Performance Issues

[samonwalkabout]

I have a user on Windows 2000 pro using a laptop. She is accessesing a database over a network. The performance is very very slow.

-The database runs fast for all other users. All Ms Access are slow on this machine.

-The machine set-up seems fine lots of RAM and Virual Memory (paging allocated).

- The network connection Pings fast and other files run fast.

So i was hoping someone would know if is there anything else that Ms Access uses that this Laptop may need more of?

any help would be great...... the user also happens to be the person that commisoned the whole job

 

[jeremie_ingram]

A few things I would like to know,
1. Processor speed of the laptop.
2. HD Capacity and current amt free.
3. Connection type/speed (PCMCIA wireless or NIC).
I have seen laptops crawl with resoures hogs before (Acces does require quite a bit), and it is usually due to either 1 or 2. Only the more recent laptops are great at handling these types of things. Also, if the DB is accessed over the network, make sure the connection is set up properly for the laptop. Beyond these items, i couldnt think of anything else since you stated there is plenty of RAM.
Next time it is running slow, check into the system processes in the task manager to see which apps are eating up the mem.

 

[samonwalkabout]

Slow as a snail

No at machine at the mo but think is quite new with probable P3 processer, 1 Gb HD with very little used 200-300mb at most, and over 500 MB RAM. Its connecting to a LAN via a docking station, beyond that i dont know the companies local IT guys have the keys i guess a network card/modem. The packet transfer rate to the network seems fine and dandy too! So I think the laptop spec is well able to cope with the job.

The all Access database's i try and open seem to run slow (most slower than my new one!) on this machine. The forms are acutally loading in bits while the pointer icon goes from egg timer to txt cursor. Never seen Access go so slow!...............But the system resources in the task manager are hardley even being streched CPU usage about 4 - 5% similar for memory and none of the 31 odd tasks running seem to be using very high system resources. I have requested a re-install of Access from local IT, not really sure if that will work but i really can't think of anything else that would be effecting the speed so dramatically.

 

[Pat Hartman]

Do you use bitmaps as the form background? These would include any of the standard choices other than solid colors. The Stone background for example. Sounds like the laptop doesn't have enough video memory to handle the db.

 

[samonwalkabout]

Some do/some dont!

Only 2 of my forms use bitmaps. And other Databases dont seem to have anything but plain default grey forms and these run as slow if not slower ?????

But i will look into the video memory issue. How can i display these settings? From the control Panel somewhere?

Thanks

 

[Rich]

Are you refering to this db?
http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46617

 

[samonwalkabout]

Nope this is another one.

 

[samonwalkabout]

The latest is that copied the back end onto the users computer as well and re-linked the FE to this new BE location. The database runs nice and fast! So i figure it must be a network connection issue. But it seems to ping the same as other users.

So....how does a split database work? Does it use any special file transfer/data sharing methods which might not be represented by a ping?

I am going to try physically moving the machine to a diffrent network connection in a diffrent building tommorow...

 

[samonwalkabout]

The Answer

In case any of you wanted to know i got the answer..but not the solution!!

The computer that runs slow is on Windows 2000 pro, the rest on NT. Good news as i know its not my database at fault, bad news as IT have told me all users across 5 business sites are being "upgraded" to 2000 over the next 6 months. Think it could be a Jet issue.

Thanks for you help guys