workgroup information file

A file Microsoft Access reads at startup that contains information about the users in a workgroup. This information includes users' account names, their passwords, and the groups of which they are members.

Notes

• In Microsoft Access 95 and earlier versions, preference information for each user (specified in the Options dialog box) is stored in the workgroup information file. In Microsoft Access 97 and later, preference information is stored in the Windows Registry.
• In Microsoft Access version 2.0, the default name for the workgroup information file is System.mda. It is sometimes referred to just as a "workgroup" or the "system database." In Microsoft Access 95 and later, the default name for this file is System.mdw.