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  1. #1
    Levonas is offline Novice
    Windows 7 32bit Access 2010 32bit
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    Force Enable Add-Ins Before Moving On

    My database is working great except for the security portion.


    I work on an NMCI network and have no ability to add trusted locations or do anything to security settings.

    I made a splash screen telling the user to "enable content", then click continue. If they click continue, it will load the main menu form even if the "enable content" button is not pressed.
    Is there a way to force the user to select the "enable content" before access allows the main menu form to load? Perhaps some code to check if the "enable content" has been pressed and if that is true, then the main menu form loads, or the "continue" button becomes available?

    Thanks.
    Last edited by Levonas; 02-22-2015 at 08:17 AM.

  2. #2
    rpeare is offline VIP
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    I take it changing the security settings within access is not allowed? If you did it that way you'd never have to deal with the 'enable content' issue, however that security setting would also take out the possibility of people doing something they shouldn't with a database they download from another location that may run a malicious piece of code. If you have a fairly closed/safe system with responsible users the security setting would be a pretty easy one time fix per user.

    Or you can try this:

    Go to Start menu\All programs\Microsoft office\Microsoft Office Tools\Digital Certificates for VBA Projects. When the Create Digital Certificate pop up opens, give it a simple name, don't use spaces, and then press OK.
    Next open your DB and find the Visual Basic Editor, should be for older versions in the tools menu\Macros. When the VB editor is open go to tools\Digital Certificate and add the certificate you have just created.
    When others open your DB for the first time they will be asked if they trust the certificate.

    This may sound strange but you could also try going into Outlook and reduce the security for your email. Not recommended unless you completely trust your antivirus software.

    Hope this works for you
    from this website:
    http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/...d.php?t=219860

  3. #3
    Levonas is offline Novice
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    I will give the certificate a try.
    You are correct that I cannot change the security settings. I am a user on NMCI, a military network. I'm no IT and they locked out every option possible to ensure security is adhered to.
    However the database is amazing in tracking 1600+ people with multiple users with different levels of access to the data and how they interact with the data.
    I will still give the certificate a go though and see if that works.
    Thanks.

  4. #4
    rpeare is offline VIP
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    The security is not network security, it's is MS access security.

    FILE>OPTIONS>TRUST CENTER>TRUST CENTER SETTINGS>MACRO SETTINGS>ENABLE ALL MACROS

    Note, even if you 'sign' a database (I've never actually done this) you will still need to change the MS access macro settings to 'disable all macros except digitally signed macros' to avoid that banner from showing.

  5. #5
    Levonas is offline Novice
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    I know what you are saying and am aware of how to use the trust center, but the NMCI doesn't play around with this and has completely 100% locked out all these options to force users to manually allow content so nothing runs without consent. I am not an NMCI admin or IT person here. I am just a network user with no way to circumvent the security settings in anyway, nor would I want to.
    I appreciate the advice.
    I tried the certificate but it tells me it cannot save the cert to the database. It says that I maybe in a database under source code control, it may be read only, or it may be accdb or accde. The format is accdb, so I'd have to sign and package it. In doing that, it still didn't fix the fact it asks you to enable content each time.
    From what I am taking away from this is that there is no solution yet. Or maybe there is no way in access to force the user to "enable content" before allowing the main menu form to load, or to force them to "enable content" before the "continue" button is available. If there is a way to check the program to see if "enable content" is true then show the continue button, or load form main menu, that is what I am looking for.

  6. #6
    rpeare is offline VIP
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    If you can't create a signature and you can't modify the macro settings of MS access itself you can't really do away with the enable content prompt.

    You can try the last suggestion on this thread:

    http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1...ng-access-2007

    Basically exits the database if the security settings are not enabled.

    You can't run a macro to check the macro status because you'd need the macros enabled for it to run :P

  7. #7
    Levonas is offline Novice
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    Sorry to report that it didn't work. I can still click continue and load with or without enabling content. This one seems unsolvable.
    Now, macros do run with or without this. It refers to add-ins and then says enable content. It says nothing about macros. I don't know if that changes your thinking on a solution.

  8. #8
    pbaldy's Avatar
    pbaldy is offline Who is John Galt?
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    One untested option that comes to mind is using a splash screen form that has your message to enable code on it, and of course this is the form that loads on startup. In the timer event of that form, have code that closes this form and opens the main menu. If code is enabled, that timer event will fire and the splash screen goes away by itself. If not, the message sits there waiting for the user.
    Paul (wino moderator)
    MS Access MVP 2007-2019
    www.BaldyWeb.com

  9. #9
    Levonas is offline Novice
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    Yes, that is actually what I did was a small splash screen with information for the user and a continue button.
    What I was trying to do in that splash screen was check the status of the "enable content" and if it was true, the "continue" button would become available. Much in the way a company would grey out a button until the user agrees to the terms of service. Either that, or when enabling content happens, it then loads the main menu. However, I am not sure what code would do that.
    I would like to point out that my macros, as few as they actually are since I like VBA, still work without it being enabled. The security warning is for add-ins, not macros. I am not sure if that makes a difference to anyone.
    Thanks to all that have been trying ideas with me here, by the way.

  10. #10
    June7's Avatar
    June7 is offline VIP
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    Paul's suggestion does not have a button on the splash screen. The form has code (timer event) that should not run until user enables content. Did this work as suggested?
    How to attach file: http://www.accessforums.net/showthread.php?t=70301 To provide db: copy, remove confidential data, run compact & repair, zip w/Windows Compression.

  11. #11
    Levonas is offline Novice
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    I know what you are saying, and I get all of that. I was just explaining what I did minus the code part, with the button on there and saying what I was looking for.
    However, as far as the suggestion goes, I tried it and the timer runs without me enabling content.
    This is why I was pointing out that it specifically says that add-ins have been disabled with a button to enable content, and I wondered if that detail made a difference to anyone in this matter.
    Macros work fine. VBA code work fine.
    Maybe I should be asking a different question now. Are there any reasons I would want to force enable content on add-ins with a typical database, a few macros, and all forms with some sort of VBA being run?

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