FileMaker 5.5 on Windows XP

[Stuart T]

Is it possible to run FileMaker Server 5 on Windows XP

I recieve the error:

File "._Access.fp5" could not be opened: not a FileMaker Pro database.

in the event viewer when trying to host the files.

[Wim Decorte]

It's not impossible to run FMS 5 on XP, it's just not wise.

Look at your file name: it starts with a dot. That is more than likely throwing FMS off.

But like it said it's very unwise to run FMS on XP. Unless you don't really care about the data or the time it takes to recreate your files.

[Stuart T]

The files do not contain "._" ...hmmmm! although they are not accessable (multi-user hidden) in the open hosts dialogue. I was assuming "._" is the way FMserver handles the file name to keep it hidden?

Probably best to avoid this OS then.

It runs perfectly on most MacOS platforms, my client is waiting for their server and the performance is not good enough using FMP plugin.

Will a machine running Win2K and FMServer 5 be OK?

They only have PCs and I am used to a server setup of all Mac network.

Thanks for you response.

[rogermax]

Wim, please elaborate on your point of not putting FMS on an XP box. Do you mean FMS 5 or 5.5 or any FMS? What is the issue?

[Wim Decorte]

It's a point that has been debated over and over.

FMS will run on XP and W2K Professional. But those are workstation OSes and they don't have the tight hardware integration that a server OS has. And because of that they lack the redundancy and advance warning you'll get from a real server OS. And precisely those features are what will go a long way toward reliability and a stable deployment.

Typically people who want to deploy on XP are cheap. Cheap in their choice of OS but more importantly cheap in their choice of hardware. And cheap hardware will kill you.

[Wim Decorte]

Makes sense now, since you're not used to Windows. When you copy OSX files to Windows OSX creates a bunch of garbage files named ".sameNameAsRealFile". Don't know why, it's just very untidy of OSX. Those files are 1k big. Delete all those but not the real files and you're fine.

[rogermax]

Ahh yes. Mostly I get to work with cheap. But I do draw the line in some areas like a client the other day wanting to resurrect an old 98 box to act as the company server. "It still runs" he said. Right.