Disabling non reliable databases

When you open a database without a digital signature, or that was not stored in a trusted location, you get a security warning, and it is shown under the “Ribbon”.

This states that certain content (eg “Macros”) from this database is disabled.
You can temporarily turn on the content option with the button. The warning bar will disappear and the “potentially dangerous” content will be enabled. If you want the bar to disappear, click the X on the right side of the bar. The next time you open this file, the security warning will be shown again. If you do not want to see this warning anymore, place this file in a trusted folder, a reliable place in the “Trust Center”, or give your “Database” a “Digital signature”.

If you click the “click for more information” link, you can learn more about the “Database” you want to open. By clicking the first link (A) you can disable these warnings (not recommend unless you are working with “Databases” that you yourself have created). Clicking the second link (s) takes you to the “Office” help center.

The Trust Center

When you open a file that contains “Macros” or VBA code, a message bar is displayed to warn you that certain content from the “Database” is disabled. The message bar will supercede the various dialog boxes in previous versions of “Access”.

“Access” has improved security since the 2007 version, with the “Trust Center” option. To get the “Trust Center” window, navigate to the “Backstage” view and click the “Options” button.
In the “Access Options” tab, select “Trust Center”.

The upper section contains links to the “Microsoft privacy statements”. The middle section contains a link to the “Windows Security Center”, and a link to “Microsoft Trustworthy Computing”. The lower part, and that is what interests us, contains a button that allows us to change the settings of the “Trust Center”.

Click “Trust Center Settings”.

This opens the “Trust Center” dialog. In this dialog we have six categories with different settings.

The first category is “Trusted Publishers”, lists all database publishers who have placed a digital signature in the application. You can view or remove publishers from this window.

The second category of “Trusted locations” are folders and subfolders that we have set as “reliable”. Each database that is stored in these folders or subfolders is considered safe and all contents of this database are considered safe. You can add or remove folders from this window.

In the third category “Add-ins”, we can set certain criteria for add-ins. A add-in is a custom command or a specialized function that can be added to the system program.

In the fourth category “Macro Settings”, we can choose several options for macros.

In the fifth category “Message Bar”, we can select to display the message bar on or off.

In the last category the option “Privacy Options” allows us to select several options for Office online or offline.

Click the OK button when you have entered the various options. Click the OK button again, to close the “Access Options”.

Featured Courses

• Downloading iPad Apps
• Lesson 1: Introduction to Publisher
• Lesson 65: File Formats