ACC: Database Password Appears Even Though It Was Never Set (223043)

SYMPTOMS

When you open a Microsoft Access database (an .mdb file), you may see a password prompt, even though you never set a password on the database. Nothing that you enter will allow you past the password prompt.

CAUSE

This behavior can happen if you directly open a database in a non-Access application, such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Notepad, and so on, and then save the database in that application. In some cases, the application that you use to open the database may automatically save a document after you open it, for example, a macro in Word.

The Microsoft Jet database engine is a distinct binary format. Opening your Access database directly in a non-Access application has no benefit because the data that you will see will be indecipherable. Also, saving it back out in the non-Access application makes the file completely unusable to Access. You will be unable to recover any data from, repair, or compact an Access database file that has been saved to any other format.

NOTE: Some macro viruses may cause applications to save documents automatically. Therefore, if your non-Access application contains such a virus, even though you may open the Access database and close it without saving, the database file is still saved in a non-Access format.

RESOLUTION

Do not try to open a Microsoft Access database (.mdb) in an application other than Microsoft Access. If you want to view your Access data in another application, try linking to it through ODBC or Office Links.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about using ODBC, click Contents and Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Access Help, type the following text

odbc, running

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "ODBC, running queries on ODBC servers" topic. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

For more information about using Office Links, click Contents and Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Access Help, type the following text

officelinks

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "OfficeLinks" topic. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.