Version 3 not able to use shortcuts over WAN

August 1, 200025 yr

Newbies

We are running a hosted FP3 database version 3.6 over a TCP/IP windows network. I have one user who cannot access the server based files using shortcuts on his desktop, he must 1st open FP3 then do a file>open>network neighborhood>server1>databases>rest of path blah blah blah. Sometimes this does not work either. Gives the error that "the file cannot be found and is needed for this operation". All other documents can be opened just fine (i.e. Word, Excel....). this is a brand new laptop that works just fine. I custom configured and tested this laptop before giving it too him. I am convinced it is not a hardware problem. I removed all adapters except the network adapter 3Com 10/100 cardbus PCMCIA NIC. I am only running TCP/IP (Win98 2cd edition) and installed FP3 with TCP/IP support option and then added version5 upgrade and version 6 upgrade.

Can anyone help me?

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SeanG

August 3, 200025 yr

This worked for me in an interoffice network. Say your target file is "FileA". Create a new empty file with no fields or records. Name it "Open FileA". Write a script that will open "FileA" and then close "OPen FileA." In Preferences for "Open FileA" under document, have the script performed upon opening. Then place "Open FileA" where your person can easily get to it--on the desktop or apple menu? Doubleclicking on it will -- surprise--open FileA. I hope this works for you.

August 10, 200025 yr

The opener file suggested by "dabombsmom" has worked a treat for me. The only problem I have had with opener files is if the server or network is down, FMP cannot find the db so it brings up the Open dialog box asking the user to find it... after that it forgets the original location of the file and is broken.

I worked out a solution...

If the startup script in the opener file cannot locate the shared database (FMP error 100) FileMaker invokes an Open dialog box so that the user can locate the database and fix the error. Of course, the file cannot be located so the script now assumes that the reference to the shared file is invalid. Any subsequent attempts to use the opener file are unsuccessful because the shared database