ACC95: Remove All in Setup Removes System.mdw File

• Microsoft Access 7.0
• Microsoft Office 97 Professional Edition

SYMPTOMS

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

When you run the Microsoft Access Setup program to remove Microsoft Access from your computer, the Remove All option removes your workgroup information file (System.mdw).

RESOLUTION

If you want to be able to use the options stored in the workgroup information file, create a backup copy of the file before you remove Microsoft Access from your computer.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Access 7.0 and Microsoft Office 97, Professional Edition. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

When you remove Microsoft Access from your computer, the Setup program does not remove any database files or workgroup information files that you created. You can still use those files with Microsoft Access on another computer, or by installing Microsoft Access on your computer again. However, Setup does remove the default workgroup information file (System.mdw), which was created when you installed Microsoft Access. In Microsoft Access 97, the default location for the System.mdw file is the \Windows\System folder. In Microsoft Access 7.0, the default location is the \MSOffice\Access folder.

The Microsoft Access user-level security feature stores all of the user and group information for a secured database in the workgroup information file. If you are joined to the default workgroup information file when you set up security, and then Setup removes the default workgroup information file from your computer, you may not be able to access the contents of any databases you secured using that file.

You can use the Workgroup Administrator program, Wrkgadm.exe, to create a new System.mdw file for your database; however, you must have detailed records of the Name, Organization, and Workgroup ID that Microsoft Access used to create the default file, as well as the Name, Password, and Personal ID you used to create each of the user and group accounts for your database.

REFERENCES

For more information about the workgroup information file, search the Help Index for "workgroup information file," or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.