Potential new client called me in to inspect old FMP10 solution originated in .fp5 still running on FMS10 on Windows 2003. System run unmaintained for >10 years (!). No-one knows the developer. There are no full access credentials. Company has been sold couple of times ..
Can anyone recommend a tool to reset the full access password to grant access? (Winfried Huslik, RIP, could do this with his tool)
Use with caution. It works by deleting strings of text from the internals. I've used a few times in an academic environment where we knew who had the IP and it worked.
I also recommend you do some research. I've had my work passed onto another developer who was told the same sort of sob-story and they cracked the file. Not good.
I suggest you proceed with caution if you intend to bypass the password. Damaging the password isn't the problem – a backup of files should save you there. The legality of doing this is the potential can of worms.
For example, software code falls under copyright law in Canada. A code developer retains the copyrights to his / her code unless a contract expressly transfers these rights to someone else, even in the case of works for hire. A purchaser of works for hire enjoys only privileges under contract law.
I would want to ensure the rights holder of the solution's code gives you permission to do this. I would want to see the paper trail that says the developer has given this privilege or that the rights have been transferred to your customer. In short, I would want to ensure I am not about to performing illegal hacking.
The company I was working with in 2018 used a tool - unfortunately I can't remember the name - to fix files when the password with Full Privilege was lost. The tool did not erase the password, it let you specify a new password for a user with Full Privilege. I had to use once, and it worked flawlessly We always worked with a copy of the file to repair.
I remember once that a customer had something like 20+ files to fix because the developer passed away and nobody knew the password. The tool lists the users in the file with their privilege. You can't create new users if I am right, but you can set a new password for an existing user.
IMO, there should be two users with Full Access: this way if one of the two users stops working, you can login with the other one.
Every company using FileMaker should have an emergency plan for these situations. And what @bdbd wrote is very very important.
In the FIleMaker Advanced documentation for those older versions there is an important section, “Your responsibilities as a developer,” which literally spells out what must be included on “About” layouts of every file regarding passwords and customization information / policies. The layout should be readily available for users to learn how and where they may find the developer to move forward.
thanks for all your valuable input. I am completely aware of the IP implications also I want to help the client. The company is running FM10 for so long and now besides missing Full Access credentials the licensing for upgrading to FM19 is not in their budget - at least not for the user count they currently use.
So my original question: Anyone can recommend a tool to grant access?
Thanks again!