When you want to help prevent unauthorized use of an Access database, consider encrypting the database by setting a password. If you know the password for an encrypted database, you can also decrypt the database and remove its password. This article explains how to encrypt a database by using a database password, and how to decrypt a database and remove its password.
In earlier versions of Access, you could create user accounts and passwords using a feature named user-level security. This topic does not discuss user-level security, which is not available when you use the .accdb file format.
If you encrypt a database and then lose the password, you will be unable to use the database. You cannot remove a database password if you do not know the password.
In this article
Overview
The encryption tool makes your data unreadable by other tools, and sets a password that is required to use the database. Remember these rules as you proceed:
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The new encryption feature applies only to databases in the .accdb file format.
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The tool uses a stronger encryption algorithm than was used in earlier versions of Access.
Encrypt a database by using a password
The steps in this section explain how to create and apply a password to an Access desktop database.
Encrypt a database
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Open the database in Exclusive mode.
How do I open a database in Exclusive mode?
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On the File tab, click Open.
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In the Open dialog box, browse to the file that you want to open, and then select the file.
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Click the arrow next to the Open button, and then click Open Exclusive. The following figure depicts the menu.
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On the File tab, click Info, and then click Encrypt with Password.
The Set Database Password dialog box appears.
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Type your password in the Password box, type it again in the Verify box, and then click OK.
Notes:
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Use strong passwords that combine uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Weak passwords don't mix these elements. Strong password: Y6dh!et5. Weak password: House27. Passwords should be 8 or more characters in length. A pass phrase that uses 14 or more characters is better.
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It is critical that you remember your password. If you forget your password, Microsoft cannot retrieve it. Store the passwords that you write down in a secure place away from the information that they help protect.
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Encrypt a split database
To encrypt a split database, you encrypt both the front-end database and the back-end database. After you encrypt the back-end database, you relink to its tables.
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Using the steps provided in the previous section Encrypt a database by using a password, encrypt the back-end database.
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In the front-end database, delete the links to the tables in the back-end database, and then link to them again. Access will prompt you for the back-end database password when you relink.
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After you relink the tables, encrypt the front-end database by using the steps provided previously in the section Encrypt a database by using a password.
Open and decrypt a database
As a reminder, make sure that you remember your password — if you forget your password, there is no method by which it can be retrieved.
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Open the encrypted database the way that you open any other database.
The Password Required dialog box appears.
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Type your password in the Enter database password box, and then click OK.
Remove a password from a database
Note: When you remove a password from a database, you can restore it at any time (or replace it with another password) by repeating the steps in Encrypt a database by using a password, earlier in this article.
Remove a password
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Open the database in Exclusive mode.
How do I open a database in Exclusive mode?
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On the File tab, click Open.
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In the Open dialog box, browse to the file that you want to open, and then select the file.
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Click the arrow next to the Open button, and then click Open Exclusive. The following figure depicts the menu.
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On the File tab, click Info, and then click Decrypt Database.
The Unset Database Password dialog box appears.
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Type your password in the Password box, and then click OK.
