How to unlock an older Access DB (Pre 97)

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I have been asked to take an older Access DB (pre Access 97 and probably 95) and recreate it on an SQL Server DB. The problem is that it is secured using what I’m guessing is Workgroup security. I’m not familiar with the older Access programs so I’m not entirely certain about how to get into the DB. The client has no idea what the password info is and the person that originally created the DB is no where to be found.
Anyone have any input on how best to handle this? I’m guessing that maybe copying the proper file to my computer relating to Workgroup security that is on each of their computers is the key but like I said I know nothing of the older versions of Acces.

Thanks
Ed

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I would try searching with google on the terms cracker and Access. Crackers enable you to extract the password. The following site looks promising. http://www.bokler.com/crak_body.html

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I got the following piece of code from an old VB Source CD I found at a car boot sale. I haven’t tried it because I don’t have Access 97 and it says nothing about any earlier versions but it may be a start or indeed work. I know it won’t work with Access 2000/2002 as the password encryption was changed.

Function dbPass(dbName as String) As String
Dim n As Long, s1 As String * 1, s2 As String * 1
Dim lsClave As String
Dim mask As String

mask = Chr(78) & Chr(134) & Chr(251) & Chr(236) & _
Chr(55) & Chr(93) & Chr(68) & Chr(156) & _
Chr(250) & Chr(198) & Chr(94) & Chr(40) & Chr(230) & Chr(19)

Open dbName For Binary As #1
Seek #1, &H42
For n = 1 To 14
s1 = Mid(mask, n, 1)
s2 = Input(1, 1)
If (Asc(s1) Xor Asc(s2)) 0 Then
lsClave = lsClave & Chr(Asc(s1) Xor Asc(s2))
End If
Next
Close #1
MsgBox “The Password Is: ” & lsClave
dbPass=lsClave

End Function

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Kevin Bell

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That might deal with a database password, but won’t help if workgroup security was used.

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Security in older versions of Access is pretty much the same as security in the recent versions. And you can’t recreate an Access database in SQL Server, although you can create the table design there. If the client doesn’t know the password and this is an old database, what makes them think they want to recreate it in SQL Server? If they are actually using it, they must have at least some of the passwords, and you might be better off inferring a design rather than recreating something that old.

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