Peter,

You will need to upsize to SQL Server (or Oracle, SQL/Anywhere, etc.). What this gives you is centralized control over your data. As Michel wrote, you can use a tool like Cryptor to encrypt the data so that it is only visible through your application. You'll still have to give people edit rights to the directory the data is in. This means someone who uses your application could intentionally or unitentionally damage the files by editing them with a text editor or other application.

Another advantage of a true client/server application is that you can allow people to access your data from any application (Excel, Crystal Reports, etc.), and still enforce any security scheme you like. You can't do this using something like Cryptor.

>I am a bit confused about ODBC. I want to change my application into a client server application so that I can place my database files on the server, in a directory which is not shared for obvious reasons. I then want those files only to be accessible using my client application, for which I want to use an ODBC connection. Is it necessary to upsize to SQL Server? Or can the ODBC connection be used directly for access?
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>Thanks!