Need Syntax for Shortcut to .mdb file with .mdw file

S

sweeneysmsm

Working in Office XP Pro. Am trying to get a database to
open using a different workgroup than the default
Workgroup. I read the following in a newsgroup:

"Access User-Security is not tied to the file you are
opening. It is tied to the Workgroup you are using. My
suggestion would be to join back to your original non-
secure Workgroup and then create a shortcut that opens
the secured file. In the shortcut you can include a
command-line parameter that specifies which Workgroup
file to use. This does not affect the opening of other
files the way changing Workgroups with the Admin tool
does.

The syntax for the shortcut is roughly. . .

"Path to Access Executable" /WrkGrp "Path to MDW
file" "Path to MDB file"

I created a shortcut to the mdb file and put it on the
desktop. I then changed the shortcut's Target to the
following (based upon the pattern above).

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10
\MSAccess.exe" /WrkGrp" "C:\Documents and
Settings\Mary\My
Documents\PaulaDta\SYSTEM.mdw" "C:\Documents and
Settings\Mary\My Documents\PaulaDta\DB\Access2002
\HealthCare2002.mdb"

I have had no success. Perhaps I am
misinterpreting "command-line parameter". If the above
syntax is correct, where do I put it?

Thanks for whatever help you can give.

Mary
 
J

Jack MacDonald

The syntax looks correct, but are you certain that your secured
workgroup is also named SYSTEM.MDW? The command line (target) must
include the path to the secured workgroup file.
Also, I always name the MDB file immediately after the EXE file,
followed by the /wrkgrp switch. Not sure whether it makes a
difference...


Working in Office XP Pro. Am trying to get a database to
open using a different workgroup than the default
Workgroup. I read the following in a newsgroup:

"Access User-Security is not tied to the file you are
opening. It is tied to the Workgroup you are using. My
suggestion would be to join back to your original non-
secure Workgroup and then create a shortcut that opens
the secured file. In the shortcut you can include a
command-line parameter that specifies which Workgroup
file to use. This does not affect the opening of other
files the way changing Workgroups with the Admin tool
does.

The syntax for the shortcut is roughly. . .

"Path to Access Executable" /WrkGrp "Path to MDW
file" "Path to MDB file"

I created a shortcut to the mdb file and put it on the
desktop. I then changed the shortcut's Target to the
following (based upon the pattern above).

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10
\MSAccess.exe" /WrkGrp" "C:\Documents and
Settings\Mary\My
Documents\PaulaDta\SYSTEM.mdw" "C:\Documents and
Settings\Mary\My Documents\PaulaDta\DB\Access2002
\HealthCare2002.mdb"

I have had no success. Perhaps I am
misinterpreting "command-line parameter". If the above
syntax is correct, where do I put it?

Thanks for whatever help you can give.

Mary


=======================================================
Jack MacDonald
remove UPPERCASE LETTERS from email address
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Info about MSAccess user-level security
www.geocities.com/jacksonmacd
 
S

sweeneysmsm

Dear Jack,

Thanks so much for getting back to me.

I am certain about the name "system" basically because it
was the file that I used when I originally set the
program up on another computer. (I had to transfer the
application from a Win 95 machine to a Win 2000 machine
and then to an XP machine.) Basically that is why I kept
the file in an "odd" folder - one I had created - to keep
it separate. At the moment I am using the application
just with myself as Admin on the default workgrp. I
haven't "secured" the app on this machine. I just want
to have this app open with the workgroup that I used to
use - not the default on this machine.

Also, I am not sure what you mean when you describe how
you write the syntax with the "following immediately"..

Do you mean:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10
\MSAccess.exe" /WrkGrp "C:\Documents and Settings\Mary\My
Documents\PaulaDta\SYSTEM.mdw" "C:\Documents and
Settings\Mary\My Documents\PaulaDta\DB\Access2002
\HealthCare2002.mdb"

or
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10
\MSAccess.exe" /WrkGrp "C:\Documents and Settings\Mary\My
Documents\PaulaDta\SYSTEM.mdw" "C:\Documents and
Settings\Mary\My Documents\PaulaDta\DB\Access2002
\HealthCare2002.mdb"

or
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10
\MSAccess.exe/WrkGrpC:\Documents and Settings\Mary\My
Documents\PaulaDta\SYSTEM.mdw" "C:\Documents and
Settings\Mary\My Documents\PaulaDta\DB\Access2002
\HealthCare2002.mdb"

or should I eliminate the file extensions.

I might add that I have tried all of the above and get a
message: "The name '"C:\Program' specififed in the Target
box is not valid."

I'm not sure whether the problem is with the syntax or
something related to the fact that I haven't secured the
app because I am still working on it.

Thanks for whatever insight you have.

Mary
 
S

sweeneysmsm

Dear Joan,

Thank you for your help. I put that in as the target. My
expectation, right or wrong, would have been that when I
clicked on the shortcut to open the app now, if I then
went to Tools/Security/ User Accounts, that I would find
the users and groups that were in the shortcut
workgroup. I don't. Is my expectation wrong? Is there a
way that I can determine what workgroup file the app is
opening with?

