User Level Security Questions?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dave Elliott
  • Start date Start date
D

Dave Elliott

If I implement access security, is it easy to undo if this is not what I
want? Can it be undone?
Should I take and precautions beforehand? If so what?
Does the security follow the mdb if it leaves the computer and moves to
another computer?
 
in message:

Hi Dave,
Comments inline.....
If I implement access security, is it easy to undo if this is not what I
want? Can it be undone?
Click to expand...

"Easy" to undo?
Sure, if you have done a good job of documenting your workgroup
information along with Users/PIDs/Passwords, etc.
It's actually very easy and very fast to remove security. I would
even argue that is way faster than actually securing it in the first place!
:-)
Should I take any precautions beforehand? If so what?
Click to expand...

Ohhh most certainly the answer is YES!!

Top 10 checklist:

1. Backups

2. Backups

3. And backups

4. Study *all* of the security information I have accumulated here
BEFORE beginning anything!! Download everything, turn off
the computer and read, read, read.

http://www.ltcomputerdesigns.com/JCReferences.html#Security

5. Write down all of the workgroup information stuff including
user names, PIDs, and passwords, as well as group names and
PIDs.

6. Practice on dummy databases first many, many times until you
really got it down.

7. Practice just a little bit more for sure.

8. Post questions in the Security newsgroup if you are running into specific
problems.

9. Now practice on a **copy** of live data to see if everything is OK.
Make adjustments as needed and fix any issues.

10. A few more backups for good measure.
Does the security follow the mdb if it leaves the computer and moves to
another computer?
Click to expand...

The permissions are stored within the MDB/MDE file itself while the
user/group information is stored in the workgroup file.
 
I tried but didn't care for Access security. I distribute this application
to clients and want as much of Access hidden as possible. So I implemented
my own security, and Access is 99% hidden.

Removing Access security was not a big issue (I had several backups tucked
away in various folders). I found the easiest way was to start with an
empty mdb and import everythings (forms, reports, queries, modules,
relationships, etc.) from the original mdb. I then re-establish my "startup
options" and any other Access options I want set for the application (most
important for me is 4-digit year formatting).

My application is front-end / back-end (no tables to import), so I then go
into the linked table manager and link to all the non-system back-end tables
(my application updates the links in the load event of the main form so it
picks up the actual path to the data on the user's machine at that time ---
that path is specified following /cmd on the shortcut to run the
application).

I go thru the above process each time I'm about to distribute a new version.
Reason: it makes the mdb much smaller. It seems that my Access (2000)
leaves junk in the mdb that compact does not remove. At times, I've reduced
the file size by 20%-30% !

Since I've done this so many times, it only takes me about 5 minutes each
time.

After completion, I create the mde for distribution. In my application, the
mde is about 50% the size of the mdb.

After ZIPping the result, it's almost small enough to handle!

Bob (@Martureo.Org)
 
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