How can I set a 2007 MS Access Database to "read only"?

[Stacy Robinson]

I have an MS Access Database that tracks budget changes. The database is shared via a network folder; each end user has his/her own front-end copy on their desktop & the database objects are shared. Each user has read/write access to this database's back end & the network drive where it is located.

How can I make this database "read only" for all users?

[zmbd]

Each user has read/write access to this database's back end & the network drive where it is located.

-Easiest is to open the file explorer, go the file, right click, and set the properties to read-only.

-Next would be to work with your IT support. They could setup group level security over the folder the files are in and grant the desired rights to each group and then assign users.

-From there is to go into your front end and start locking the controls and forms.

In each case, you will prevent altering the DB to one degree or another

[NeoPa]

Be very careful of this. Access only works fully when it has read and write access to files and their folders. The folders, particularly, as the LDB files need to be created and updated during sessions.

Files can be used as R/O, but there are real limits to what can be done with them. I suggest you test any changes thoroughly before rolling out to live.

[zmbd]

Thus the first suggestion to tag the file as read only.
The last suggestion for the "locking down" the front-end was by no means the last way to do this, just a most effort to do.

[NeoPa]

Z:
Thus the first suggestion to tag the file as read only.

That also has issues Z (as indicated in my post). Try switching a linked table to a R/O file.

[zmbd]

Went into the networked folder where I keep my working files.
Therein I have a small subsection of the backends (a few dozen records or so).
I selected one of these, right-click, readonly.
So long as no alteration to the tables was attempted:
I had no issues show up with the following tests:

MDE frontend to MDB backend V2010
All basic queries and reports worked

Same with an ACCDE and ACCDB versions of the afore.

Same with the ACCDB working version for the above front end to the readonly backend.

Only that code/queries that attempted an alteration to the backedm table failed - as I would expect.

Or did I misunderstand?

Win7 on the PC, server is 2008?, and Office 2010 Enterprise SP1.

[NeoPa]

In 2003 relinking the BE fails if attempted in code to a R/O BE.

I only found this out quite recently when I fell over it :-(