Password protected database and Word Mailmerge

Question

I have a database that was created several versions of Access ago. I have not updated it to Access 2016's standard format; it is still the old standard format (*.mbd).

I have many Word documents that Mailmerge directly with several different querries in Access.

Due to the GDPR (privacy laws) in Europe, I need to password protect my database, so that nobody but me (or others within the organisation with the password) can get to the personal information in the database.

So I figured out how to do that.

Now when I open a Word document that uses a Query in Access, I get all kinds of screens informing me of problems related to the fact that the database is being accessed without the proper password. First of all: am I missing the place where I can enter the password (I obviously don't think so).

I actually have created another database recently, which is in *.accdb format. I created several mailmerge documents in Word based on Querries in that database, before I remembered that I needed to password protect that database too. Same problem.

Is there an article that can tell me how to solve this, short of reconnecting each Word document to the password protected database query and entering the password (HOW?)? I am assuming that is what needs to be done, but I don't actually know. At this point, it was easier to just remove the password protection from the databases (which is actually non-compliant with the GDPR) and proceed as before.

OR: can somebody tell me how to solve this problem?

Often, if I have the database opened in Access and then try to open the Word Mail Merge file, I get a "database is in use by another user" error (not always) and have to shut down Access and re-open the Word file. What's up with that?

David

Answer 1

Why not generate the Mail Merge from the database?  Albert Kallal has a great approach, he first creates a text file from the database and binds the Mail Merge to the text file.  So the database is never directly connected to.

See: http://www.kallal.ca/msaccess/msaccess.html (mid way down 'Super Easy Word Merge')

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Daniel Pineault, 2010-2018 Microsoft MVP
Professional Support: http://www.cardaconsultants.com
MS Access Tips and Code Samples: http://www.devhut.net

Answer 2

Several of the MailMerge docs are very complex. Since I don't know SQL I can't reproduce the data I need in a Query.  I prefer to use Word, since I know how to use Word quite well and struggle with Access. I use formatting in Word that I am very familiar with and wouldn't have a clue how to accomplish in Access. So basically my answer is: if that was an option for me, I would have done so already.

The question remains: How do I overcome the fact that password protecting the database, makes existinig (and possibly future) mailmerge connection to the database impossible. If not impossible, then please let me know how to overcome the problem. Please, no work-around, just the method that MS wants the user to employ to succesfully connect a mailmerge document to a Query in a password protected database. As with nearly everything in Access I say: this should be easier.

Good grief, why do I have to remember to click on "Alert me when someone responds to this post" every time I respond to a reply? I somewhat understand why I had to do so on my initial post (although why somebody would NOT want to be notified of a reply/response I cannot undertand). But having clicked that option on the intitial post, why can't the forum remember that choice as the MS Answer forums all do.

David

Answer 3

Still waiting for a solution to this Mailmerge and Password protection problem. Is there no answer to my question?

David