Microsoft KB Archive/179198

= ACC: How to Change User Passwords Programmatically Using DAO =

Article ID: 179198

Article Last Modified on 1/22/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Access 95 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Access 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q179198



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. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to 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 requirements.

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:  Open your database in Microsoft Access 7.0 or 97. In the Database window, click the Modules tab, and then click New.  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  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:  Open your database in Microsoft Access 7.0 or 97. In the Database window, click the Modules tab, and select the SecurityCode module that you created in the example above.</li>  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 </li> Save the Module and close it.</li></ol>

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: <pre class="fixed_text">  - Change their own password. The form allows administrators to: <pre class="fixed_text">  - Reset a user's password. - Change a user's password. To create the form, follow these steps:  Create a new blank form and save it as frmChangePasswords.</li>  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. <pre class="fixed_text">     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 </li>  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 </li>  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 Call ChangeUserPassword(CurrentUser, "", Me!txtNewPassword) Else Call ChangeUserPassword(CurrentUser, Me!txtOldPassword, _      Me!txtNewPassword) End If 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 </li> Save your changes and close the Module window. Save and close the form.</li></ol>

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