Database not open, duh!

[Anders]

Hello

Can anyone of you gurus explain this? We have a FM database to serve certain issues. FM4.1 is hosted on a PC, Win98 and we can access the database via the web.

On two specific computers we repeatedly get the red and white standard error message that I think would read "Database NNN.FP3 not open" or something similar in english.

But the database is open, you can at the same time search it on any computer near you. You get the same result when using Netscape 4.x and Internet Explorer 5.5. Sometime it helps to empty the cache.

I don't understand this. The error appears randomly on these specific two computers, but not on any other one. Not as far as I know anyway.

Could 'Database not open' appear for some other reason than ... well when the database isn't open or I spelled the name wrong? But then it wouldn't work anywhere, and it does... Help..!

-Anders

[Vaughan]

What is the patch level of FMP and Web Companion used to host the databases? The latest is FMP 4.1v3 and Web Companion 4.1v6.

[Anders]

Hi Vaughan

Thats a tricky one, well not the FileMaker part, i use 4.1Sv3 (99-7-12).

But finding out what Web companion version I use wasn't that easy. Do I have to define a field creating automatic data with External("Web-Version";0)?

Well I did, and after restarting FM and creating a new record that field contained: Web Companion 4.0

Hope I did everything right.

But if this is a version problem, why does it only show up on two out of around 30 computers that I know of? Impossible question I know, I know - just couldn't control myself :-)

Thanks

Anders

[Vaughan]

Installing the WC 4.0v6 patch won't hurt will it? Also check the FMP versions on the client machines as well.

[Anders]

Hello

I will certainly install the patches. The client computers that fail to connect has no FMP installed on them. They just search the database through a CDML interface. (I forgot to mention that.)

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge

Anders

[Vaughan]

Oh yes, my mistake... the users are going through the web, not FMP. Still, update the server version before anything else.

[Anders]

Hi again

I return to my problem after giving the WC 4.0v6 patch a chance. I'm afraid that I am back on square one again. Now and then, on two specific computers using a web-interface to search a FMP-database, I get a message that the database isn't open. But since the database is open to anyone anywhere, I can at the same time verify on another computer that the database really is open. Could this be a virus? We use a antivirus program (Sophos Intercheck).

We have had other problems with these two computers, but a bad LAN connection (or what ever the problem is) wouldn't result in FMP believing that an open database isn't open would it?

TIA

Anders

[Vaughan]

This might be a browser client issue. Are the versions different on the two computers?

[Anders]

Hello Vaughan

The situation is as follows. We have an information desk in our library, it is equipped with, among other things, 3 PC's not new not old. (HP Vectra something.) All three have IE 5.5 (not sure of wich build, but they were upgraded recently because of Nimda or Code Red or whatever) and Netscape 4.73 installed. All three computers use the same login, and runs Netscape from a shared resource, so you can't use Netscape on more than one computer at the time. IE is installed locally on each of the computers - as far as I know the same version - and can be run simultaneously.

On one of the three computers everything works all the time, no problems detected that can't be explained. But on the other two, no matter wich browser you use now and then... duh! (Haven't tried Opera, Netscape 6, Neoplanet etc. though)

Thanks

Anders

[Vaughan]

I think we're at the stage were we can say with 100% confidence:

1) something is wrong; and

2) we're not sure what it is yet.

From here on in it's gotta be general de-bugging, step-by-step. Speculate, test; speculate, test; repeat until it's solved. Do everything you can think of. You're lucky in that you have one machine that's OK so you've got somethingt to test with.

For instance, switch the network cable between the computer that works and one that doesn't and test. This will prove whether it's a network issue or not.

[Anders]

Thanks again Vaughan

I will try to remember to post a report if I ever find out what causes these error messages.

-Anders

[Anatoli]

My universal name for this is "probably glitch in the Matrix"

[Anders]

Hi

Forgive me for picking up an old thread, but I promised to give a report if I solved this annoying problem.

Well I didn't, but when replacing all three computers the problem dissapeared. At least I haven't received any distress calls.

Case closed as far as I'm concerned.

[Garry Claridge]

Another one for the X file

All the best.

Garry