Help needed - access to Access MDB

[cpufo]

Let me first state that I do NOT have Access installed.

I periodically receive MDB files that I read and analyze with a VB
application that reads the files. (again Access is NOT installed).

Recently I received a file but the VB program refused to open it giving the
message:
"You do not have permission to use ....."
I understand that MDW file should be involved, but how can I bypass this
problem without using Access.

TIA

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

You cannot, unless you can crack Access security. There are a few people on
the Internet that can do that. Try using Google to find them.

 

[Stuart Bratesman]

You can download a free runtime version of Access 2007 from the Microsoft
Download site at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...FamilyID=d9ae78d9-9dc6-4b38-9fa6-2c745a175aed

The runtime version of Access 2007 allows you to open and use an Access
database, but it does not allow you to make any structural or design changes
to the database application.

However, to open an Access database that employs user-level security, you
would need a copy of the .mdw file AND a way to join the MDW file's
WorkGroup.

While earlier version of Access have a Workgroup Management tool (I think
that's the name) that you could use to manually join a user-level security
workgroup, this feature is missing from Access 2007.

In Access 2007, the only way to join a user-level security workgroup is via
the follow command in VBA:

Application.SetDefaultWorkgroupFile
"[PATH]\[FILENAME].mdw""[PATH]\[FILENAME].mdw"

So, you would need to have a separate Access database to run that piece of
code to join the work group. Once you have joined, then every time you open
any Access database, Access will prompt you for a User ID and Password, which
have to match an entry in the currently active .mdw file.

To get back to the default workgroup, you need a copy of an .mdw file called
system.mdw, which I presume must come packaged with every runtime copy of
Access. Once Access is installed on a computer, the default location for the
system.mdw file is the:

C:\Documents and Settings\[MY ACCOUNT]\Application Data\Microsoft\Access

folder.

The system.mdw default workgroup is (I think) the only workgroup file that
does not ask you for a User ID and password. In Access 2007, once you have
joined a secure workgroup, the only way out is to have a database application
that will run the following bit of VBA code:

Application.SetDefaultWorkgroupFile "C:\Documents and Settings\[MY
ACCOUNT]\Application Data\Microsoft\Access\system.mdw"

I hope this is help you need.

 

[cpufo via AccessMonster.com]

Thx for the advice. I think my MDB is Access 97 version. Does that make it
any easier/different to bypass the MDW?

You can download a free runtime version of Access 2007 from the Microsoft
Download site at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...FamilyID=d9ae78d9-9dc6-4b38-9fa6-2c745a175aed

The runtime version of Access 2007 allows you to open and use an Access
database, but it does not allow you to make any structural or design changes
to the database application.

However, to open an Access database that employs user-level security, you
would need a copy of the .mdw file AND a way to join the MDW file's
WorkGroup.

While earlier version of Access have a Workgroup Management tool (I think
that's the name) that you could use to manually join a user-level security
workgroup, this feature is missing from Access 2007.

In Access 2007, the only way to join a user-level security workgroup is via
the follow command in VBA:

Application.SetDefaultWorkgroupFile
"[PATH]\[FILENAME].mdw""[PATH]\[FILENAME].mdw"

So, you would need to have a separate Access database to run that piece of
code to join the work group. Once you have joined, then every time you open
any Access database, Access will prompt you for a User ID and Password, which
have to match an entry in the currently active .mdw file.

To get back to the default workgroup, you need a copy of an .mdw file called
system.mdw, which I presume must come packaged with every runtime copy of
Access. Once Access is installed on a computer, the default location for the
system.mdw file is the:

C:\Documents and Settings\[MY ACCOUNT]\Application Data\Microsoft\Access

folder.

The system.mdw default workgroup is (I think) the only workgroup file that
does not ask you for a User ID and password. In Access 2007, once you have
joined a secure workgroup, the only way out is to have a database application
that will run the following bit of VBA code:

Application.SetDefaultWorkgroupFile "C:\Documents and Settings\[MY
ACCOUNT]\Application Data\Microsoft\Access\system.mdw"

I hope this is help you need.

Let me first state that I do NOT have Access installed.

[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]

.

 

[Keith Wilby]

Thx for the advice. I think my MDB is Access 97 version. Does that make it
any easier/different to bypass the MDW?

If you could "bypass" it then it wouldn't be much use. As Arvin has stated,
if you don't have the workgroup file and logon credentials then you need to
purchase a crack.

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

Thx for the advice. I think my MDB is Access 97 version. Does that make it
any easier/different to bypass the MDW?

No. Here is everything you need to know about security, but were afraid to
ask:

Security FAQ
http://support.microsoft.com/download/support/mslfiles/SECFAQ.EXE

Lynn Trapp's summarization:
http://www.ltcomputerdesigns.com/The10Steps.htm

KB articles:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q165009
http://download.microsoft.com/download/access97/faq1/1/win98/en-us/secfaq.exe
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=325261

Joan Wild's articles:
http://www.jmwild.com/security02.htm
http://www.jmwild.com/security97.htm
http://www.jmwild.com/SecureNoLogin.htm
http://www.jmwild.com/Unsecure.htm