alohadin
asked on
Prevent use of Microsoft Office application
Hi,
Is there a way to prevent all our users to use Microsoft Access.
If possible, prevent them from opening Microsoft Access.
We have Windows 8.1 Professional and Windows 10 Professional in our environment.
So no Applocker.
The issue is, Micrisoft Access used to be installed by default on all our PC's.
Now we have decided not to allow them to use Access.
Thank you
Is there a way to prevent all our users to use Microsoft Access.
If possible, prevent them from opening Microsoft Access.
We have Windows 8.1 Professional and Windows 10 Professional in our environment.
So no Applocker.
The issue is, Micrisoft Access used to be installed by default on all our PC's.
Now we have decided not to allow them to use Access.
Thank you
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Uninstall it?
I agree with Dale and Scott. Why wouldn't you want your users to use this portion of Office. It is one of the more powerful portions of Office and usually is one of the key corporate apps used! That is why the Home/Student Editions don't include it, you have to go the Pro edition
Yes, there is a learning curve with the application, but once you get past that, you will be amazed what Access can do.
But, if your company is really set against it (and this might be a simple as a cost savings reason or you are getting too many user requests for problem solving), then use the recommendations given or simply uninstall the app
Yes, there is a learning curve with the application, but once you get past that, you will be amazed what Access can do.
But, if your company is really set against it (and this might be a simple as a cost savings reason or you are getting too many user requests for problem solving), then use the recommendations given or simply uninstall the app
ASKER
We have approx. 4500 users in our company and in the course of time there a lot Access databases scattered everywhere.
Some of them contain important data that's not backed up nor managed.
We want to have all databases centralised, managed, monitored and backed up by IT.
Also there are a lot requests for support and our helpdesk is not trained to support Access.
Uninstall is indeed an option, but that will take quite some time to rollout.
Also, we have Office 365 ProPlus that's installed via Click 2 Run.
You can exclude Office apps, like Access, but performing an Online Repair will install the missing app again.
This is by design (bad design by Microsoft).
Online Repair is a nice feature that solves quite some problems and our Helpdesk is using it often.
That's why just preventing them from using Access is the best way to do it I guess.
And if we make exceptions for some users it's easier to just undo the changes than having to install one Office component again.
Some of them contain important data that's not backed up nor managed.
We want to have all databases centralised, managed, monitored and backed up by IT.
Also there are a lot requests for support and our helpdesk is not trained to support Access.
Uninstall is indeed an option, but that will take quite some time to rollout.
Also, we have Office 365 ProPlus that's installed via Click 2 Run.
You can exclude Office apps, like Access, but performing an Online Repair will install the missing app again.
This is by design (bad design by Microsoft).
Online Repair is a nice feature that solves quite some problems and our Helpdesk is using it often.
That's why just preventing them from using Access is the best way to do it I guess.
And if we make exceptions for some users it's easier to just undo the changes than having to install one Office component again.
Ahhh ... the old "we can't control what those nasty users are doing" argument :) . See that often, and it's almost always a bad decision (at least in my opinion). Tends to undercut productivity of the user, but of course that's okay if it frees the HelpDesk from having to deal with the devil that is Microsoft Access.
I over-dramatize, of course, but I just recent had a similar situation where a company outsourced their IT and the external IT company issued a "NO ACCESS" edict. This significantly paralyzed the company, since their main program was a HUGE Access program. Took a full day to convince the IT company that the program was properly developed, properly deployed, was backed up up correctly (a SQL Server database, which they claimed they'd "never seen before"), and was maintained by others (mostly me).
I over-dramatize, of course, but I just recent had a similar situation where a company outsourced their IT and the external IT company issued a "NO ACCESS" edict. This significantly paralyzed the company, since their main program was a HUGE Access program. Took a full day to convince the IT company that the program was properly developed, properly deployed, was backed up up correctly (a SQL Server database, which they claimed they'd "never seen before"), and was maintained by others (mostly me).
<<was properly developed, properly deployed, >>
As we both know, that's always the rub with Access. People use it to do things outside of IT with no clue as to how to properly design and develop an application. Yet they need to get their job done and Excel is not always a great fit, and IT doesn't always get the resources it needs to meet user demands in a timely fashion. Always a balancing act.
The problem boils down to "When does an app become critical?". At that point, it should be under IT control, but in many cases, it doesn't become critical until it doesn't work or is not there<g>.
As many of us can, we can see and understand both sides of the fence.
Jim.
As we both know, that's always the rub with Access. People use it to do things outside of IT with no clue as to how to properly design and develop an application. Yet they need to get their job done and Excel is not always a great fit, and IT doesn't always get the resources it needs to meet user demands in a timely fashion. Always a balancing act.
The problem boils down to "When does an app become critical?". At that point, it should be under IT control, but in many cases, it doesn't become critical until it doesn't work or is not there<g>.
As many of us can, we can see and understand both sides of the fence.
Jim.
ASKER
We have very good DBA's who are managing and monitoring all our databases now.
Users who have special needs and requests will be helpded and guided if necessary and those who need it will be allowed to use Access.
So we are not banning it completely.
It's just that we don't want users to create their own small projects without our knowledge and later complain if data loss occurs.
This already happened and was the main trigger for making this decision.
If something like this happens they all crawl back to IT for help.
This way, if a user sees that he cannot open Access he will contact IT.
Then he will be helped and guided and everything will be setup according to policy and most important, we will know about the database.
The last thing we want to do is undercut productivity.
Users who have special needs and requests will be helpded and guided if necessary and those who need it will be allowed to use Access.
So we are not banning it completely.
It's just that we don't want users to create their own small projects without our knowledge and later complain if data loss occurs.
This already happened and was the main trigger for making this decision.
If something like this happens they all crawl back to IT for help.
This way, if a user sees that he cannot open Access he will contact IT.
Then he will be helped and guided and everything will be setup according to policy and most important, we will know about the database.
The last thing we want to do is undercut productivity.
Dale