Back End Read-Only Issue (2 Viewers)

[thomas.dickens]

Thanks all for your responses. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you - I have been out of the country and away from my computer.

I believe I have been able to narrow down the cause to users closing their laptops/moving rooms without closing the database safely, RATHER than the database crashing. No issues were reported whilst I was away because users reported that they had been extra careful.

We had another occurrence of the locking issue this morning where two users left the main office to go to a meeting. Same error messages. Fortunately it was fixed after both users logged in and closed the database properly (unclear which user caused the issue). This is the first time that it has been fixed without having to wait until the next day.

It would suggest that in the past, all we had to do to fix it was have the relevant user log back in and close the database properly. However I can say with reasonable amount of confidence that in the past, the user I suspected to have caused the issue, was available and logged in, and was unable to have any positive impact.

One change I have made is moving the BE further up the directory, as it was slightly buried away. It is possible that this had a positive effect for this morning's instance.

This is the correct way to handle it. Or you could look for the scripts here that automatically download the shared file to the selected private folder on the user's machine.

Thanks. Noted all of your messages above and I appreciate the feedback. I will go back to a system where users copy a central file to their personal drive.

Not at all familiar with running scripts, nor whether my system will allow it, but I will certainly look into it because I now have trust issues with my users!


Thanks all for the help.

 

[thomas.dickens]

Regarding this issue with users being able to lock the database just by closing their laptops without closing the database safely - I have two possible suggestions, and I wonder whether anyone could comment on the likelihood of them working:

1. Add VBA code to close the database after a certain amount of time. I would probably try to add in a dialogue box so that users genuinely using the database would have the chance to cancel the process. Would this even work if the laptop was closed?

2. migrate the BE to a sql server. I have received confirmation from our IT help desk that they can facilitate this, but I only want to go in that direction if it is necessary.

 

[isladogs]

1. Setting up an inactivity shutdown is a good idea for other reasons but i won't help with this specific issue. When the laptop lid is closed Access (and all other open apps) will remain in the state they were left in and should restore automatically when the laptop is next opened.
Is that what you want to happen?

2. SQL Server will provide a more stable and secure BE than Access, particularly if you have many simultaneous users

 

[thomas.dickens]

Is that what you want to happen?

I need to protect the database from poor user behaviour - specifically, users the close their laptops without safely closing the database. I know that training is a strong defence but some of the users have low IT literacy and seem to continually do this despite training. The additional problem is that some of these users are regularly in and out of the office (clinical staff that attend clinics) and therefore sometimes they close the laptop, locking up the back end, and there is no way of accessing their laptop until they return the next day.

so yes, I do want the access to restore when the laptop reopens, but really I need a way to be able to force close the database after a laptop has been closed. OR I need a system that is robust enough to not get locked up in this scenario - thus the question re sql server.

 

[isladogs]

That's what I assumed. I would suggest both moving the BE to SQL server and setting up a system to automatically close the FE after a specified period of inactivity e.g. 20 minutes.
However, as far as I am aware, neither of those will help manage them just closing the laptop lid as the system will go into 'hibernation' so no code will run whilst the lid is closed. The laptop will indeed remain connected to the BE and may prevent routine maintenance work being carried out.

 

[thomas.dickens]

That's what I assumed. I would suggest both moving the BE to SQL server and setting up a system to automatically close the FE after a specified period of inactivity e.g. 20 minutes.
However, as far as I am aware, neither of those will help manage them just closing the laptop lid as the system will go into 'hibernation' so no code will run whilst the lid is closed. The laptop will indeed remain connected to the BE and may prevent routine maintenance work being carried out.

Thing is it is worse than preventing routine maintenance work - it puts the BE into read only mode and no users can edit any data whatsoever. One user being careless can halt the entire team!

Thanks for the advice - will look into migrating to s

 

[isladogs]

I'm still unclear why doing that would put the BE into read only mode
Whilst still a good idea for stability and other reasons, I don't believe SQL Server will solve that issue

 

[thomas.dickens]

Your guess is as good (or better) than mine...

This didn't seem to be an issue for the first ~3 months of usage, and I am sure that the users' habits were just as bad back then as they are now!