How to: Log In to Visual SourceSafe

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Visual SourceSafe controls logins to its databases using user names and passwords and management by a database administrator, as described in Securing a Database. If you are working in a team environment, your database administrator must install Visual SourceSafe, setting up a shared database, configure the environment, and secure the database before you can use Visual SourceSafe.

Note

Once you have logged in to a database the first time, Visual SourceSafe Explorer and Visual SourceSafe Administrator use this database as the default. You will not need to log in to Visual SourceSafe Explorer again, unless you need to access a different database.

To log in to a shared database:

  1. Obtain your Visual SourceSafe user name and password from the database administrator for your team. You will also need the name of the shared database to use.

  2. On the Start menu of the desktop, click Programs, then Microsoft Visual SourceSafe.

  3. Now click Microsoft Visual SourceSafe.

  4. In the Visual SourceSafe Login dialog box, enter your user name in the Username box.

  5. Type your password in the Password box. You can change the password later, as described in How to: Change Your Database Password.

  6. Use the Database box to specify the name of the shared database for the team. You can also use the Browse button to find the Srcsafe.ini file for the database.

  7. Click OK. Visual SourceSafe Explorer is displayed for you to begin work on your database.

To log in to a personal database:

  1. Install and configure Visual SourceSafe, as described in Getting Started with Visual SourceSafe.

  2. Create your database, as described in Adding and Configuring a Database.

  3. On the Start menu of the desktop, click Programs, then Microsoft Visual SourceSafe.

  4. Now click Microsoft Visual SourceSafe.

  5. In the Visual SourceSafe Login dialog box, enter your user name in the Username box.

  6. Type your password in the Password box. You can change this later, as described in How to: Change Your Database Password.

  7. Use the Database box to specify the name of your database. You can also use the Browse button to find the Srcsafe.ini file for the database.

  8. Click OK. Visual SourceSafe Explorer is displayed for you to begin work on your database.

See Also

Tasks

How to: Change Your Database Password

Reference

Visual SourceSafe Login Dialog Box (Explorer and Plug-in)

Concepts

Adding and Configuring a Database
Securing a Database

Other Resources

Getting Started with Visual SourceSafe