Usually this means just what it says <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> If this is a SQL database, go into its settings and ensure it is set to not be read only. It's more likely you get this error in a low-end database like access though - where there is actually a single file that could have its permissions set incorrectly. Look through the security settings and make sure the file can actually be accessed by the IIS logon that your web visitors use.
