Access 95 Migration to Windows XP

[LTofsrud]

Good day everyone,

I have ran into a problem with getting into an Access 95 database that was
recently migrated from Windows 98 to Windows XP.

While it was in Windows 98, if you tried to get into the database to make
changes it would prompt you for credentials. Now that it is running Windows
XP, it doesn't even prompt me for the credentials. I have tried changing the
groups without success and now I am being prevented from making any changes.

Has anyone seen this type of behaviour before and can possibly shed some
light on this?

Many thanks!

Lance

 

[Keith]

Good day everyone,

I have ran into a problem with getting into an Access 95 database that was
recently migrated from Windows 98 to Windows XP.

While it was in Windows 98, if you tried to get into the database to make
changes it would prompt you for credentials. Now that it is running
Windows
XP, it doesn't even prompt me for the credentials. I have tried changing
the
groups without success and now I am being prevented from making any
changes.

In order to open an Access application you need a Workgroup Information File
(WIF). For non-secured apps this will be the default 'system.mdw' somewhere
on your OS drive. To have Access prompt you for user credentials you need
to point you PC at the WIF that was created to secure it. You would
normally do this via a desktop shortcut with a command line format:

"Full path to MSACCESS.exe" "Full path to your app.mdb" /wrkgrp "Full path
to your WIF.mdw"

including the quotation marks. An alternative method is to use the
Workgroup Admin tool to switch your PC to look at your custom WIF which was
probably how your old system was set up, since you didn't mention using a
shortcut.

Either way you need to locate your custom WIF which hopefully wasn't on the
OS drive that was presumably wipes as part of your XP upgrade.

Good luck.
Keith.
www.keithwilby.com

 

[LTofsrud]

Thanks for the quick reply Keith.

I will give that a try tonight. I wasn't provided a Workgroup Information
File from the migration so does this mean that I am probably out of luck?

I do have the credentials (user ID and password), so is there a way to
recreate the WIF if I cannot locate it?

Lance

 

[Keith]

Thanks for the quick reply Keith.

I will give that a try tonight. I wasn't provided a Workgroup Information
File from the migration so does this mean that I am probably out of luck?

Hi Lance.

Yes, unless you resort to some hacking software that is available from
various outlets (at a price).

I do have the credentials (user ID and password), so is there a way to
recreate the WIF if I cannot locate it?

You'd need all the unique information that was used to create the WIF, not
just the user ID and password I'm afraid.

Regards,
Keith.