User-only Browsable Database

[rtfanson]

I was wondering if there was a way to view mdb file without the navigation pane and ribbon (for Access 2007). I know I've used an access database that someone else made and it was done in a kind of "user-only" style interface where all you saw was the forms and reports in a dialog box style. This kept the user from seeing any of the tables and queries and all the "under the hood" types of things.

Does anybody know how to do this?

 

[Moniker]

Open your Access 2007 database, and near the top left corner, click the little down arrow next to the Redo command. Select "More Commands", and then in the dialog box, click on "Current Database". From there, scroll down to Ribbon and Toolbar Options, and uncheck "Allow Full Menus", "Allow Default Shortcut Menus", and "Allow Built-in Toolbars".

Note that by doing that, you're making it very difficult to navigate from an administrative/programmer point of view. You may want to either maintain two copies of the DB (not good -- twice as many chances for errors, twice as much to maintain), or make a keyboard shortcut or command button that "unlocks" the menus. Attach the shortcut/button to a dialog box that asks for an administrative password, and when a user enters the right password, programmatically turn on all the menu features you turned off.