Problem with MS Access 97 database security

[jliebman]

All,

I recently started at a company that has a number of older MS Access
97 database applications that support production and order
fulfillment. There is one database with which I have the following
problems:

1) no one can make modifications to the database except by logging in
using the database creator's userid and password on the workstation
used by that person, who has of course left the company. Anyone else
who tries to access the database, even the system administrator, gets
the message "You dont have the nececssary permissions to use the
xxxxxxxxx object.Have your system administrator or the person who
created the object establish the appropriate permissions for you."

2) We logged in and "added" another person with the same permissions
as the creator for all database objects, except we did not change the
database object "ownerships", and the problem still persists. I
suspect that the ownerships are the problem. Is this so?

3) I dont know anything about the restriction to a particular machine.
Can anyone enlighten me on this issue?

TIA

JL

[Keith Wilby]

<jl******@kjlsoftware.comwrote in message
news:11**********************@e65g2000hsc.googlegr oups.com...

All,

I recently started at a company that has a number of older MS Access
97 database applications that support production and order
fulfillment. There is one database with which I have the following
problems:

1) no one can make modifications to the database except by logging in
using the database creator's userid and password on the workstation
used by that person, who has of course left the company. Anyone else
who tries to access the database, even the system administrator, gets
the message "You dont have the nececssary permissions to use the
xxxxxxxxx object.Have your system administrator or the person who
created the object establish the appropriate permissions for you."

2) We logged in and "added" another person with the same permissions
as the creator for all database objects, except we did not change the
database object "ownerships", and the problem still persists. I
suspect that the ownerships are the problem. Is this so?

3) I dont know anything about the restriction to a particular machine.
Can anyone enlighten me on this issue?

TIA

JL

It sounds like the workgroup file (*.mdw) is on that user's PC. As a
general rule of thumb I don't give accounts the names of individuals but of
functions, eg "developer" could be the admin name, a member of the Admins
group.

Things to (consider) do(ing):

1 - MAKE A BACKUP.

2 - Log in on the original developer's account. Create a generic
"developer" account and give it full permissions to everything including the
database object.

3 - Log in on the new account and create a new blank database. Import all
of the objects from the "old" database. The new account should be the
owner. You should then be able to make design changes with this account.

4 - Put the workgroup file on a server where all users can access it.

5 - Split the db and put the back end in the same location as the workgroup
file. Give all users their own local front end copy linked to the back end.

6 - Have the users launch the app using a desktop shortcut using the
"/wrkgrp" command line switch. That way they will not be prompted for a
password for "unsecured" apps.

I think that's all ... hope it helps.

Keith.
www.keithwilby.com