Locked Out

[Kila]

I'm Locked Out!!! HELP! HELP! HELP!

HELP! HELP! HELP!

I have messed up in a BIG way! I was experimenting with database security for a new database containing confidential information. The help file and the book I was using said I needed to set a database password, but did not give much other information about it. So, like the instructions said I needed to do before creating the user groups, I went to Tools...Security...Set Database password. I left the old password blank (since I did not use one before) and set a new one. At least I thought I did. HOWEVER, now I cannot login WITHOUT a password, and the password I put in does not work. Our Administrator (we are on a network of Windows 2000 at a hospital) uninstalled & reinstalled access, but not only can I not get on, he cannot login to Access without a password on my machine either, and he never set one up!!!!! What have I done?! How do I undo it??!!!!! I only wanted to set a password for THAT database anyway, not the whole program!!!! HELP! HELP! HELP!

 

[Kraj]

Holding shift when opening Access will bypass certain user settings. I don't know if password is one of them, but give it a try.

Edit: Eh, I don't think that'll work.

 

[Kila]

Thanks, but no...

Nope, did not work. I can get along without the database I was working on. I saved a copy in case I screwed up, but I have managed to lock myself & any other user who logs onto my machine out of Access itself! I can't create a new database, I cannot go into an old database, I cannot even see my help files. Eeeek! Is it supposed to do that? At the bare minimum, you would think another network user could log on & use it. What are they supposed to do? They never even set up a password!

Thanks for the thought anyway. It is appreciated.

 

[boblarson]

If you put only a database password in, you can go here: http://www.shatterock.com/ and download Database Sleuth to find out what the password is.

 

[Kila]

Well, I'm still waiting on our IT guys to respond to that request. We cannot download & use external software. In the meantime, is that function intended to lock the WHOLE program? And why would it lock the program for others who have not set a password? How are they supposed to get in?

 

[Kila]

*sigh!*

By the way, thanks for your response. I hope THAT works. I think my IT guys are all laughing at me right now. They just reinstalled the darn thing last week because the import wizard was not working properly. I think I'm the only one in the building who uses these other features of Access (not to mention VBA!), but it as a result, I run into a lot of problems no one else gets...Northwind not installed, can't import text files, etc....

 

[Parker]

There's something quite wrong here.

Applying a db password will not lock out Access it will only lock that db file.

Are you sure there was no pasword to start with. The fact that it asked you for the old password would lead me to believe that a password was set to start with.

Where does the db reside? is it on your machine or is it on the server or is it split?

Can anyone open the db from another machine?

What verson of Access are you using and what version is the db saved in?

What verson of win are you using on your desktop?

 

[Kila]

Well that's what I thought too, that it would only lock THAT database. I am sure there was not one to start with, as I did not know that function existed until today. The database is saved in my private folder on the server. It is split, but both files are in the same folder as I am still in the design phase. I have not tried to see if anyone else can open it yet. Good idea! I will check that. I am using Access 200 & Windows 2000. My IT guy has the password cracker downloaded, so we will try that now. I'll let you know how it goes.

There's something quite wrong here.

Applying a db password will not lock out Access it will only lock that db file.

Are you sure there was no pasword to start with. The fact that it asked you for the old password would lead me to believe that a password was set to start with.

Where does the db reside? is it on your machine or is it on the server or is it split?

Can anyone open the db from another machine?

What verson of Access are you using and what version is the db saved in?

What verson of win are you using on your desktop?

 

[Kila]

OK....I ran the program recommended, and it says the individual database is NOT password protected. In addition, my IT guy WAS able to open said database on another PC. What have I done here?! I have locked up the whole program!

 

[boblarson]

You might not be attached to the correct Microsoft Access Workgroup file or the default one is corrupt or has been deleted.

 

[Parker]

OK....I ran the program recommended, and it says the individual database is NOT password protected. In addition, my IT guy WAS able to open said database on another PC. What have I done here?! I have locked up the whole program!

Ok what Bob has just said is a perfect possibility.

Do a quick test.----- shut down your machine and get someone else to log on with your machine (or use someone elses log on)

Double this test by using another machine to log yourself on.

This may seem pointless but it will prove if its your login or your machine at fault.

 

[Kila]

Whew! Now what?

Well, we FINALLY got it unstuck. When I opened the database, it pasted my network username into the box and prompted for a password. What *I* had changed was the ADMIN password...apparently for the whole PROGRAM. (You can do that??!!!!) Well, we got that out of there. Now I am back to square 1. Before I blow the thing up again, here is what I am TRYING to do...

As you know, we are on a network. I am designing 2 databases for 2 departments who want their respective data to remain confidential. However, one department needs a particular subsection of data from the other, which can be easily accessed thru a query. I have found, thru experimentation, that we cannot do this when the source database resides on the private server if the person running the query does not have access to the server. Therefore, both databases must be on the same server, but users (identified by logging onto the database) of one database need to have access to the query results...and ONLY the query results from the source database (which are displayed by a field in a report in the ending database).... I was experimenting with the Security wizard when I locked the thing up.

To make a long story short, I want to have a database there users must log on, and each only has access to certain things in the database (certain queries, read-only, etc.) Any suggestions on how to do this thing properly?

 

[ghudson]

You need to setup Access security [which you sort of did just not correctly] to your db. You need to create a workgroup file "yourworkgroupfile.mdw" and create a user account and password for each group that will access your db. DO NOT ALTER OR USE THE DEFAULT "SYSTEM.MDW" WORKGROUP FILE WHICH YOU HAD PREVIOUSLY DONE! You will need to secure every object [tables, forms, etc.] within your db with the permissions for only the object that you want the users to access. Your quest goes way beyond a simple posting for you have a lot of searching and reading ahead of you to learn how to correctly apply Access security to your db. I can tell you that what you want to do is very possible. I will warn you to create backup copies of your db while you are learning how to correclty apply Access security to your db just in case you have another mishap. Once you db is properly secured, you will have to define the record sets so that they filter out the data for each specific group depending on how they are logged into your db. You should search this site for the following key words [not at the same time] for some leads to your quest... system.mdw, access security, workgroups.

Here is a link to a decent article on Jim Hare's site on how to set up access security on your db.
http://www.jmhare.com/dbsecurity.htm

Your users should never have access to the db window, tables or the design view of your db objects. Your db must be split with the front end installed onto each users hard drive and linked to the back end [tables] on the network.

I advise against 'joining' a PC to a specific security workgroup. That unnecessarily forces a user to log into the secured workgroup just to open any Access db's (new or old).

You should use a custom shortcut to open a secured db. The Target: field of the shortcut should look something like this to pass on the security info...
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\msaccess.exe" /wrkgrp "X:\Testing\YourSecurityWorkgroupFile.mdw" "X:\Testing\DB.mdb" /user TestUser

HTH

 

[Kila]

Thanks!

Thanks for your suggestions. I plan to spend my day working on this & experimenting with the security features. (That was supposed to be YESTERDAY until I locked up the machine!) Thanks for putting me on the right path.