If you've got an Access database and you want to ensure that you have compete control of who does and does not have access to it, encrypting it with a password is the way to go.

  1. Open the database in Exclusive mode. (This is so no one else can open it while you're in there. Read more about opening a database in exclusive mode.)
  1. Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Open.
  2. In the Open dialog box, browse to the file that you want to open, and then select the file.
  3. Click the arrow next to the Open button, and then click Open Exclusive. The following figure depicts the menu.
  • On the Database Tools tab, in the Database Tools group, click Encrypt with Password.



    The Set Database Password dialog box appears.
  • Type your password in the Password box, type it again in the Verify box, and then click OK.

Get more in depth detail about encrypting a database on Office Online.

    — Crabby