SYMPTOMS

When you use the Attachment Manager or the RefreshLink method to refresh the links to attached tables, user and group permissions may change unexpectedly for an attached table.

CAUSE

Microsoft Access refreshes permissions when you refresh the links to an attached table. All permissions for an attached table are reset to the same permissions as its native table in the source database.

Because permissions are stored with the database file (.MDB), it is possible to have different permissions for a table that is shared between two databases.

For example, a user can have no permissions to an attached table in the front-end database, but have full permissions to its native table in the back-end database. When the attachment is refreshed, the user gains full permissions to the attached table in the front-end database.

RESOLUTION

You can set security in the back-end database so that it has the same permissions as the front-end database. That way, whenever the attachment is refreshed, the front-end database permissions are not changed unexpectedly.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Open the sample database NWIND.MDB.

2. From the Security menu, choose Users.

3. In the Users dialog box, choose the New button.

4. In the New User/Group dialog box, type "TestUser" (without the quotation marks) in the Name box, type "9999" (without the quotation marks) in the Personal ID box, and then choose the OK button.

5. In the Users dialog box, add TestUser to the Users group, and then choose the Close button.

6. From the File menu, choose Attach Table.

7. In the Attach dialog box, select Microsoft Access as the data source, and then choose OK.

8. In the Select Microsoft Access Database dialog box, select SAMPAPPS in the Directories box, select SOLUTION.MDB in File Name box, and then choose OK.

9. In the Attach Tables dialog box, select Examples, and then choose the Attach button. After the table is attached, choose OK in the dialog box stating that the table was successfully attached, and choose Close in the Attach Tables dialog box.

10. From the Security menu, choose Permissions.

11. In the Permissions dialog box, select the Groups option button. In the User/Group Name box, select Users, and in the Object Name box, select Examples.

12. Remove all permissions for the Users group for the Examples table, and then choose the Assign button.

13. Choose Close to close the Permissions dialog box.

14. From the File menu, choose Add-ins, and then choose Attachment Manager from the menu that appears.

15. In the Attachment Manager dialog box, select Examples, and then choose OK.

16. From the Security menu, choose Permissions.

17. Select the Groups option button, select the Users group, and then select the Examples table. Note that the Users group has full permissions on the table even though you removed the permissions in step 12. The Attachment Manager resets the permissions in step 15 to the same settings as the source database.