Very odd problem here: We have set up a database (for a non-profit) on computer "A", running OX 10.4 using FM 8.5 Adv.

NO other computer can edit any of the entries in ANY database created on computer "A", even though NO PASSWORD is set up.

All databases we've tried setting up have:

Account name [Admin] default

password (blank) default

Full Access

Account name [Guest] default

password (blank) default

On some databases we've built to test this, Guest has Read Access only (default); on some others, I allowed Full Access on the Guest account.

A trial was set up by creating a database with only two fields. No changes were made to accounts or privileges. Like all other files created on this machine, it cannot be modified when copied to ANY other machine running FileMaker Pro 8.5. No modifications can be made to existing records and no new records can be added to the database.

Any database created on computer "A" apperars to have Read Only access once it's moved/copied to another machine. If you look at the account name on the 2nd computer, it is Admin which was defined as Full Access when created on the original computer, "A".

To try to find a solution, I then created an account named [Debra] with a password of “useit”. It was given Full Access. On the second machine, FileMaker was restarted using the Option key to open the file. Debra was entered for the Account name and the password "useit" was entered. When the database opened, the privileges were Read Only. Admin (which still has Full Access as the default) has only Read Only Access when running on this 2nd computer. When running on the computer it was created on, "A", Full Access is available on both accounts.

If a database is created on the second computer, that file has full access when transported to my machine, "A".

NO other database this computer creates will allow any other computer we've tried (that has FM 8.5) to edit any data at all, not just from this database, but from any fake test one, either.

The worst part is that the computer this will be used on has the same trouble using it, and it's a PC, not a Mac. She needs full access and we're just trying to give that.

Can anyone help!?

Check that the file permissions are Read and Write with the user's OS account as the Owner.

Are you meaning the file permissions for the computer itself or the database?

Doesn't "Full Access" mean Read and Write permissions? If not, what does that mean?

By "owner", do you mean the "Account name" as noted below?

Here's what we have now:

Account name [Admin] default

password (blank) default

Full Access

Account name [Guest] default

password (blank) default

Then, there's the other issue: what about our eventual PC user?!

In OS X, the file permissions are accessed through the Get Info window in the Finder. With the file closed, select it, then choose File->Get Info. Then look for the section called "Ownership & Permissions".

Above entry is right, you probably need to check your file permissions and set them to allow all to Read & Write.

With the database closed, click on the database's icon, Go to the FILE menu - Get Info. Sometimes when you copy and transfer a file to another computer the permissions will change.

Ender, Thanks!!

That seems to have been the problem, and no one, when I posted before, suggested that!

So, now, any clues now as to what to tell our non-profit PC-user!? They're having the same issue, too... but we are working remotely with them and we think they are running off of the CD we sent.

Do you think that if, when we go to our permissions and select "Details" that if we say for "Others" to read and write, that that'll do the trick?! (Sorry, but we don't use PCs much!)

We also figure that if they are running it from the CD, they'll HAVE to copy it to their hard drive...which they say they can't do, for some odd reason... old computer or something....

If they are running off a PC they will have to copy it to their PC and change permissions there. Most of the time, when the files are copied to the HD on a PC, they will be Read Only.

Hi John,

Thanks. Can you give me a good resource for where to send them to tell them how to do that?! They are not the most computer-comfortable and I have a suspicion they're working on a very old and extremely "fragmented" machine. Also am not sure they know how to tell what system they're running either, for instance!

Uhmmm its pretty straight forward but maybe I can spell it out for them.

1. Copy files to HD from CD. They can drag and drop.

2. Right click on each file and change the permissions from Read Only to Read & Write. (This can vary slightly in method depending on Windows version)

Microsoft Permissions Link 1

Microsoft Permissions Link 2

Here is an old post regarding permissions

John, thanks!

I suspect we'll also make sure the file we re-send has the permissions correct on it; though, am wondering if we should re-burn the CD from our end, too, or if that's not necessary?

I'll send the person this info. and maybe, hopefully, her husband, who sounds more computer-savvy, can help her!

Much obliged to you for your help!!! You've been a great help!

It really doesnt matter at times what permissions you have when you burn it to a CD. For some windows reason, it converts it to Read Only when burned on the CD and then keep its permissions when copying off. I mean most likely your files would be RW and I would suggest that you leave it that way but it may not matter in the end.