Edit mdb file

[Birilac]

Good Afternoon,

I have a databaser file access (.mdb). It was writen for us to keep records
of our employers (contract workers) by one of our, now resigned, staff.

To run the program we double click the file constaff.mdb which opens and
requires a user and passord (which we have).

We need to make some changes in this program with regard to the payment/tax
persentages but cannot edit the program except to fill in the various iems,
names position ext as allowed by the present program. The tax % is set
within the original program and therefore out of reatch to us. My young
access "expert "( son) says he thinks it was writen with Visual Basic or
macros but cannot access the actual program core to try and make the change
needed. The program does everything else required except for the % now being
incorrect.

Any body able to help or suggest how to access the program

Thanks for your help

Tom

 

[Dirk Goldgar]

Good Afternoon,

I have a databaser file access (.mdb). It was writen for us to keep
records of our employers (contract workers) by one of our, now
resigned, staff.

To run the program we double click the file constaff.mdb which opens
and requires a user and passord (which we have).

We need to make some changes in this program with regard to the
payment/tax persentages but cannot edit the program except to fill in
the various iems, names position ext as allowed by the present
program. The tax % is set within the original program and therefore
out of reatch to us. My young access "expert "( son) says he thinks
it was writen with Visual Basic or macros but cannot access the
actual program core to try and make the change needed. The program
does everything else required except for the % now being incorrect.

Any body able to help or suggest how to access the program

First try just holding down the Shift key while you open the database.
Since it prompts you for a username and password, you'll need to
double-click the file, then type in the username and password at the
prompt, and hold down the Shift key when you press Enter or click the OK
button on the login dialog.

Unless the developer of the application disabled it -- which is a
possibility -- that should bypass any startup settings and let you get
at the database window and the objects it contains.

Since it appears user-level security has been applied (you have to log
in to the database), it's possible that the username you're logging in
as doesn't have permission to view or change the design of various
objects. If that's so, you may have a more serious problem, unless you
have a separate username and password to use, that has the necessary
permissions. But let's first see if just holding down the Shift key
gets you in.

 

[Birilac]

Hi Dirk, thanks for the prompt reply.
Tried holding dow the shift key as suggested, no luck. Program still open at
it's own menu.
Any other suggestion would be appreciated

Regards
Tom

 

[George Nicholson]

Can you contact your former employee and ask him what username & password is
needed to make design changes? (i.e., what his username & password were?).

Legally, this information is your property and should have been divulged
before departure.

 

[Dirk Goldgar]

Hi Dirk, thanks for the prompt reply.
Tried holding dow the shift key as suggested, no luck. Program still
open at it's own menu.
Any other suggestion would be appreciated

When the database is open, if you press the F11 key, does the database
window appear?

If it doesn't, and holding down the Shift key doesn't get you in, then
it's possible that the AllowbypassKey property has been set to disallow
this. If that's so, you may still be able to unlock it as follows:

1. Close that database, but leave Access open.

2. Open a new blank database.

3. Press Ctrl+G to open the Immediate Window.

4. In the immediate window, type in the following line (all on one
line), substituting the path to the problem database for
"C:\YourPath\YourDB.mdb". Press the Enter key at the end of the line.

Set db = DBEngine.OpenDatabase("c:\YourPath\YourDB.mdb") :
db.properties("AllowBypassKey") = True : db.close

Close that database -- you don't need it for anything now. Now try to
open the the problem database while holding down the Shift key, and see
if that gets you the database window and full menus.

 

[George Nicholson]

I see that you got in. Glad to hear.

A simple letter from a lawyer (or a reasonable officious facsimile thereof)
might have done wonders for his memory.

--
George Nicholson

Remove 'Junk' from return address.


Hi Dirk, As soon as I get to the office will try again.( it's 3 am at the
moment)
Regards and thanks
Tom

George, thanks, but have already tried that route. The youngster who wrote
the mini program was originally employed as a storeman for the company and
claims he wrote it in his spare time and at home. We have offered to pay him
a nominal amount to help but he says , via his mom, that he is to busy or
just can't remember how or what he did. I guess his being asked to leave the
company back then may have also helped to increase both amnesia and
stubbornness.
Thaks
Tom