives, in the same folder.
2. When you save it, save it as the same name of the Access Database, with an sys at the end of it. Example..... db1.mdb is you database, db1sys.mdw is your security file name.
3. The way to join just that access program, is to create a shortcut on the users desktop and in the target box put this code in.
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE" "C:\db1.mdb" /wrkgrp "C:\db1sys.mdw"

the first "" is the path of your MSACCESS.EXE
the second "" is the path of your access database
/wrkgrp and the third "" is your security file

Sean

 

[lakers8175]

By doing step 3 above, the security file will only be used for that Access database.

Sean

 

[Daleen]

Sean,
There are several .MDW files on my C drive for this database or similar ones that I've been 'playing'with. So I think I need to start from scratch with a new .MDW. I am home and will head to work to look for any .MDW files I have on my C drive at work. I assume the .MDW file needs to go onto the network also. The shortcuts now go to just the access file. Is it too obvious if the .MDW is on the server?
Daleen

 

[tlbroadbent]

The Access Security FAQ that Elizabeth addressed in FAQ181-83 will take through security setup, step by step. I highly recommend following a process rather than trying to implement recommendations from several people.

Here is a direct link to the Access Security FAQ.

http://support.microsoft.com/support/Access/Content/SECFAQ.asp

Select the first entry in the TOC, "What are the steps to secure a database?" Terry L. Broadbent
FAQ183-874 contains tips for posting questions in these forums.
NOTE: Reference to the FAQ is not directed at any individual.

 

[Daleen]

Terry,
I have printed that FAQ and wish I had started there before I even touched my security, but I did not and am now trying to fix things. Also wish I had just used the wizard. I would still like to know why the security wizard would not work after I tried a few things.
Daleen

 

[Daleen]

Is anyone around? I went back to the FAQ that Terry told me about and used what Sean had told me together. Since I could not find my .mdw file at home, I used what the FAQ said about starting the Wrkgadm.exe and made a new file. I thought I saved this file in the folder of my database with .sys at the end and it is there, but it is an emply database. I continued using my database and set Admins and one user for a sample. Any database I open looks for the password I thought I was assigning to only this database. When i run a search for that .mdw it only brings up shortcuts.

 

[Daleen]

Has anyone out there put a database on a network, used access security to secure and not had to go to each machine and set the security? I do have network security, but i don't want anyone to get to my designs and tables.

 

[tlbroadbent]

Daleen,

When you used the wrkgadm program, you should have created an .MDW file rather than a .SYS. When you create a new workgroup file, it becomes your default workgroup until you join to another work group such as the original system.mdw. Access security is stored in the work group file so the security of the latest file you've joined applies whenever you start Access. That's why Access is asking for a password and accepting the password you setup in the new file.

The wrkgadm program is used to join work groups. Use it now to join the original work group in the system.mdw file. As Sean mentioned in his post of Sept 26, you can temporarily join a work group with a command line option.

You should create a shortcut to join the work group file you created. You and other users should use similar shortcuts to access the database you are creating.

I recommend additional reading in the FAQ and Access Help.

It is late and I'm not sure how clear this is. Ask questions and I'll try to answer when I'm back online. Terry L. Broadbent
FAQ183-874 contains tips for posting questions in these forums.
NOTE: Reference to the FAQ is not directed at any individual.

 

[fredk]

Daleen. Sorry I don't have an answer for you but I sympathize as I am at the same point as you - I have a database that I have created on a shared drive - I have tried to secure it but when I do that it asks for the password when I sign into Access, not the specific database. If anyone has any ideas, it would be much appreciated!

 

[Daleen]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. Will learning a programming language help with any of these problems? I don't think so, but sometimes vocabulary is used that would be understood if I had that background. If I end up being able to add this security through the shortcut, doesn't it still mean that people with access on their computers can open access and then open my secured database with full rights? What about opening through the explorer?

 

[tlbroadbent]

If you give each user a password and don't include the password on the command line, only those who have a password will be able to open the database. If you follow all the steps for setting up security, only users that have joined the work group you define, will be able to open the database. If users join the work group, they'll still need a password to start Access even if they double-click a database.

Setting up Access security is non-trivial. There is no way to guide you through each step from this forum. You can use the Security Wizard which will handle much of the work for you. However, you need to be prepared to make sure each user has proper shortcuts, passwords, etc.

Here are additional resources that I just found that may be helpful.

ACC2000: Microsoft Access Security Manager Add-In Available in Download Center

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q235/9/61.ASP

Free Access Security tutorial

http://www.moretools.com/lessons/access_security.htm

Chapter 14: Securing Your Application
(for Access 97 but most principles apply in Access 2000)

http://www.microsoft.com/AccessDev/Articles/BApp97/chapters/ba14_1.htm

ACC: Overview of How to Secure a Microsoft Access Database

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q254/3/72.ASP

Terry L. Broadbent
FAQ183-874 contains tips for posting questions in these forums.
NOTE: Reference to the FAQ is not directed at any individual.