ACC: How to Change User Passwords Programmatically Using DAO

• Microsoft Access versions 7.0, 97

SUMMARY

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

At times, you may want to reset or change a user's password without using the user interface. This article demonstrates several sample functions that you can use to accomplish this task.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/default.asp

Resetting or Changing a User's Password When Password Has Been Forgotten

The following sample function allows a user to reset or change the password of another user if the password has been forgotten.

Because it is not advisable to allow all users to reset or change the passwords of others, the function requires that the username and password of a user with administrative rights (a member of the "admins" group, for example) be passed for the function to complete its work.

To create this example, follow these steps:

1. Open your database in Microsoft Access 7.0 or 97.

2. In the Database window, click the Modules tab, and then click New.

3. Type or paste the following code in the module that you have just created:

       Public Sub ChangeResetPassword(StrAction As String, StrUsername As _
       String, StrAdminLogon As String, StrAdminPass As String, Optional _
       StrNewPassword As Variant)
   

       Dim ws As Workspace
       On Error GoTo ChangeResetPassword:
   

       ' Create a new Administrative Workspace. If The StrAction passed to the
       ' function is "Change" then change the Password of the User named in
       ' StrUsername to the password saved in StrNewPassword.
       ' If the StrAction passed is "Reset", Then reset the password of
       ' the User mentioned in StrUsername. If neither "Change" or "Reset"
       ' is passed to the function in the StrAction argument, inform the
       ' user of an error and exit the procedure.
   

       Set ws = DBEngine.CreateWorkspace("AdminWorkspace",StrAdminLogon, _
       StrAdminPass)
       If StrAction = "change" Then
   

            If Not IsNull(StrNewPassword) Then
               ws.Users(StrUsername).NewPassword "", StrNewPassword
               MsgBox "Password Change Successful", vbOKOnly
            Else
                MsgBox "When Attempting to Change A User's Password, You " & _
                  "Must Include a New Password", vbOKOnly
            End If
   
       ElseIf StrAction = "reset" Then
           ws.Users(StrUsername).NewPassword "", ""
           MsgBox "Password Successfully Reset", vbOKOnly
       Else
           MsgBox "You must Select a StrAction of either '" & "Change'" & _
             "' or '" & "Reset'.", vbOKOnly
       End If
   
       ws.Close
       Set ws = Nothing
       Exit Sub
   
       ChangeResetPassword:
            MsgBox Err.Description
      End Sub
   
   

4. Save the module as SecurityCode and close it.

Allowing a User to Change His or Her Own Password

The next sample function allows a user to change his or her own (and only his or her own) password. For the function to operate correctly, it must be passed the Username, Old Password, and New Password of the user.

To create this example, follow these steps:

1. Open your database in Microsoft Access 7.0 or 97.

2. In the Database window, click the Modules tab, and select the SecurityCode module that you created in the example above.

3. Click Design, and type or paste the following code:

       Public Sub ChangeUserPassword(StrUsername As String, StrOldPassword _
       As String, StrNewPassword As String)
   

       On Error GoTo ChangeUserPassword_Err:
       DBEngine(0).Users(StrUsername).NewPassword StrOldPassword, _
         StrNewPassword
   

       MsgBox "Password Change Successful", vbInformation
       Exit Sub
   

       ChangeUserPassword_Err:
           MsgBox Err.Description
   
       End Sub
   
   

4. Save the Module and close it.

Usage Example

The following sample form and associated code uses both functions that you created earlier in the article to demonstrate their functionality. The form contains text boxes that must be filled with appropriate pieces of information that are fed to the sample functions and command buttons to run the functions themselves.

The form allows users to:

   - Change their own password.

   - Reset a user's password.
   - Change a user's password.

1. Create a new blank form and save it as frmChangePasswords.

2. With the frmChangePasswords form open in Design View, add the following text box, label, and command button controls. Each label is associated with a specific text box and should be placed near the text box on the form.

