This is the *worst* way to share FMP databases! It will lead to file corruption, data loss and wasted time: I've been working with people who believed that daily crash-and-restore is normal! It's not. Others will concur.

Get a machine and dedicate it to being a FM Host. Get another license of FMP (or better yet FM Server) and open the databases on this host. Turn off file sharing and web serving and all other non-essential stuff. Delete (or zip) all other copies of the databases from the network (yes all of them!). Get a backup system working for the server. Teach people to access the databases by opening them fom the Host, or create a "opener" file to automate the process.

(Search the forum for info on creating opener fies.)

Take a look at the FileMaker Servr Best practrices document on the FMI web site on the downloads page.

Old Advance Man

I'm experiencing a weird problem that I haven't been able to figure out yet. I have a Filemaker 5 database that's stored on an NT server, inside a folder ("newadmits") that's nested under a user folder ("jolson"). Both folders are shared: serverdjolsonnewadmits$, serverjolson$.

For some reason, if another user ("ltan") tries to open the database on her own (through the network), it opens as read-only. I've given the "ltan" account full control permissions to the serverdjolsonnewadmits folder, but it still opens as read-only. The weird thing is, if "jolson" and "ltan" open the database simultaneously, it no longer opens as read-only for ltan. the database opens normally only if jolson opens it first, otherwise it opens as read-only.

I'm not sure if my explanation makes sense, but if anyone has any ideas on how to fix this problem, please post your suggestions. Thanks.