anyone able to break a Microsoft Access database?

davidgibson999

davidgibson999

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in our business we use a now obsolete database which uses Microsoft access. The company is still happy to take our license fee but won't offer any support whatsoever. The Access database itself appears to be protected in some way - is anyone able to get round this and get the data out?
 
jailon said:
for just a few dollars there are plenty of programs out there that can do it

http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/downloads/unprotect_software/
Click to expand...

thanks for that - didn't know you could do that. however, i wouldn't want to download and play around with that in case I messed up the software which uses the Access database so if anyone is confident in what program to use or how to go about it please reply!
And it's not that I'm trying to get out of paying a license fee - I just want the peace of mind knowing that if I want to I can extract the data elsewhere...
 
davidgibson999 said:
thanks for that - didn't know you could do that. however, i wouldn't want to download and play around with that in case I messed up the software which uses the Access database so if anyone is confident in what program to use or how to go about it please reply!
And it's not that I'm trying to get out of paying a license fee - I just want the peace of mind knowing that if I want to I can extract the data elsewhere...
Click to expand...

should not be that hard David.

How much "programming" did they do....

Plus, its your data not theirs...
 
richie said:
should not be that hard David.

How much "programming" did they do....

Plus, its your data not theirs...
Click to expand...

No idea how much programming was done. Basically it was leading software that eventually got replaced by more up to date versions which weren't as user friendly as the software we currently use. we have to pay a license fee to get a monthly license renewed otherwise the software can't be used and that's always been the case - I've been happy with that but now they've sacked the support crew for our software and focus entirely on the new versions and won't offer any tech support or help with migrating our data into their new software. Our software uses a M.A. database which seems to be protected. If I could get access to it I'd be happier.... (no pun intended)
 
I assume you've tried the obvious stuff like holding down shift whilst you double click on the .mdb file, which bypasses the startup script?
 
Another possibility might be to open an empty database and import the tables from the protected DB?
 
Mzokk said:
Another possibility might be to open an empty database and import the tables from the protected DB?
Click to expand...

Ideally I'd like to be able to do this. If I could start a new database with our current data and do away with the software interface which pulls its data from our database that would be great and reasonably futureproof
 
davidgibson999 said:
Ideally I'd like to be able to do this. If I could start a new database with our current data and do away with the software interface which pulls its data from our database that would be great and reasonably futureproof
Click to expand...

If there was not the 400miles separating us, I'd do it for you. Still there must be someone up north who can do this.
 
richie said:
If there was not the 400miles separating us, I'd do it for you. Still there must be someone up north who can do this.
Click to expand...

That would have been good and it's reassuring that it can be done!
Just need to find someone to do it now :thumb2
 
richie said:
If there was not the 400miles separating us, I'd do it for you. Still there must be someone up north who can do this.
Click to expand...

If only someone would invent some sort of method of sending electronic files like the post office do with letters.
They could call it "email" or something? ;)
 
So, did you try holding down the shift key while you opened the file? Or have you tried pressing the F11 key when the database is open?

Failing that, what is the extension on the filename? (e.g: .mdb?)

Do you have Microsoft Office installed? If so which version and does it include Access?
 
exeter_lad said:
So, did you try holding down the shift key while you opened the file? Or have you tried pressing the F11 key when the database is open?

Failing that, what is the extension on the filename? (e.g: .mdb?)

Do you have Microsoft Office installed? If so which version and does it include Access?
Click to expand...

Hi there
Tried holding the shift key down - no luck.
Can't try the F11 because I can't open the database.
Yes we have Office and Access 2000.
I'm attaching 3 documents which are screen prints of what happens when I try to open the .mdb files (of which there are many so maybe I'm just not getting the correct one)
 

Attachments

What sort if size is the database? Would it fit onto a CD or DVD that you could send to me to have a look at (assuming the data is not commercially sensitive)?

I used to program Access databases, although I think the earliest version of Access I now have is 2003.
 
shugie said:
What sort if size is the database? Would it fit onto a CD or DVD that you could send to me to have a look at (assuming the data is not commercially sensitive)?

I used to program Access databases, although I think the earliest version of Access I now have is 2003.
Click to expand...

Really appreciate the offer but it the info is very sensitive and contains a lot of private client data I couldn't risk sending it on DVD...
 
davidgibson999 said:
Really appreciate the offer but it the info is very sensitive and contains a lot of private client data I couldn't risk sending it on DVD...
Click to expand...

I thought that might be the case, hence my comment.
 
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