FMP 5.5v4 server problems Mac OS 10.3.9

[milstone]

It seems my FMP Server 5.5.v4, Mac G5 1.8 GHz, OS 10.3.9 insists on corrupting or otherwise refusing to host the files it has been hosting for the past year with almost no previous problems. I've tried many things including repairing the hard disk via disk utility in OS 10.3 journaling mode, repairing preferences, flushing system cache.

After each reboot I can launch FileMaker Server Config and click "Start Server". The indicator changes to say the server is running but soon reverts on its own to the Start Server button. when I click the button again I get the message "Unable to start server. Another instance of FileMaker Server is already running. Requested command has not been executed."

It's also doing some other wierd things all of which converge on damaged files that I have been replacing from backups.

Can someone please help me:

1) Kill this other instance of the server.

2) get the server running again.

Do I need to reinstall the server?

Thanks.

Dave

[stanley]

Dave:

Do a simple test. Build a new FMP file from scratch - just a simple thing - and run ONLY that file on the server to see if the server remains up. If the Server stays running, then I would say your problem stems from corruption of one or more of your files, and that you'll have to go back to earlier safe copies than what you are going to now.

-Stanley

[milstone]

Thanks!!! For whatever reason, taking your suggestion was followed by an apparent solution.

I tested the server by hosting one very simple, newly created file as suggested. That worked. I then tested various subsets of the originally hosted files. That also worked. I then tested all the originally hosted files. That also worked except that some files were not actually hosted. Attempting to open these directly was not successful. However, the server didn't spazz out as previously. Then it decided to spazz out again just as above. For some reason, after replacing a few selected files and doing a few other things that I honestly can't remember, it all seems to work now. I have no idea why. It didn't seem to be due to replacing the few files that failed to open, but maybe that underlies the problem.

I did a new backup. We'll see if it remains stable. I really have no idea exactly what went wrong or how to prevent it. Correcting it seemed dumb luck. I know a reason exists. I am just not destined to know it.

Dave