Passwording, and Read-only

[Ollie*99]

Hello chaps, I have been playing about with Access 2007 for some time now
trying to password protect it and to make forms / tables and content in
general 'read-only'

My database is to be sent out to a customer, but i ONLY want them to be able
to look at the forms/tables. I dont want them editing any information.

I also want to have the file passworded so that i can email the password
seperately for it to be opened.

I cant get my head around what is going on with it, can anyone do an idiots
guide for me?

Many thanks,

Ollie

 

[Keith Wilby]

Hello chaps, I have been playing about with Access 2007 for some time now
trying to password protect it and to make forms / tables and content in
general 'read-only'

My database is to be sent out to a customer, but i ONLY want them to be
able
to look at the forms/tables. I dont want them editing any information.

I also want to have the file passworded so that i can email the password
seperately for it to be opened.

I cant get my head around what is going on with it, can anyone do an
idiots
guide for me?

Many thanks,

Ollie

You can try the example on my web site but bear in mind the importance of
reading the FAQ on user-level security.

Keith.
www.keithwilby.com

 

[Ollie*99]

Many thanks for your reply Keith, although i notice that your example walks
through 2003, whereas I am using 2007. I fall at the first hurdle as there is
no mention in 2007 version, of some of the items you discuss in the first
lines of your guide.

All i want to do, is create a copy of a database, password it, and make
EVERYTHING read only to be emailed to another company for them to view. I
would really appreciate a brief step by step for 2007 from someone?

Ollie

 

[Chris O'C via AccessMonster.com]

The only way to make an emailed Access db file read only is to use Access
user level security. The security faq is 242KB, Access doesn't have user
level security items on the ribbons in Access 2007 so you have to use vba
code to do everything manually, but you want a brief, step by step guide
instead? There's no extra weight in that document, no extra fluff, no icing
on the cake. Every sentence in that document is required knowledge for
someone learning how to secure an Access db.

But if you really can't accept that, here's the idiot's guide you requested:

1 - convert the mdb file to an mde, Database Tools > Make MDE and follow the
prompts for the path and file name of the new mde.

2 - send the mde file to someone who knows how to secure an Access db and
tell him/her you need them to secure it. You also need the db owner's user
name and password and a read only user's user name and password. He/she will
send you back the secured mde file and the mdw file, which is the workgroup
file used to secure the db, the user names and the passwords for both users.

3 - rename the mde file as olliedb.mde and rename the workgroup file as
secure.mdw.

4 - send the mde and mdw file to the customer with a Windows shortcut with
this path (target is all one line):

"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\msaccess.exe" "c:\ollie\olliedb.
mde" /wrkgrp "c:\ollie\secure.mdw"

5 - tell the customer to place the mde and mdw files in the c:\ollie folder
(they have to create it).

6 - tell the customer to place the shortcut on the desktop.

7 - in a separate email tell the customer the user name and password and to
double click on the shortcut you sent previously.

8 - when the customer double clicks on the shortcut, he/she types the user
name in the top box that asks for name, and types the password in the
password box.

9 - when the customer opens the mde file, he/she can open tables, queries,
forms, reports and macros. He/she can read the data in the tables and
queries, data on the forms, but won't be able to make any changes. He/she
won't be able to see any of the code because it's an mde file.

Chris
Microsoft MVP