Access database is read only

Question

I created the mdb database and saved it.

Now I want to change it, but it says that it is ReadOnly, so I can’t change anything.

This is an access file 2000 opened with access 2007.

How can i change this?

Answer 1

If someone has an open database, ask them to close it. If the database was not closed cleanly (Access or the computer crashed), you can try to perform compression and restore the file.

I also noticed that if a file is opened or placed in a read-only state at any time, it may get stuck this way. So try the following:

• Open access but no database
• Open the file in question, but explicitly open it in read-only mode (the "Open" button is actually a drop-down list button. Use the button to open read-only
• Close the file (but not Access)
• Open the file again, but usually open it.

Not sure if the error or function, but I saw that it upsets many users.

Answer 2

Another thing to watch out for is when someone has access to the READ file archive but cannot WRITE to the directory. It's okay to make the database read-only, but if they ever read it (including using an ODBC connection), it looks like they should have WRITE permissions for the directory so that they can create a lock file.

I came across situations where the database is locked only for reading in the file storage, because the user who accessed it could not write to the directory. The only way to quickly fix this was to call the storage command, which can see who has the file and turn it off.

Answer 3

Create an empty folder and move the .mdb file to this folder. And try opening it from there. I tried it like this and it worked for me.

Answer 4

alos check the level of access to the shared drive. if access to the shared disk is read only, the file is opened in read-only format.

Answer 5

Make sure there are no missing links - to do this, go to the database window and click "Modules", then "Design", then select the "Tools" menu and then "Links". Or try compiling and see if it compiles completely (go to the Debug menu, then select Compile) - it can tell you about the missing link, for example. Microsoft Office Object Library 11.0. Select “Links” in the “Tools” menu again and see if any links are checked and say “MISSING:”. In some cases, you can select a different version from the list, if 11.0 is missing, look for version 12.0, and then recompile. This usually does the trick for me.

Answer 6

In my case, it was because it was a backup of my background process, which started before I opened Access. This is usually not a problem if the database is open when starting the backup.

Answer 7

Although OP is the original author of the database and probably created a simple data model, I experienced similar behavior in a more complex system. In my scenario, the main .mdb file was in a network shared location with user read / write access. The .mdb file refers to tables in another .mdb file in a different network location - where the user did not have proper access.

For other users viewing this post to resolve similar issues, check the path of the linked links and access.

To check related tables ... (subject to Access 2010)

• Open database
• Click the tab for the External Data ribbon toolbar
• Click the linked table manager ribbon toolbar button
• Defining paths to linked tables
• Verify that the security permissions on the paths listed in the linked table are correct. manager - when accessing ODBC sources (for example, Oracle, DB2, MySql, PostGRES, etc.), checking credentials and database drivers.

Answer 8

I had the same problem on my computer, and that was because in the properties → security I did not have ownership of the file ...

Answer 9

The main reason for this is when the database is open somewhere else.

This may be as many others have said:

• doesn't close properly somewhere
• already open somewhere

When I had the same problem, albeit in different versions, I started looking for the cause.

In my case, I had an excel file that was querying data from a database.

If the excel file is opened in front of the database, access will provide this error.

Output:

Check all files / connections associated with the database. An open ODBC connection or a query used in excel (in my case) opens the mdb file and makes it read-only.