On several occasions, we've come across situations in which our Members have inherited secured, legacy Databases and were told to either eliminate the security mechanism on these Databases or restructure them. In these, and similar circumstances, it is very helpful to know you can ' unsecure' a ' secure' Access Database. These are the steps necessary to accomplish this: - Log on as a Member of the Admins Group.
- Grant full permissions, including Administer permission, to the built-in Users Group for all Objects in the Database.
- Put the Admin User back in the Admins Group if he isn't there.
- Clear the Password for the Admin User.
- Exit Access.
- Restart Access, and log on as Admin.
- Create a New, blank Database, and import all the secured Database's Objects using the File ==> Get External Data ==> Import command.
-
-
NOTE: The trick to this technique is to give an unsecured Group (Users) full permissions on all the Objects and then to transfer ownership of the Database and all its Objects to an unsecured User (Admin). Keep in mind that the Admin User and the Users Group have the same SID (Security Identifier) across all Workgroups. Therefore, these accounts are not secure. Full permissions for all Objects was granted to the Users Group in Step #2 and ownerships of all the Database Objects was transferred to the unsecured User (Admin) in Step #7 by nature of the Import by the Admin User.
4  31820 
Also, if you have been given this task, but nobody knows a login for the Admins group, then sometimes there is a simple workaround:
Open access (not a database). Make sure that you are using Access in the default Workgroup Information File (WIF):
Tools -> Security -> Workgroup Administrator...
Click Join...
Select the default Workgroup Information File (System.mdw)
OK
Once you are part of the default WIF, try opening the database from within Access. Oftentimes the developers fail to restrict the database to their specific WIF. If so, this will work.
If that doesn't work, these is another way, but I don't want people to know how to crack my databases either so I'd rather not put those here. The ultimate truth is that Access is not designed for high-level security, and there is usually a pretty simple way to bypass it.
Also, if you have been given this task, but nobody knows a login for the Admins group, then sometimes there is a simple workaround:
Open access (not a database). Make sure that you are using Access in the default Workgroup Information File (WIF):
Tools -> Security -> Workgroup Administrator...
Click Join...
Select the default Workgroup Information File (System.mdw)
OK
Once you are part of the default WIF, try opening the database from within Access. Oftentimes the developers fail to restrict the database to their specific WIF. If so, this will work.
If that doesn't work, these is another way, but I don't want people to know how to crack my databases either so I'd rather not put those here. The ultimate truth is that Access is not designed for high-level security, and there is usually a pretty simple way to bypass it.
Thanks Luke, for the pointers.
I have tried to do the above and I am still unable to open the database.
Can someone please help me.
I have tried to do the above and I am still unable to open the database.
Can someone please help me.
- How far were you able to get into the Unsecuring Process?
- At exactly which point did you fail?
- Did you log on as a member of the Admins Group?
- Are you using the same Workgroup File that created the original Database?
- What exactly was the end result?
- Is the New Database secure?
- Provide as many details as possible.
Sign in to post your reply or Sign up for a free account.
Similar topics
by: Nicolae Fieraru |
last post by:
Hi All,
I am working on a web site in asp which will be hosted on a Windows 2003
server.
I use the following code to connect to the database:
Set objConn =...
|
by: Atreju |
last post by:
I apologize in advance for the x-post, but I am really not sure where
this would best be addressed.
I am designing a database in MSAccess for which I want to make the
front-end in VB.
I have...
|
by: RCS |
last post by:
Okay, a rather 'interesting' situation has arisen at a place I work: I need
to convert a database from Access to something that can be used over the
web.
I am currently maintaining and...
|
by: philmcin |
last post by:
I am using Access XP (Access 200 available also if that makes any
difference), and am trying to set up security for one (and only one)
Access database, but each time I do that every Access database...
|
by: XFER |
last post by:
Does anyone know how well 10 concurrent users will
perform on the above config? Are there any known issues,
limits to using MS Access with IIS 5 and ASP.net on a non-
..net server (NT)?
thanks.
|
by: dennist685 |
last post by:
Can't edit, delete or add row in an Access database in a website 2003
When I implement a walkthrough using Northwind I have no trouble doing this.
Also, in a windowsforms project I have no...
|
by: dennist685 |
last post by:
How to get an Access database on the web from my own computer
I have an Access database project in inetpub/wwwroot/Access2 . I build it,
and then press cntrl-F5. - I still get the development...
|
by: D |
last post by:
If you secure an MSACCESS Database using a Workgroup Information File
WIF and then setting up permissions removing the Admin user from the
its default group, repalce it with another named user,...
|
by: Killer42 |
last post by:
Hi all.
I have an application that I wrote ages ago - last compiled in 1998, I believe. It is still in occasional use. It uses an Access database - probably Access version 2, I think.
I...
|
by: Charles Arthur |
last post by:
How do i turn on java script on a villaon, callus and itel keypad mobile phone
|
by: ryjfgjl |
last post by:
In our work, we often receive Excel tables with data in the same format. If we want to analyze these data, it can be difficult to analyze them because the data is spread across multiple Excel files...
|
by: BarryA |
last post by:
What are the essential steps and strategies outlined in the Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) roadmap for aspiring data scientists? How can individuals effectively utilize this roadmap to progress...
|
by: nemocccc |
last post by:
hello, everyone, I want to develop a software for my android phone for daily needs, any suggestions?
|
by: Hystou |
last post by:
There are some requirements for setting up RAID:
1. The motherboard and BIOS support RAID configuration.
2. The motherboard has 2 or more available SATA protocol SSD/HDD slots (including MSATA, M.2...
|
by: marktang |
last post by:
ONU (Optical Network Unit) is one of the key components for providing high-speed Internet services. Its primary function is to act as an endpoint device located at the user's premises. However,...
|
by: Hystou |
last post by:
Most computers default to English, but sometimes we require a different language, especially when relocating. Forgot to request a specific language before your computer shipped? No problem! You can...
|
by: jinu1996 |
last post by:
In today's digital age, having a compelling online presence is paramount for businesses aiming to thrive in a competitive landscape. At the heart of this digital strategy lies an intricately woven...
|
by: tracyyun |
last post by:
Dear forum friends,
With the development of smart home technology, a variety of wireless communication protocols have appeared on the market, such as Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. Each...
| |
