Intermittent Start up issues (1 Viewer)

Hello All,
I wrote and Access DBase to run for my company, it tracks various data, and reports as you can imagine,

the set up is, all users have a client program, Written in Access, and this is linked to the Tables held on our Network drive,
each client then only queries the records when required, and opens the datatables only briefly, this is to prevent the tables becoming locked, when the user saves the record, it then uploads it back to the network drive via update query,

The Client is held on the HOME Folder in each user, normally I would make a unique C:\ location, but we are running Citrix, and all areas other than the Home Folder seem to be deleted on exit, at least thats what happened when I tried to store it anywhere else..

so, Tables on the network, Client in the Home folder(I guess Technically Network Too) and every now and then, like this morning all users, have access to the Network folders and their own Home folder open the file to this:

Microsoft Acccess Cant find the Database file 'P:\notificationtracker\notificationtracker.mdb."
Make sure the path/filename is correct

This happens if I run the Client from the desktop short cut, or the folder itself. the best our IT could muster was, someone was in the program already locking the tables..
this is not the case due to the setup Ive used.

If I open access and try to open the file using the SHIFT key method, it tells me the program is locked by another user..

has anyone Else had a similar experience with networking files, I did a quick google, and the results said it maybe something with the linking schema, but I cannot understand why this would affect the Shift key opening method.

Kai.:banghead:

Could be completely different but I also have a similar problem.

Using Windows 10 my systems do not always connect the network drives on start-up, you can occasionally see a red x against them in File Explorer. If you click on them the system then notices that they are there (and always have been).

I find that if I open File Explorer and go to the network drive, shut down File Explorer and then launch the database I never get the problem.

Thanks for the Advice Teival, I dont think it is the case, firstly because our network drives do reconnect at boot, so it not normally and issue,
and Secondly, I managed to repair it, somewhat, firstly I went back over every Previous version until I found one that would boot(I keep and Archive of every update) then I disabled different VBA routines in the start up, to see if thats an issue, for example, it logs the user name of who opened it, and also checks a Version number to auto update,
then it hit me, the latest version on the server, used as the update, I looked at that and it worked, to I opened it up, disabled the autoupdate procedure I wrote, recopied it to my archive, and emailed my userbase to run the update patch.
this then re-d.loaded the working version, and 'Robert was your mother Brother'
all working again.

I think this locked file error has come from the network admin, some of the time the profiles crash out, and maybe it left a lock file somewhere in the personal folders..

anyway, Main thing IT WORKS AGAIN!

Each user even on a citrix / rdp environment should have their own front end copy of the database. Any shared front end will give you issues.

Also your back end data path would be better using a UNC path \\YourServer\YoursharePath\....

As these do not rely on a networked drive being mapped to a potentially random letter.

KaiProton said:

each client then only queries the records when required, and opens the datatables only briefly, this is to prevent the tables becoming locked, when the user saves the record, it then uploads it back to the network drive via update query,

Click to expand...

You have gone to some trouble to do what Access already does quite well with Optimistic Locking.

Does you application actually lock records that get opened by a user to prevent others loading them? Does it lock the whole table when someone loads a record?

Optimistic locking allows any user to open a record even if it is already open with another user. Before the record is saved it checks for changes made by other users while it was open and warns if there is a conflict.

I recommend you study the difference between Exclusive Locking, Pessimistic Locking and Optimistic Locking to see if you are not simply making life difficult for yourself.

this is to prevent the tables becoming locked

Click to expand...

Normally, tables do not get locked, only individual records - suggest you check your locking policy by going to File>Options>Client Settings>Advanced - for 2007 and later, can't remember the path for 2003. Check 'default record locking' and 'open databases by using record level locking' settings

when the user saves the record, it then uploads it back to the network drive via update query,

Click to expand...

the risk here is two users change the same record at the same time, the first 'save' will be discarded. Even new records will be at risk if you are using some sort of calculated value such as dmax+1

By not maintaining a permanent connection, you will be taking a performance hit.