Q170961: HOWTO: Change an Access Database Password

Article: Q170961
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): 4.0 5.0 7.0 97
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbVBp400 kbVBp500 kbGrpDSVB kbhowto kb32bitOnly
Last Modified: 11-JAN-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows, version 5.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, version 5.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, version 5.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Standard Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Access for Windows 95, version 7.0 
- Microsoft Access 97 
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SUMMARY
=======

Microsoft Access 7.0 and 97 MDB files can be password protected. This article
demonstrates how to change the password associated with a Microsoft Access 7.0
or 97 MDB file.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Microsoft Access 7.0 and 97 use Jet 3.0 and Jet 3.5 MDB files, respectively. For
the code below to work correctly, you must have a reference to an appropriate
Microsoft DAO Object Library.

The database password can be changed by using the NewPassword method. The
following example changes the password of the MyDB.mdb database from
"MyPassword1" to "MyPassword2":

     Sub ChangeDBPassword ()
        Dim Db As Database

        Set Db = OpenDatabase("C:\My Documents\MyDB.mdb",True, _
           False,";pwd=MyPassword1")
        Db.NewPassword "MyPassword1","MyPassword2"
        Db.Close
     End Sub

The code above does not handle the possibility of trying to open the database
with the wrong password, which would generate an error. Every application that
tries to open password protected databases should be able to handle this
scenario.

To remove password protection from a database, use an empty string for the second
parameter of the NewPassword method. For example:

     Db.NewPassword "MyPassword2", ""

To assign a database password to a MDB that is currently without a password, use
an empty string for the first parameter of the NewPassword method. For example:

     Db.NewPassword "", "MyPassword1"


You can also change, assign or remove a database password using the
CompactDatabase method. When using this method on a database with a password,
the Optional arguments must be provided:

     Sub CompactDB ()
        ' Compact the database, supplying the password
        DBEngine.CompactDatabase "C:\My Documents\MyDB.mdb", _
           "C:\My Documents\Test.MDB", dbLangGeneral, dbVersion30, _
           ";pwd=MyPassword1"
     End Sub

The new database has the same password as the old. Here you compact a MDB with a
password of "MyPassword1" and give the new database a password of "MyNewPWD":

     DBEngine.CompactDatabase "C:\My Documents\Test.mdb", _
        "C:\My Documents\TestII.MDB", dbLangGeneral & ";pwd=MyNewPWD", _
        dbVersion30, ";pwd=MyPassword1"

With this line, you can remove the database password:

     DBEngine.CompactDatabase "C:\My Documents\TestII.mdb", _
        "C:\My Documents\TestIII.MDB", dbLangGeneral & ";pwd=", _
        dbVersion30, ";pwd=MyNewPWD"

This line compacts a database without a password and assigns a password of
"NewPassword" to the new database:

     DBEngine.CompactDatabase "C:\My Documents\TestIII.mdb", _
       "C:\My Documents\TestIV.mdb", dbLangGeneral & _
       ";pwd=NewPassword", dbVersion30

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Keywords          : kbVBp400 kbVBp500 kbGrpDSVB kbhowto kb32bitOnly 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbAccessSearch kbZNotKeyword6 kbAccess97 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB500Search kbVBA500 kbVB500 kbAccess97Search kbAccess95Search kbVB400Search kbVB400 kbZNotKeyword3 kbAccess700
Version           : 4.0 5.0 7.0 97

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