         Text Box:
         -----------------
         Name: txtUserName
   

         Label:
         --------------------
         Name: lblUserName
            Caption: UserName
   
         Text Box:
         -----------------------
         Name: txtOldPassword
            Input Mask: Password
   
         Label:
         ------------------------
         Name: lblOldPassword
            Caption: Old Password
   
         Text Box:
         ------------------------
         Name: txtNewPassword
            Input Mask: Password
   
         Label:
         ------------------------
         Name: lblNewPassword
            Caption: New Password
   
         Text Box:
         -----------------------
         Name: txtVerifyPassword
            Input Mask: Password
   
         Label:
         ---------------------------
         Name: lblVerify Password
            Caption: Verify Password
   
         Text Box:
         -----------------------
         Name: txtAdminUsername
            Input Mask: Password
   
         Label:
         -----------------------------------
         Name: lblAdminUsername
            Caption: Administrative UserName
   
         Text Box:
         -----------------------
         Name: txtAdminPassword
            Input Mask: Password
   
         Label:
         -----------------------------------
         Name: lblAdminPassword
            Caption: Administrative Password
   
         Command Button:
         -----------------------------------------------
         Name: CmdChange
            Caption: Change Password(Non-Administrative)
            Height: 720
            Width: 1440
   
         Command Button:
         -------------------------------------------
         Name: CmdChangeAdmin
            Caption: Change Password(Administrative)
            Height: 720
            Width: 1440
   
         Command Button:
         ------------------------------------------
         Name: CmdReset
            Caption: Reset Password(Administrative)
            Height: 720
            Width: 1440
   
   

3. With the frmTestPassword form open in Design view, on the View menu, click Code, and then type the following line in the Form module Declarations section if it is not already there:

          Option Explicit
   

4. Type or paste the following code in the Form module:

       Private Sub CmdChange_Click()
   

       On Error GoTo CmdChange_err
       ' Make sure the password typed in the New Password text box
       ' matches what has been typed in the Verify Password text box.
       If Me!txtNewPassword <> Me!txtVerifyPassword Then
          MsgBox "The New and Verified Passwords Do Not Match. " & _
            "Please Re-enter", vbCritical
          Me!txtNewPassword = ""
          Me!txtNewVerifyPassword = ""
          Me!txtNewPassword.SetFocus
       Else
          ' Check to make sure the Old Password has been filled in and
          ' if it has, change the password.
          If IsNull(Me!txtOldPassword) Then
              MsgBox "Leaving the Old Password textbox empty will cause " & _
                "an error unless you currently have no password", vbOKOnly
          End If
          Call ChangeUserPassword(CurrentUser(), Me!txtOldPassword, _
            Me!txtNewPassword)
   
       End If
   
       Exit Sub
   
       CmdChange_err:
          MsgBox Err.Description
       End Sub
   
       Private Sub cmdChangeAdmin_Click()
   
       On Error GoTo CmdChangeAdmin_err
   
       ' Test to make sure appropriate text boxes are filled in because this
       ' is an administrative function.
   
       If Not IsNull(Me!txtAdminPassword) And Not _
         isNull(Me!txtAdminUsername) And Not IsNull(Me!txtUserName) Then
           If Me!txtNewPassword <> Me!txtVerifyPassword Then
              MsgBox "The New and Verified Passwords Do Not Match. Please" & _
                " Re-enter", vbCritical
              Me!txtNewPassword = ""
              Me!txtNewVerifyPassword = ""
              Me!txtNewPassword.SetFocus
   
          Else
              Call ChangeResetPassword("Change",Me!txtUserName, _
                me!txtAdminUsername, me!txtAdminPassword, Me!txtNewPassword)
          End If
   
       Else
   
        MsgBox "The textboxes for UserName, New Password, Verified " & _
           "Password, Admin UserName and Admin Password must be complete " & _
           "for this function to operate correctly.", vbOKOnly
   
       End If
       Exit Sub
   
       CmdChangeAdmin_err:
          MsgBox Err.Description
   
       End Sub
   
       Private Sub cmdReset_Click()
   
       On Error GoTo CmdReset_err
   
       ' Test to make sure appropriate textboxes are filled in because this is
       ' an administrative function.
   
       If Not IsNull(Me!txtAdminPassword) And Not _
         IsNull(Me!txtAdminUsername) And Not IsNull(Me!txtUserName) Then
         Call ChangeResetPassword("Reset", Me!txtUserName, _
         Me!txtAdminUsername, Me!txtAdminPassword)
       Else
         MsgBox "The textboxes for UserName, New Password, Verified " & _
           "Password, Admin UserName and Admin Password must be complete " & _
           "for this function to operate correctly.", VBOKOnly
       End If
       Exit Sub
   
       CmdReset_err:
         MsgBox Err.Description
   
       End Sub
   
   

5. Save your changes and close the Module window. Save and close the form.

REFERENCES

For more information about changing passwords programmatically, search the Help Index for "NewPassword Method."