Loading password protected MDB file in LO7.1

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#1

HI, newby for Libra office and ave finally worked out how to load MS Access .MDB files but I have come across a problem…how to load password protected MDB fles. I have searched and found directions for older versions of LO which don’t correlate with LO7.1. I can’t seem to find a way to introduce a password during the connection process.
It’s probably something simple but I’m just not seeing it.
Any help would be appreciated.

This is the file that is generated when trying to open the protected MDB file and aslo causes LO to crash. Jtv.odb

#14

I’ve made the changes as mentioned in @Ratslinger’s answer - see the attached file.

It opens without asking for a password, but on clicking the database options on left, an authentication dialog appears.

jtv_mod.odb

#15

Thanks for that, it now asks for username and password. Only problem is, there has never been a user name used to access (no pun intended) the file, just a password so unfortunately opening still fails. Right now I’m at the point of trying to find another computer with MS access so I can load and remove the password. There doesn’t seem to be a straight forward way to load password protected MDB files in LO.

#16

User name may be that of your Windows login account. Probably not the “friendly name” as displayed on the login screen, but the (usually single word) profile name, e.g. displayed as your profile folder inside the Users folder.

#17

Yeah, I tried that, even tried the admin account, still didn’t work. As much as I’d like to keep the file password protected I have at least managed to remove the password (as per ‘my’ answer to the problem). I may revisit this problem again in the future once I am more comfortable with LibreOffice.

#2

Hello,

As there are a few ways to connect and different OS’es you could be using. Here is one method which should work (not tested as I don’t have a PW protected Access file).

The Base file is basically zipped files. Extract the content.xml file. Search for is-password-required in that file and change the following value from false to true. Save into the Base file and restart the Base file. On selecting a table you should be prompted for a user name and password.

#3

Hi, wasn’t expecting a reply so quickly. OK, the OS I’m using is Windows 7 and the LO version is 7.1.4.2 (32 bit).

I’m not sure what you mean by the ‘Base file’ or where I should be looking for it… All I have is a ‘typical’ install of LO and want to load a .MDB file. it works fine for various other MDB files but I see no way to enter a password for this one protected MDB file (I do know the password). I have password protected Excel files which prompt for the password and was expecting the same with MDB files. Sadly not the case.

#4

@StanB,

You stated you have worked out loading Access .mdb files. With LibreOffice this is done through Base. A Base file is an .odb file which is what I have referenced. Isn’t this what you have set up? You have not stated what/how you connected to .mdb files. This could be through an ODBC or JDBC connection or something else.

Unfortunately without more information I do not know what you are looking at.

#5

When I start up LibraOffice Base I am presented with the Database wizard, I then select ‘connect to an existing database’ and in the drop down pick ‘Microsoft Access’. In the next window I browse to the .MDB file I want. The next window has a couple of options that I leave alone and click finish. Which then loads the data and produces the .obd file. All well but when I try this on the password protested MDB file I get the message ‘The connection to the data source “New Database” could not be established.Not a Valid Password’ and then LO crashes or ‘stops working’ I get the same crash/stops happening if I try to load the obd file that was created during this process. On restarting Base, I have always chosen ‘send crash report’ when prompted.
Sorry to be such a pain, as I mentioned, I’m new to LO and not sure what info is required/appropriate.

#6

@StanB,

I may be able to do this for you. Post the Base *.odb file in your question. Do not need the .mdb file.

See → How do I attach a file?

#7

Seems I can’t add an attachment to the comments so have edited my original question and included it there. If this does work, I’d appreciate the steps taken to achieve it.
Thanks

#8

Yeah - that is why I mentioned to post in the question.

#9

Thanks for that, it now asks for username and password. Only problem is, there has never been a user name used to access (no pun intended) the file, just a password so unfortunately opening still fails. Right now I’m at the point of trying to find another computer with MS access so I can load and remove the password. There doesn’t seem to be a straight forward way to load password protected MDB files in LO.

#10

Think I am confused at the protection. With databases (which is what I was gearing toward) there is the user & password. You can have a user without a password but not a password without a user.

I may be wrong here, but it appears the password you may be talking about is security to not allow any non-authorized person to even open the Access file (nothing to do with the actual database). If so, that is specific to the software. Base does not have that functionality even for its’ own files.

#11

Your comment “not allow any non-authorized person to even open the Access file” is correct. Anyone could load the file but not see or edit it without the password… this was an MS Access feature same as used in Excel (all my Excel password protected files load as expected and work fine once the password is entered). Looks like my only option is load it on another computer and remove the password.

#12

Downloaded and installed but made no difference. I may not be using it right. The way the description read no the MS web site, it seems it is more of a developers tool, at the very least, something in LO need to be changed to point to the engine. I see it mentioned ODBC so I tried that option to connect to an existing database but the next option only gives of 3 database types (I chose MS Access) but at no point does it present the option to select a file to connect to so obviously doesn’t work.

#13

Using your car analogy, you don’t throw the keys at someone that has never driven a car and say “you figure it out”.
I thank Ratslinger for their patience, support and comments but Astur’s comments are exactly what turns people away. Support and understanding are the foundation of any product.

#18

Many thanks to Ratslinger and robleyd, your efforts were appreciated.

Note all of this is on a MS Windows machine.

It seems there is no straight forward way to load password protected MS Access MDB files into LibreOffice, I expect ACCDB will probably have the same problem.

My solution was to use an external program called ‘MDB Viewer Plus’, it’s a standalone portable program available from numerous places. It will prompt for the password and then display the raw data (LibreOffice doesn’t load the forms or queries anyway) but it will allow to change or delete the password. Once the password is deleted, LibreOffice will be happy to load the database (as raw data).

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