The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97
SYMPTOMS
Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.
When you try to start Microsoft Access 7.0 or 97 using the /pwd
command-line option to open a database that is password-protected, the
Logon dialog box is displayed even if you supply the correct password.
CAUSE
The /pwd option is used to provide the user-level security account
password, not the database password.
RESOLUTION
Only use the /pwd command-line option to supply the user-level security
account password.
MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft Access offers two way to protect a database with a password:
- Database password - to control who can open a database.
- Security Account password - to verify users when they log on to a
workgroup.
The database password can prevent unauthorized users from opening a
particular database. When you set a database password, all users must type
that password before they can open the database. However, once the
database is open, there are no security restrictions on what operations a
user can perform in that database.
The security account password is used when you define user-level security
for a workgroup. With user-level security, you must type a username and a
password to open a database. Once the database is open, your username
determines the type of access you have to each object in the database.
When you use the /pwd command-line option, it always applies to a security
account password.
Steps to Reproduce Behavior
- Open the sample database Northwind.mdb for exclusive access.
- On the Tools menu, point to Security, and then click Set Database
password.
- Type Northwind in the Password box and in the Verify box.
- Click OK to close the Set Database Password dialog box.
- Close the database and quit Microsoft Access.
- Start Microsoft Access with command-line options to open the Northwind
database and send the password. The sample command line below uses the
default installation path for Microsoft Access 97 files; substitute the
path to Msaccess.exe and Northwind.mdb on your hard drive.
NOTE: In the following command-line sample, an underscore (_) at the
end of a line is used as a line-continuation character. Remove the
underscore from the end of each line, and type the entire command as
a single line.
In Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0:
a. Click the Start button, and then click Run.
b. In the Run dialog box, type the following line in the Open box, and
then click OK.
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Msaccess.exe" _
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Samples\Northwind.mdb" _
/pwd Northwind
In Microsoft Windows NT version 3.51:
a. In Program Manager or File Manager, click Run on the File menu.
b. In the Run dialog box, type the following line in the Command Line
box, and then click OK.
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Msaccess.exe" _
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Samples\Northwind.mdb" _
/pwd Northwind
- Note that Microsoft Access displays the user-level security Logon
dialog box even though you provided the database password on the command
line.
To remove the database password from the Northwind database, follow these
steps.
- Open the sample database Northwind.mdb for exclusive access.
- In the Password Required dialog box, type Northwind, and then click OK.
- On the Tools menu, click Security, and then click Unset Database
Password.
- Type Northwind in the Password box, and then click OK.
- Close the database and quit Microsoft Access.
REFERENCES
For more information about the differences between security account
passwords and a database password, search the Help Index for "user
accounts, passwords," or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.
For more information about using command-line options to start Microsoft
Access, search the Help Index for "command-line options," or see the
following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q105128
TITLE : ACC: How to Use Command-Line Switches in Microsoft Access