Permissions lost

[AdamO]

Hi,
Apologies if this is not in the correct thread and the length of the message.

I am a relatively new user and have a database I wanted to secure. I read some MS help info (Frequently Asked Questions About Microsoft Access Security for Microsoft Access versions 2.0 through 2000) and went through the instructions: "Securing a database involves adding a new member to the Admins group and removing the Admin user from that group, removing permissions from the Admin user and from the Users group, and assigning permissions to the custom groups that you define".

I presume I have done something wrong. I have read and re-read this to ensure I followed correctly and cannot see where I may have gone wrong, but since doing this I cannot get around the message "The Current User Account Doesn't Have Permission to Convert or Enable This Database".

Fortunately, I kept an original of my database before I started securing it. However, when I try & work on this I get the same messages. In fact it appears to have translated to all my databases. In the User Groups & Accounts Window the tabs to add new users are blanked out & I cannot change anything run the security wizard. It also says I must be a member of the Admins group to run the Security Wizard. It does say the current user is Admin! I cannot seem to log on as anyone else.

I have read that I may need to join .mdw security file using the workgroup administrator. Is this appropriate to me & how do I do this. I am not an experienced user. Alternatively, should I re-install Access?

Apologise if I am missing anything basic, but I cannot get my head around this one and I am getting very concerned.

How can I get things back to how they were originally?

Thanks in advance for help on this one...Adam

 

[Shep]

You have apparently overwritten your system default workgroup information file (system.mdw, normally found in your Windows or WINNT\System folder).
That particular workgroup should be left alone.

Making security changes edits this file, not the database that you happen to have open at the time you make the changes. This is why you cannot open any database.

A suggestion:
Copy the system.mdw from another computer and overwrite the one on your machine. I do not know if the file is operating system specific; I think not.

After you're back on an even keel, create a new Workgroup Information File. Write down and keep in a safe place the Name, Organization, and Workgroup ID which you will supply when creating this new file. The act of creating a WIF also joins you to it.

Open Access - not by opening an existing database, but by launching it from your start menu. Create a new blank database.
Import all the objects from your other database. Then close it.

Make copies of this database and the .mdw that you created and put them somewhere safe.

Open your new database and proceed to ruin security again.

Delete your trashed .mdw and copy the one you saved.

Rinse and repeat until thoroughly confused, or until the light shines on you.

*grin*

 

[AdamO]

Shep,

Thanks for getting back. I appreciate it. I was getting very concerned.

I borrowed a system mdw file from a friend but received some errors. I now believe that this may have been altered. Arrrgh!

I then considered perhaps the best route woild be to reinstall Office 2000, which I have now done. This appears to have helped in so far as the tabs under 'Security - User Group and Accounts' and no longer locked. The only user I have is 'Admin', (others have been removed) the groups are 'Admins' or 'Users' and 'Admin' is a member of both groups. I resume this is what I should have by default. Could you confirm.

As I tested Security on a copy of a database, I will say goodbye to this one and start afresh in creating a workgroup information file as you suggest.

Could you recommend any Web sites which could provide some good background information for a user new to security.

Once again thanks.

 

[AdamO]

Problems with system.mdw files

Further to my previous note, after re-installing Office I proceeded to do a MS Office Update from the Web. Upon completion, I was back to where I started!

I presumed after re-installing Access I need not change the Workgroup Information File as mentioned. However, I looked at the system.mdw files and actioned a Join in my Workgroup Information file to what was the oldest file and had Admins & User in & Admin.

Today things seem ok. I guess I am still concerned that there may be an issue. I looked on my system.mdw files and I have three:

c/windows/application data/microsoft office/access
c/program files/microsoft office/office
c/programe files/common files/system

The first two have Admin & Users in their MSysGroupList and in the MSysUserList, Admins, Users and Creator. I presume this is OK.

The third has has Admin & Users in their MSysGroupList but in the MSysUserList there are Admins, Users, Creator, SAC & LFS. The latter two I reognise from when I was trying to create my security.

I am anxious to get things back to normal. Should I
- delete the third system.mdw file
- keep this file but remove SAC & LFS
- remove all three files and reinstall Office again

I presume a new workgroup information file is installed when Office is reinstalled?

Apologies for rattling on again, but it is still very confusing.

Once again thanks.

 

[AdamO]

Problems with system.mdw files

Not sure if this helps my previous note, a friend who had their PC built the same time/way as mine only has one system.mdw file in c/program files/microsoft office/office.

 

[Shep]

Forgive me, I have been unable to post for some reason
This is a test.

 

[Shep]

All right, you have 3 copies of system.mdw.

This is not a problem, as your system will default to just one of them. I assume the path to the default one is stored in a registry key. I don't know which key it is. It's immaterial at the moment.

At any rate, you need only remember that when you wish to work with a database that you will distribute to others, join the workgroup under which the database was created. When distributing the database to others, also distribute the .mdw with it. Have those users join that workgroup when they use your database.

Some developers never join the system default .mdw since they are constantly working with other secured databases created under their respective workgroups. Hence, 'back to normal' is a state of mind.

One reason you may wish to join the default system.mdw (or one configured as one) is so that you can view and use databases that other people send you; those which are not secured. Another reason is so that you may create databases which can be viewed and used by anyone - where security is not an issue.

Note: A default system.mdw will have two groups (Admins, Users) and one user (Admin). Any other additional groups or users means that it is edited. You may delete any or all of them which are not configured like the default .mdw.
I happen to have system.mdw's in my windows\system folder and one in Program Files\Common Files\System
Which of the two are used by the system as default matters none, since they are configured the same way.

I hope it's more clear for you now.

I am no expert in Access security. I only recently secured a database of my own. What I've stated is based on a couple years of observation and study and of working with a secured database (which I did not produce), and not on any formal training. Be sure you learn all you can about it, and please don't take my advice as gospel. Get a second opinion.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Last time I had a problem anything close to this, I had to do a few gyrations. This worked for me only because I was on a machine that was standalone.

First, I copied the system.mdw file to another place, then joined that workgroup in its new location. This is because the location is part of the registry entry. For the curious, it appears more than once in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. For instance, under ...\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\CLSID\long hex string\InprocServer32\SystemDB
but that's not the only place it appears so don't make any assumptions!

Then I went back to my windows/system32 directory and deleted the system.mdw file. I could do that because I was the only person on the system and wasn't using that file at the time, so it wasn't locked against me.

Then I ran the wrkgadm program again. This time, I asked it to CREATE a new system.mdw file. I rejoined the new workgroup. This step made me a member of the ADMINS group.

Then I created the new but empty database while still in the system (now default) .MDW file. Opened it up, set the thing to be totally unprotected. In the security settings, I gave the <new object> entries full rights for every object category for the ADMINS group.

Got out of the database. Joined the other .WKG file, entered the locked database, and EXPORTED stuff to the new, blank one.

Somewhere in here, I managed to get the db unsecured, which was a lot more gyrations than I really wanted, but what the heck, it sorta kinda maybe even worked... mostly.

Don't you just LOVE Bill Gates products?

 

[AdamO]

Thanks for the last replies. After a few traumas, I have now managed to get access to everything using one system mdw file which is configured with two groups (Admins, Users) and one user (Admin).

I have backed up everything & kept copies of the deleted system mdw files - just in case.

Now will start again and try to do things right.

Thanks both for your help.