TntConnect TM
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How do I get past, "The recovery key is from the wrong database or the password has changed since it was created"?

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How do I get past, "The recovery key is from the wrong database or the password has changed since it was created"?

Quick Background Info

When you first password protected your database (when you first ran TntMPD 3.0) or when you changed your database password, TntMPD prompted you to save a backup of your password (in case you forgot it) on your computer and under your account on the TntMPD website.

Your password was protected by three security questions:

Clicking "Forgot Password"

Now you're going to login to your database.  In this example, it's "test-abc.mpddb".  But you forgot your password, so you click "forgot password":

Now TntMPD shows you a few recovery options.  You can either recover your password from a backup of your password from your computer or from the TntMPD website:

Here's what you see if you click the button to recover from the TntMPD website (after logging in using the same account as when I originally backed up my password):

Notice that the name of the database "test-abc.mpdb" and the date/time of when the password was backed up is included.  You want the name of the database to match up to the file you're logging in to.  And you probably want the most recent backup (in case the password was changed since the original password).

Also notice that there are some backups from different database.  These may or may not work, depending on if the password happens to be the same between these two databases.

Here's the problem!

Let's say you pick one, answer the three security questions, but then you get this message:

If the recovery key (password backup) you selected is from the wrong database, or if the password has been changed on the database since this backup was created, then TntMPD can't unlock your database.  TntMPD needs the original password.  Here are some things to try:

  • Try selecting different recovery keys (if there are multiple listed)
  • Ask your spouse or team member if they changed the password
  • Restore your database (File | Restore) to a point in time before the password was changed.
    • (As far back as when it was in TntMPD 2.1 if necessary since no password was required.)

 

Recent Comments

By: nameschristmas Posted on 27 Nov 2013 3:52 AM

Sorry, I marked this as unhelpful when in actuality it was very helpful.  Thanks for your work!

By: Bill Bennett Posted on 4 Feb 2014 9:31 PM

I followed all the protocols and I get the page that says DATABASE RECOVERY KEY BACKUPS, but there is nothing to choose from underneath. I "logged into the TnTMPD website to recover my password, but there were no options there, either. I tried calling Troy Wollbrink at HQ, but got a message saying there was no phone support for TnT. I need help fast!!!

By: Troy Wolbrink Posted on 10 Feb 2014 4:56 PM

Hi Bill, If the "DATABASE RECOVERY KEY BACKUPS" web page had no backups listed, you must have never backed up your password to this website.  So instead of clicking "Recover Password from the TntMPD Website" button in TntMPD, click the drop-down for password backups "On My Computer" (see the screenshot above).  If this is the computer where you first upgraded to TntMPD 3.0 and added the password, you might have a local backup on your computer.  If not, here are your choices (from my perspective):

1.  Try as many passwords as you know or commonly use.

2.  Ask your spouse or team member if they changed the password.

3.  Restore your database (File | Restore) to a point in time before the password was changed.

        (As far back as when it was in TntMPD 2.1 if necessary since no password was required.)

By: kevin.lamb Posted on 15 Apr 2014 3:21 PM

I am trying to access our campuses TNTMPD file and it tells me we need to enter a password but we never entered a password in the first place as far as anyone on our team knows. Is there anything that can be done if we don't know a password?

By: ginafnie@gmail.com Posted on 23 Apr 2014 7:29 PM

When trying to get past this error, how to I look at a tnt file and tell it if was used with version 2.1?  If I find and restore a pre-pwd file, then how do I fix this and use my current database?  I seem to be going around in circles and cannot seem to get my newest version of my database to work.

By: Troy Wolbrink Posted on 28 Apr 2014 6:31 PM

Hi Kevin,   Since TntMPD 3.0 has been out for quite some time now, it's very possible that someone on your team opened the database in TntMPD 3.0.  The first person to do this would have created a password for it (a requirement in TntMPD 3.0).  It's up to this person to communicate that password to the rest of the team, if your file is shared.  If no one will admit to upgrading the database to 3.0 and adding a password, try restoring a backup from back when it was working for you.

Gina, if you'd rather get into your current database (and not restore your pre-pwd file), you'll have to enter the correct password.  But do this first ... under the "Help" menu, click on "Check for BETA Updates" and upgrade to TntMPD 3.0.24.  TntMPD 3.0.21 has a bug where it will incorrectly report a corrupted database as "invalid password".  

By: Doug Breen Posted on 25 Jun 2016 7:24 PM

Troy,

My laptop has always automatically gotten me into the database, but I cannot access it from my other computers.  Since I am able to open the file here on my laptop, how do I removed the password while in the program with database open?

I am using TntConnect with latest updates.

By: Troy Wolbrink Posted on 1 Jul 2016 3:58 PM

On the laptop with TntMPD running, hold the “Ctrl” key when clicking “File | Database Password | Change Password” to skip the requirement of entering the old password.  Change it to “abc” and then close TntMPD and re-copy the file over to your other computers.

By: Troy Wolbrink Posted on 1 Jul 2016 4:00 PM

Doug, if you are running TntConnect (and you have opened your database with TntConnect), you shouldn't have a password on your database anymore.  Scratch my previous post.  That only applies to TntMPD.  Try copying your TntConnect database to your other computers.