ACC: Save Password Check Box Dimmed When Linking ODBC Tables

• Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, you should first make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat). Both are hidden files in the Windows folder.

SYMPTOMS

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

You are unable to save the Login ID and Password locally when you link a table from an ODBC data source because the "Save password" check box is dimmed in the Link Tables dialog box.

CAUSE

There are two possible causes:

• There is an MSysConf table on the SQL database server which is prohibiting users from storing passwords locally.
• The Windows registry has been modified so that network password caching has been disabled on your computer.

RESOLUTION

Cause 1 - There is an MSysConf Table on the SQL Database Server

The server administrator has disabled local storage of the Login ID and Passwords in linked tables by creating an MSysConf table on the server which contains the following record:

     Config          nValue
     ------          ------
      101               0

     Config          nValue
     ------          ------
      101               1

Cause 2 - Network Password Caching Has Been Disabled

Edit the Windows registry to enable network password caching.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows 95. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the Changing Keys And Values online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). Note that you should make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat) before you edit the registry.

Using Registry Editor (Regedit.exe), there are two ways to re-enable network password caching:

• Remove the following key from the Windows registry:

        HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
        \Policies\Network\DisablePwdCaching
  

• Set the value of the DisablePwdCaching key to 0.

MORE INFORMATION

If you are administering an SQL database that uses Microsoft Access as a front end, you can create a table in your SQL database named MSysConf to help control communication between the two applications. The MSysConf table has two potential functions:

• It can disable the feature that enables users to save the Login ID and Password for a linked SQL database in the Microsoft Access front end.
• It can optimize how Microsoft Access performs background population of records during idle time by setting the number of rows of data that are retrieved at one time and the number of seconds of delay between each retrieval.

REFERENCES

For more information about using the MSysConf table to prevent the storage of Login IDs and Passwords locally, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q101084
   TITLE     : ACC: Storing SQL Database Login IDs and Passwords Locally

For more information about disabling password caching using the Policy Editor in Microsoft Windows 95, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q142233
   TITLE     : No Password Prompt After Network Adapter Is Detected