If you want to keep your database safe from unauthorized access, password protection is a great way to achieve that. However, setting or removing the database password is not as simple as clicking a button on the file tab. Here’s how to password protect your Access database:
First, open the database but not exclusively. When you open it exclusively, you will be the only one who can change the locks or set the password. To avoid this, go to Info, which is selected by default, and click on Encrypt with Password. You will see a message that says you must have the database open for exclusive use to set or remove the database password.
To open the database exclusively, go to Open Other Files and click Browse. Find the file and select Open Exclusive. Now you can change the locks or set the password, which you can do by clicking on Encrypt with Password and typing in your chosen password.
If you ever need to remove the password, you must have the database open for exclusive use as well. To do this, go to File, then Info, and click on Decrypt. When prompted for the password, enter it and click Enter.
It’s important to note that Access 2016 uses a newer encryption that is incompatible with row level locking. This means that row level locking will be ignored, but it’s not a cause for concern.
Now that you know how to password protect your Access database, you can rest assured that your sensitive data is safe from prying eyes.