Avoid Security Warning

[Cron]

Hi I've completed work on an access2007 database which is to be run on
a network server by many users at the same time. Every time the
database is opened on a new computer I get the "Certain content in
this database has been disabled" warning at the top. How do I avoid
this please? My users would not know to click the bar and enable the
content.

I've tried digital signing but it I can only seem to do it by
packaging the database which brings up an extraction screen every time
it's loaded. Is there any way to bypass this annoying security
warning?
Thanks a lot,
Ciarán

[Chris O'C via AccessMonster.com]

This has been an issue for more than 15 years. The Microsoft Access team
identified this as the top reason for corruption in their tech support
incidents.

If you haven't had the problem yet, you will so take good advice when you get
it and split the db file.

Chris
Microsoft MVP
Cron wrote:

>There'll be 30 users max at any one time. I've never had corruption
problems in the past with similar setups, why would this be an issue?

--
Message posted via AccessMonster.c om
http://www.accessmonster.com/Uwe/For...ccess/200810/1

[Cron]

On Oct 7, 11:08*pm, "Chris O'C via AccessMonster.c om" <u29189@uwe>
wrote:

This has been an issue for more than 15 years. *The Microsoft Access team
identified this as the top reason for corruption in their tech support
incidents.

If you haven't had the problem yet, you will so take good advice when youget
it and split the db file.

hmm... ok point taken. Is it OK to have a shared copy of the front end
linked to a seperate shared copy of the backend?

[Chris O'C via AccessMonster.com]

Nobody shares, really. Only one user per front end. The db file is split
into a back end (contains tables and relationships) and a front end (contains
all other objects and links to the tables). The back end is put on the
network share and a copy of the front end is put on each user's desktop. The
users are linked to the back end tables but they aren't sharing the file
(like they've opened it in Access at the same time). They have a connection
thru the Jet or ACE db driver, but none of those connections are shared with
anybody else's db connection. So if one of those connections gets
disconnected (like a network cable is pulled), it doesn't affect the other
users' sessions.

Chris
Microsoft MVP
Cron wrote:

>Is it OK to have a shared copy of the front end
linked to a seperate shared copy of the backend?

--
Message posted via AccessMonster.c om
http://www.accessmonster.com/Uwe/For...ccess/200810/1

[Cron]

On Oct 8, 12:25*am, "Chris O'C via AccessMonster.c om" <u29189@uwe>
wrote:

Nobody shares, really. *Only one user per front end. *The db file is split
into a back end (contains tables and relationships) and a front end (contains
all other objects and links to the tables). *The back end is put on the
network share and a copy of the front end is put on each user's desktop. *The
users are linked to the back end tables but they aren't sharing the file
(like they've opened it in Access at the same time). *They have a connection
thru the Jet or ACE db driver, but none of those connections are shared with
anybody else's db connection. *So if one of those connections gets
disconnected (like a network cable is pulled), it doesn't affect the other
users' sessions.

Chris
Microsoft MVP

OK I'll do it like that so. Now back to the matter at hand... does
anyone know a way to add a trusted location to the registry using VBA?
or is there a way to digitally sign a database without packaging it?

Cheers for the help on this guys,
Ciarán

[Chris O'C via AccessMonster.com]

Several flaws in your logic. The vba won't run because the college students
at those hundreds of workstations don't have the smarts to enable the content
by pressing a bar that pretty much says "contents disabled unless you press
here". You don't want to go to those hundreds of workstations yourself to do
it while each user is logged in. (The trusted locations are per user, not
per workstation, so unless the network is set up with roaming profiles - kind
of doubtful - you have a lot more work than you thought if students are
allowed to use more than 1 pc when using your app during the semester.) The
user who's executing the vba code needs to have enough permissions to write
to the registry. Most college networks are locked down so student users
don't usually have those permissions.

What kind of digital signature are you using that needs to be packaged to be
installed on each pc? You can't sign the files on one pc with your digital
certificate and copy the front end to each user's desktop and copy the back
end to the network server?

Chris
Microsoft MVP
Cron wrote:

>does
anyone know a way to add a trusted location to the registry using VBA?
or is there a way to digitally sign a database without packaging it?

