FM Pro 3.0v6 Cannot log on as guest

[Ann Eklund]

Hi,

I've never posted a message, so please bear with me.

We are using FileMaker Pro 3.0 for Windows95 on a network.

A few weeks ago we had a new person start, and ever since then if that person opens a file as the host and as multi-user, another person cannot open the file. We get the message "...is currently in use and could not

be opened. The file is single-user, or the host could not be found on the network. Contact the host to open the file as multi-user".

It will work the other way around--the "old" employee can open the file as the host and the "new" employee can open as the guest, but no matter which work station the "new" employee signs onto, if they open a file as

the host, no one else can open the file. And the file is opened as multi-user.

I can't see that this person is configured any differently than anyone else on the network.

Can anyone explain to me what's happening?

[Vaughan]

A quick overview of how FMP shares files might help.

The first computer to open a database becomes the "host." If the file is set to multiuser then other users can connect into the "host" copy of FMP and work on the database simultaneously. Performance is optimal when the database is physically saved on the host computer's local hard disk because database operation generally involves lots of file reading and writing so data access speed is critical. Files on network drives can be hosted but performance is pretty poor (due to the significantly slower read/write time) and the configuration is much more unstable since even minor network traffic problems have the potential to seriously corrupt the database.

The preferred way to work with shared databases (that is, a database already opened in FMP on another computer) is to run FileMaker Pro, choose the Open command and click on the Hosts button then locate the host computer and chhoose the shared file directly. However, many people keep their databases on shared network drives and tend to open the databases by double-clicking on the icon in the volume. The FMP progammers were smart enough to check for this: if the database is already open (and set to multiuser) the program will try to find the host computer that already has it opened and work through it.

The ideal situation is to have a computer dedicated to the task of hosting the FMP databases, with the file saved on that server's local hard disk. That would solve a lot of issues. But often there isn't a server lying around doing nothing...

You haven't stated how the database is being shared, but my guess is that people are opening the file from the shared network volume.

To solve the current situation, I'd guess that the new person's copy of FMP has slightly different program preferences to the other computers. Check the network protocol in FMP preferences. It might not match the rest of the groups.

Also make sure that the new person is running exactly the same version of FMP 3 as everybody else, and for that matter make sure that you are all running FMP 3.0v6. Any version prior to this are not Y2K compatible.

[This message has been edited by Vaughan (edited October 25, 2000).]