Thank you again for any insight you can give.

Mary
-----Original Message-----
You original post had an extra " in it. Your target should look like

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10
\MSAccess.exe" "C:\Documents and
 
J

Joan Wild

You original post had an extra " in it. Your target should look like

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10\MSAccess.exe" "C:\Documents and
Settings\Mary\My Documents\PaulaDta\DB\Access2002\HealthCare2002.mdb"
/wrkgrp "C:\Documents and Settings\Mary\My
Documents\PaulaDta\SYSTEM.mdw"

This assumes that you have the correct path to msaccess.exe. Be sure you
include all the " and also ensure that you have spaces (or not) where
needed.
 
S

sweeneysmsm

I am sorry if I am not communicating well.

Yes, I can open the database with the shortcut. That is
not the problem.

But the workgroup that should now be associated via the
shortcut has users like Direct, Appts, etc along with
Admin. When the database is open and I go to
Tools/Security/User and Group Accounts the only User
listed is "Admin" and the only Groups listed are "Admins"
and "Users". This makes me think that the app is not
opening with the workgroup designated by the shortcut.
That is what I am trying to resolve.

Mary
 
J

Jack MacDonald

Also, I am not sure what you mean when you describe how
you write the syntax with the "following immediately"..

Do you mean:

What I meant was:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office10
\MSAccess.exe"

"C:\Documents and
Settings\Mary\My Documents\PaulaDta\DB\Access2002
\HealthCare2002.mdb"

/WrkGrp "C:\Documents and Settings\Mary\My
Documents\PaulaDta\SYSTEM.mdw"


(I just broke it into lines for clarity)
(... and I don't really know if this makes any differnce)


You asked how you can tell what security file is in use:

- Open the Immediate Window (press Ctrl-G)
- type: ?dbengine.systemdb
- press Enter

Hope this helps.


=======================================================
Jack MacDonald
remove UPPERCASE LETTERS from email address
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Info about MSAccess user-level security
www.geocities.com/jacksonmacd
 
S

sweeneysmsm

I am so grateful to you both , Joan and Jack.

Jack, your code to help me identify the workgroup in use
told me that I was always using the System file and not
the one I had designated by the shortcut.

You both helped me with the right syntax.

One thing which I can contribute - in Windows XP, the
shortcut file must be in the folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application
Data\Microsoft\Access.

Once that is in place, it works like a charm. When I went
to the Tools/Security/User & Group permissions the names
from the user groups appeared in the list of users.

One last question:

Does it matter what format the workgroup file is in? I
have a workgroup file that is 95 and another that is
2000, but my app is Access 2002?

You have helped me immensely and I hope that this
discussion is of use to someone else.

Hope you have time for the above question...

Mary
 
S

sweeneysmsm

Error to correct:

I should have said:
One thing which I can contribute - in Windows XP, the
WORKGROUP file must be in the folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application
Data\Microsoft\Access.
Mary

-----Original Message-----
I am so grateful to you both , Joan and Jack.

Jack, your code to help me identify the workgroup in use
told me that I was always using the System file and not
the one I had designated by the shortcut.

You both helped me with the right syntax.

One thing which I can contribute - in Windows XP, the
shortcut file must be in the folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application
Data\Microsoft\Access.

Once that is in place, it works like a charm. When I went
to the Tools/Security/User & Group permissions the names
from the user groups appeared in the list of users.

One last question:

Does it matter what format the workgroup file is in? I
have a workgroup file that is 95 and another that is
2000, but my app is Access 2002?

You have helped me immensely and I hope that this
discussion is of use to someone else.

Hope you have time for the above question...

Mary

.
 
S

sweeneysmsm

Error to correct:

I should have said:
One thing which I can contribute - in Windows XP, the
WORKGROUP file must be in the folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application
Data\Microsoft\Access.
Mary

-----Original Message-----
I am so grateful to you both , Joan and Jack.

Jack, your code to help me identify the workgroup in use
told me that I was always using the System file and not
the one I had designated by the shortcut.

You both helped me with the right syntax.

One thing which I can contribute - in Windows XP, the
shortcut file must be in the folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application
Data\Microsoft\Access.

Once that is in place, it works like a charm. When I went
to the Tools/Security/User & Group permissions the names
from the user groups appeared in the list of users.

One last question:

Does it matter what format the workgroup file is in? I
have a workgroup file that is 95 and another that is
2000, but my app is Access 2002?

You have helped me immensely and I hope that this
discussion is of use to someone else.

Hope you have time for the above question...

Mary
when any
workgroup file to) standard
system.mdw that describe syntax
.
 
J

Jack MacDonald

One last question:

Does it matter what format the workgroup file is in? I
have a workgroup file that is 95 and another that is
2000, but my app is Access 2002?

AFAIK, the workgroup file can be in an earlier version, and Access
will read it properly.
You have helped me immensely and I hope that this
discussion is of use to someone else.

Hope you have time for the above question...

Mary


=======================================================
Jack MacDonald
remove UPPERCASE LETTERS from email address
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Info about MSAccess user-level security
www.geocities.com/jacksonmacd
 

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