User level security problem

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Guest

i have created and finalized a database using Access 2003. There are two
users, i am in the admins group and the other i set up in the New Data Users
group using the wizard. Everything seemed to work out on my machine, asking
me for a password and so forth, i can get into the files with full
permissions. From the other machine, i cannot open the database. Says
permissions need to be granted or something to allow this. I have been back
and forth between the machines numerous times and cannot find the problem.
The other interesting thing is the user name i chose for the New Data Users
does not show up on his machine, only mine. His machine only shows Admin as
a user. Even when i create a new user it will still not let me open up the
file.

Please help.

Mike M
 
Hi Mike, the wizard created a new workgroup information file (mdw) to
secure your database with. You need to make this mdw file available to the
second machine.

The fact that the second machine won't let you in, suggests that security
was implemented properly, as that machine is joined by default to system.mdw
(the workgroup file that ships with Access). You shouldn't be able to open
the mdb unless using the correct mdw file.

The user name doesn't show up on the other machine, because
usernames/groups/passwords/membership information is all stored in the mdw
file. The actual permissions that the users/groups have is stored in the
mdb.

Usually you would keep each machine joined by default to the system.mdw that
ships with Access. For your secure mdb, create a desktop shortcut that uses
the /wrkgrp switch to point to a different workgroup file for that session.
In fact in 2003, it may have created a desktop shortcut on your machine
(unless you chose to make your secure mdw the default). In either case the
target of the shortcut would look like

"path to msaccess.exe" "path to secure mdb" /wrkgrp "path to secure mdw"
 
Dear Joan Wild,

I appreciate your help. I have not yet tried to create a shortcut on the
second machine. I may have already tried this though a little differently.
I joined the second computer to the secure mdw via tools>security. The only
thing was, i had to put the security mdw file on a network drive to access
it. Still no luck. Do both machines have to reference the mdw file from the
exact same path location?
 
Mike said:
Dear Joan Wild,

I appreciate your help. I have not yet tried to create a shortcut on
the second machine. I may have already tried this though a little
differently. I joined the second computer to the secure mdw via
tools>security. The only thing was, i had to put the security mdw
file on a network drive to access it. Still no luck.
Click to expand...

Well, that makes sense...the file must be available to the machine, and
putting in on the network was the thing to do.

Do both
machines have to reference the mdw file from the exact same path
location?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean. If the secure mdw is put in
\\servername\somefolder\ then every computer needing to use the mdw will
point to this location (and by the way, you can use UNC pathnames like that,
rather than relying on mapped drives).

If it's not working, ensure that all users have read, modify, create and
delete permissions (windows permissions) on the folder on the network.

Once you get it working, I'd suggest you leave each computer joined to their
default system.mdw and create the desktop shortcut. Otherwise they'll be
prompted to login for all their databases, secured or not.
 
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