--
Message posted via AccessMonster.c om
http://www.accessmonster.com/Uwe/For...ccess/200810/1

[Cron]

On Oct 8, 1:20*am, "Chris O'C via AccessMonster.c om" <u29189@uwe>
wrote:

Several flaws in your logic. *The vba won't run because the college students
at those hundreds of workstations don't have the smarts to enable the content
by pressing a bar that pretty much says "contents disabled unless you press
here". *You don't want to go to those hundreds of workstations yourselfto do
it while each user is logged in. *(The trusted locations are per user, not
per workstation, so unless the network is set up with roaming profiles - kind
of doubtful - you have a lot more work than you thought if students are
allowed to use more than 1 pc when using your app during the semester.) *The
user who's executing the vba code needs to have enough permissions to write
to the registry. *Most college networks are locked down so student users
don't usually have those permissions.

True, but if it was just a once off, I could tell the students to
click the enable content button. It just can't appear every time the
database is opened. You might be right about the registry edits being
disabled altho the settings do allow the change through access so I've
a feeling the security won't be smart enough to distinguish VBA from
access.

>
What kind of digital signature are you using that needs to be packaged tobe
installed on each pc? *You can't sign the files on one pc with your digital
certificate and copy the front end to each user's desktop and copy the back
end to the network server?

I'm not sure if that was a question but I tried this quickly on my
home network and it didnt work but I might have missed something. Is
the following possible...

Create a digital signiture using office.
Sign and package the database with it in access.
Unpack the signed package to a new computer and run as digitally
signed without problems??

Cheers,
Ciarán

[Chris O'C via AccessMonster.com]

That's good news, it should work if you use vba. It's just enabling the vba
that's the problem, so....

Chris
Microsoft MVP
Cron wrote:

>On Oct 8, 1:20Â*am, "Chris O'C via AccessMonster.c om" <u29189@uwe>
wrote:

>You might be right about the registry edits being
disabled altho the settings do allow the change through access so I've
a feeling the security won't be smart enough to distinguish VBA from
access.

--
Message posted via AccessMonster.c om
http://www.accessmonster.com/Uwe/For...ccess/200810/1

[Cron]

On Oct 8, 1:54*am, "Chris O'C via AccessMonster.c om" <u29189@uwe>
wrote:

That's good news, it should work if you use vba. *It's just enabling the vba
that's the problem, so....

I also don't have a clue how to code it or if it's even possible
through VBA! ... hopefully someone in the neighbourhood will know ...?

[Chris O'C via AccessMonster.com]

Are you using a self cert digital certificate? I've seen it work on a
network of pcs using Access 2003 but that takes a consultant who's a security
expert. (I've never seen it tried in Access 2007, so it might not be
possible on your network.) A normal developer won't be able to do it. A
normal developer needs a Thawte digital certificate or another commercial
certificate provider to distribute digital signatures at the organizational
level.

Chris
Microsoft MVP
Cron wrote:

>On Oct 8, 1:20Â*am, "Chris O'C via AccessMonster.c om" <u29189@uwe>
wrote:

>I tried this quickly on my
home network and it didnt work but I might have missed something. Is
the following possible...

Create a digital signiture using office.
Sign and package the database with it in access.
Unpack the signed package to a new computer and run as digitally
signed without problems??

--
Message posted via http://www.accessmonster.com

[Salad]

Chris O'C via AccessMonster.c om wrote:

Several flaws in your logic. The vba won't run because the college students
at those hundreds of workstations don't have the smarts to enable the content
by pressing a bar that pretty much says "contents disabled unless you press
here". You don't want to go to those hundreds of workstations yourself to do
it while each user is logged in. (The trusted locations are per user, not
per workstation, so unless the network is set up with roaming profiles - kind
of doubtful - you have a lot more work than you thought if students are
allowed to use more than 1 pc when using your app during the semester.) The
user who's executing the vba code needs to have enough permissions to write
to the registry. Most college networks are locked down so student users
don't usually have those permissions.

I haven't migrated to 2007 yet so I don't understand the trusted
location concept you just stated. If I set "C:\A2007\A pps" as a trusted
folder wouldn't it be a trusted folder for all students?

Wouldn't Tony Toews AutoFe be a useful tool for distributing the
application to the students?

>
What kind of digital signature are you using that needs to be packaged to be
installed on each pc? You can't sign the files on one pc with your digital
certificate and copy the front end to each user's desktop and copy the back
end to the network server?

Chris
Microsoft MVP
Cron wrote:

>>does
anyone know a way to add a trusted location to the registry using VBA?
or is there a way to digitally sign a database without packaging it?