Maria Luisa

Hi JohnZ As far as I know, but don't take my word as gospel, what you would like to do is NOT possible. You can restrict user access with the use of groups and passwords, but once someone has opened a file that allows certain rights, those rights apply to ALL records, and not only to a chosen few. I do hope someone posts another reply contradicting what I just said, so that you can do what you want to do, but I honestly doubt it. Sorry.

Hi Rodhaden I'm sorry I don't have a solution to your problem BUT, just as an answer to your last question, as far as I know, it is not possible for more than one person to be working on the same record at the same time over a network, I don't think FM allows this, so the answer must lie elsewhere. As I said, though, I am not 100 per cent sure about this. Sorry I couldn't be of any more help.

Hello all I need help with a FileMaker Pro 5.0 database which we set up in-house, with which I'm having the following problem: The database keeps very simple information on all the jobs we're working on, from the obvious "client name" "client address", "job name", "job number" and so on, to things like "items to bill", "fees", etc. We have used this database before for a long time, but only one person had access to it, so there was no need to share the file over a network from a server, but this has changed: we decided to make it accessible to all staff so that each person could enter their own information without delays from passing the written details to one person who would wait until he/she had time to input the data, and also everyone would have access to the information. For this purpose we bought the relevant amount of licences and started working in the new way, and that's when our problems started. Basically, what happens far too often is that a person opens the file through the network from the server, using it either as a host or as a guest, then creates a new record and enters all the relevant information and, at the end of the task, tries to print the current record (as we have to send hard copies of all the jobs to a person who works from home). When we try to print, the Mac crashes! And that's not all... when we restart and open the database again, the record being worked on when the crash happened is still there, but ALL the information entered has disappeared, and sometimes we find that the information from the previous record has also disappeared!! This is a very big problem for us (mainly for me, cause I'm the FileMaker person here!!) and I need to be able to solve it very, very soon. I really would appreciate any help/ideas that anyone might have. I'm guessing that it has something to do with sharing the file over a network, cause this never happened before. PLEASE HELP!!

I wonder if anyone knows a way to bypass the key command "apple-D" for duplicating records in a particular database. I'm sure the answer's NO, but I lose nothing by asking, so I'm asking. My problem with duplicate records is the following: I set up a database to keep information on all the jobs we're working on, and I thought I had made it "duplicate-proof" by making two particular fields, "Job name" and "Job number" have unique validations and (in the case of "Job number"), have an auto-enter serial number value which increments by 1 per new record created. Anyone who knowingly or unknowingly attempts to enter the same information twice is obviously unable to do this, but there is a glitch: if someone presses the stupid command-D keys by mistake (yes, it has been done!), an exact copy of the record is created (exact serial number included) and this creates problems. If anyone knows a way around this (by creating a script, or any other way) and can help me, I would be very grateful. (If anyone's thinking of directing me to the latest issue of MacUser - Vol 16 No 11 - there's no need: I've already tried that, but it's no good). Thanks to anyone who's been patient enough to read my over-long question.