Microsoft Access Cannot Open This File

[angelgirl]

We have a database on our network server which I cannot open. I get the following error everytime I try to access it.

This file is located outside your or on an untrusted site. Microsoft Access will not open the file due to potential security problems. To open the file, copy it to your machine or an accessible network location.

I think it has to do with a Microsoft Jet 4.0 Service Pack 8 security update. However, I cannot find the update to uninstall. Others can access the database located on the network, but some get a pop-up that allows them to say "no" and access the file. The pop-up has the following message:

Security Warning: Unsafe expressions are not blocked. Do you want to block unsafe expressions?

Can anyone help with this?

 

[The_Doc_Man]

You are probably on SP2 of some variant of WinXP. This was a setting imposed by SP2 installation.

Using IE, browse to the system that is your file server. Under Tools >> Internet Options, you can declare the zone in which that file server falls. Make it a trusted site for your machine. You just click on the appropriate icon in the selector bar at the top of the Security tab. (If you can't trust your own file server, why use it?)

The other issue about "cannot open" etc etc from a shared file is whether your net admin has granted you adequate rights to the folder and its contents. This is the bugaboo that hits lots of people. You need permissions consistent with coarse setting "MODIFY" from the folder's (right-click) >> Properties >> Security tab. These must be on the folder and its files. If the folder is buried deep in a nested folder infrastructure, you need either READ on all parent folders (to browse for the file) or PASSTHRU (an advanced setting) on all the parents AND a fully qualified path name in a shortcut.

 

[Dennisk]

I can help with the security. This was introduced in access 2003 and what a pain it is.

Once you have a db open goto tools,macros and set the security to low.
edit the registry to set the user security level to 1
ie
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Access\Security]
"Level"=dword:00000001

 

[John.Woody]

It may be due to the Windows firewall. If you right click on the file and go to properties you may see an unblock button. If you do click unblock and you should then be able to oepn the file.

 

[angelgirl]

I am using Access 2002 and do not have a "Macro Security" option. Although that fixed the pop-up on another computer. Any other suggestions?

 

[angelgirl]

None of these options fixed the problem. Any other ideas?

 

[shadow9449]

None of these options fixed the problem. Any other ideas?

Did you right click the file, select "properties" and see if there's a button on the bottom right that says "Unblock"?

SHADOW

 

[The_Doc_Man]

For at least some of these, the issue isn't the version of Access - it is the version of Windows. If you are running WinXP with Service Pack 2, you have had your registry "adjusted" for you by SP2. Ac2002 has no meaning to that part of the discussion. (It may have meaning elsewhere.)

 

[angelgirl]

I checked the properties on the file and there was not a button to unblock. However, I did not try editing the registry as suggested above since I did not have the option to set the Macro Security to low (this is a Access 2007 option). Should I still try that option? We have not set-up any levels of security on this database.

 

[SteveNewcastle]

For some people the answer may be much simpler. If the database is on your local intranet and other files, word files or whatever, open without problems, it is just an odd behaviour of access and all you have to do is to, go to Internet Options, security, Intranet and add the full address of the access file. This worked for us.

 

[SteveNewcastle]

If this occurs in Windows Vista and only with Access files, go to Internet Properties, Security, Local Intranet, Sites, Advanced and simply add the full path of the file. Why this happens I have no idea anyway I hope this helps someone else. Sorry this seems duplicated due to site or computer crash.