How to make database password one time only ?

[JimJones]

Hello,

It's been a while since I've been here.

I have a database which I'll be sending to someone to use for their business. I want to post it on a website, in case my flaky email decides not work (as is sometimes the case).

If so, I want to put it on a web page, for the user to go to, click on it, and download it from there. That part works. But is there a way to password protect the database, and then take the password away, after the user has downloaded the database and entered the pre-arranged password for the first time?

If the wrong person does get to it, is the password protection on Access 2K absolutely fool proof ?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Autoeng]

I don't have the code you need but you can buy programs to break almost any password, including Access.

Just a thought but you can put a password on a zip file. That would solve your problem and probably be harder to break than the Access security. Load the db as a password protected, self extracting zip file, let you customer download it, double click on it to start the self extract, enter the password and bang your done.

 

[gellerche]

I probably know less about security than AutoEng, but would this work?

Step 1: Assuming you have your database access through a form, go to the logic that checks the user's entry against the database. After the code that lets the user in, add code like "DELETE * FROM (name of table that has your passwords)". If you're using Access' "Set database password", you can change the database so a) its Startup is a form that prompts the user for a password, b) you create a table that has valid passwords, and c) you include logic so the form checks the table before letting the user in.

AND

Step 2: Release your database as an .mde file. From what I know, those are a lot more difficult to hack than a regular .mdb file.

 

[MikeCutts]

Just a bit of a tip. If you decide to use password protected zip/exe files, make sure the password is combination of upper & lower case chars, preferably with some numbers and other chars.

The reason I say this is I believe the zip cracking tools just go through every possible combination of characters for each length of password, so the longer and more complicated the password, the safer your db will be.

Cheers,

Mike.