How to set database password in Microsoft Access 2010

Password protecting an Access database allows you to protect your sensitive data from prying eyes. In this tutorial, we walk you through the process of encrypting your database and protecting with a password, step by step. Please note that these instructions are specific to Microsoft Access 2010. If you are using an earlier version of Access, read Password Protecting an Access 2007 Database.

 




Open Microsoft Access 2010 and open the database that you wish to password protect in exclusive mode. You may do this by selecting Open from the file menu and navigating to the database you'd like to encrypt and then click it once. Then, instead of just clicking the Open button, click the downward arrow icon to the right of the button. Choose "Open Exclusive" to open the database in exclusive mode.

1. When the database opens, go to the File tab and click the Info button.
2. Click the Encrypt with Password button.
3. Choose a strong password for your database and enter it in both the Password and Verify boxes in the Set Database Password dialog box, as shown in the image above. Once you've done this, click OK.
4. That's all there is to it. After clicking OK, your database will be encrypted. (This may take a while depending upon the size of your database). The next time you open your database, you'll be prompted to enter the password before accessing it.

Tips:

1. Choose a strong password for your database. It should contain both uppercase and lowercase letters, digits and symbols.
2. Be sure to choose a password you can easily remember. You'll need it the next time you wish to open your database!