Windows NT clients and Mac Server

[Benjamin Evans]

Dear FileMaker Pros,

I am having a strange problem. I have an elaborate and interrelated set of FileMaker Pro databases which have been modified and appended over the years. The databases are running on a PowerMac G3 with FileMaker Pro Server 3.0v4. Most users access the databases from Windows NT 4.0 machines running FileMaker Pro 4.1v3, but some access the databases from Macs.

Here's the problem: for the NT users only, after a several hours of using FileMaker and switching to other applications (most frequently Procomm Plus which they use as a terminal emulator for another database, SIS), the text will turn into gibberish, wingdings and strange characters. This seems to be intermittent and not consistent for all users. In other words it happens at different times for different people and very rarely for some people. I have never been able to replicate the problem on my NT machine (on which I also do not use Procomm Plus..a connection or a red herring?).

The server and the clients have been upgraded to the last incarnations before version 5(which is a whole can of worms I would rather not open!). I tried changing the fonts to MS Sans Serif (they used to be Mac fonts of course). Yet, the problem persists.

Any suggestions would be warmly appreciated!

Thank you!

-Ben

ps.

Here's what one the users told me about the problem:

>At 01:43 PM 10/25/00 -0500, you wrote:

>>

>> Ben,

>> As I mentioned earlier today, I have been experiencing a problem with

>> FileMaker Pro involving SIS. When I start Filemaker Pro prior to starting

>> SIS, the font in FileMaker changes to a new font and appears smaller. The

>> same thing will happen when I exit SIS before exiting FileMaker. I can

>> restore the font in both cases by selecting the affected characters in the

>> comment area of Notes and switching it back to Arial; there are some

>> uneditable fields which I just have to live with as I cannot change their

>> font.

>> It may be that this is inconsequential as we will be letting SIS die in

>> the course of this year. If you are able to do anything to address this

>> situation, please let me know; if you can't, don't worry about it--I can

>> certainly deal with this.

>> Thanks,

>>

>> Shawn

>>

[Vaughan]

Try updating the terminal emulation software.