I can't get AC to open in a different user account on the same computer. Is this NOT possible? Is there any work around? Thank you.
In our office, we routinely have 2 different users active & logged into AC on the same computer simultaneously. It only takes a mouse click to move between the two accounts.
The trick to this is to set up a "
Virtual Machine " (VM) running a second version of your operating system on a single computer. There are several
VM programs; I had previously used VMware Workstation by
VMware, but I am presently using a
free program made by Sun (now Oracle), called
VirtualBox, which is very stable, easy to set up with a wizard program, and regularly updated. In my experience, anyone with some basic knowledge of installing Windows or upgrades can accomplish this.
The steps are:
1.
Download and install VirtualBox.
2. Run the
New Virtual Machine Wizard to create a software based VM. It will prompt you to enter VM settings (such as the amount of hard drive space and RAM you want to dedicate to your VM).
3. When the wizard prompts, insert a Windows install disk, and Windows installs itself on your VM, just as if you were installing on a new computer. You need a "full install" disk for Windows, not an upgrade CD.
-- You can purchase a full install of Windows XP on
eBay for as little as $50.
-- If you have saved the "reinstall" operating system disks that are provided with your computer, I have also found that you can install Windows on the VM using the same CD software code for both your "real" operating system and the VM (my guess is that when you go online to authenticate Windows, it sees the MAC address of the hardware, and validates). Disclaimer: I have only done this on several Dells, using the Dell Windows XP reinstall disk.
-- After the install, you will have a
Windows Virtual Machine running in a window on your desktop (in VirtualBox jargon, this is called the "guest operating system"). You can switch between your "real" computer (the "host operating system") and the "guest" just by a keystroke.
-- Now install AC in the guest OS and login to your main computer AC database. I have not found a slowdown in either the host or guest OS, even when both are logged into AC (but see tips below).
-- Make sure to install anti-virus/malware software on your guest OS, if you ever intend to use it to connect to the internet.
A few tips, if you decide to try this:
-- Max out the RAM on your computer, 2-4 GB if possible. Remember, both OS will be sharing the same memory, and Windows runs appreciably faster with more memory. I use a Core 2 Duo with 3 GB RAM.
-- I suggest using Windows XP Pro as the guest OS, it is optimized for less RAM than Vista or Win 7. It doesn't matter what version of Windows is the host OS, the host and guest OS can be completely different OS (even
Linux or MacOS for that matter).
-- Change the default networking option for the guest OS from "NAT" to "bridged", after installing Windows on the VM. It is an easy change in the VirtualBox
admin window.
-- Just as for any software program, you can
save the settings at any point (the VM "state" or "snapshot"), and revert back to prior settings if problems occur. This is a great use for a VM by the way, since any new software can be tried on the guest OS first and reverted if any problems occur. Bert has mentioned this before, as a good way to troubleshoot new versions of AC before "taking the plunge". I intend to try this for sure when version 5.1 comes out.
Sorry, long post. If you get stuck trying this, PM me.
