Home Forums Discussions Problems Having to run set up each user on every computer

I've recently installed AC at a clients office, its a new network from the ground up, all new workstations (mostly), 6 total, 4 running Win7 Ultimate, 3 of them are tablet pc's. 2 (rebuilds) running vista ultimate. the network consists of 3 servers, one physical, two virtual. the physical server is running server 2008 r2 with hyper-v, the VM's are SBS 2008 std, and windows home server to back up the workstation. They are using an Active Directory domain.

The problem i am having is, on every single workstation, i have to go thru the AC setup on a per user basis, meaning i have to log in to each user account and go thru the setup in order for each user to be able to access AC on that computer. Is this normal operation for this program? it should be that once its installed each user should be able to access it with no problem. correct me if i'm wrong...

Unfortunately, each user must be individually set up. I have not found a way around this. 5 users x 6 computers is 30 configurations.

Wendell is correct, I ran into the same problem. I simply added the users to the Administrators group in Active Directory and told them that it would finish setting up for their user as they logged in that day and that it would only happen once. By lunch I moved them all out of the Administrators group and any remaining installs I did with admin priveledges as needed. Not bad considering I upgraded 35 computers in about 3 hours and then let the users do their own per-user setup.

I do not believe that is the case. I have set it up at many times and have never had to do that.

This only applies if you are making the person actually log onto the computer separately - not AC if I am reading this correctly. I have the computer just have one user and you only set it up once. Even then AC I believe asks if you want to make it for all users or just one.

The typical question by software about whether you want to make it for all users or just one has to do with setting in certain folders such as the All Users folder. I just go with the default -- set up for all users even if it is only on my computer with one users. It has nothing to do with who can use it, etc.

If you have a computer with ten users who log into it, you should only have to install one into Program Files or wherever. Then you simply make a shortcut to the executable file, and you should be good to go.

On our domain, and I learned this best through SBS 2003 Train Signal, we have a default user profile on the server. The first time a new user logs on, the local computer knows to get that profile just like everyone gets their own profile when they log on. It is actually COOL to watch as the desktop fills in the same as it does for every new person. This includes AC, FAP, VIPER, eMedware, Outlook, Word, etc., etc. Click on the icons and up comes the program including AC.

I would be glad to help anyone with this or log in later and help. If it were like everyone were saying, I would never update until it was an entirely new version.

OK, I wanted to really weight in here and be more specific.

I realize that there may be different setups and different situations for the users above. But, I spent about two hours going through every possible install and uninstall on an XP Pro computer on a domain (the domain should mean nothing).

In a nutshell, installing AC on a computer should only need to be done once. I tried it with six users after removing every trace of 4.0.73. Five of the user accounts were LOCAL admins (not domain admin -- I mean I was a domain admin, but there is a big difference between a LOCAL admin and a DOMAIN admin -- but there should be no difference in the install. So, in summerary, there were:

Four users: LOCAL admins (admin on client but not on network)
One user: LOCAL user but not an admin at all
Bert: Domain Admin which automatically makes me a local admin

When AC is install by any of the above users, all users can use AC. (the user who is not a local admin can not download or install the program).

I was only able to duplicate what the above users were commenting on: If I or any user with local admin rights installed the program but did not choose install for Anyone Who Uses This Computer, but rather chose install Only For This User, then only that user would have AC on his or her desktop and be able to use AC. One would then have to install AC under each account. Note that if AC is installed under user account A as Only For This User, but is then installed under user account B as Anyone Who Use This Computer, then everyone would have AC.

It is interesting to note that if AC is installed in the way I just mentioned: Once for one user only and then once for All Users, then AC installs without a hitch. If on the other hand, AC is ever installed for All Users (as it pretty much should be), then if AC is installed again, it will bring up the window allowing you only to REPAIR or UNINSTALL.

What really confuses me, is while I do understand the idea of choosing Only For This User rather than All Users, I would think that having to install it five or six times on one client, one would choose install for All Users on the next install.

I think Bert is going to wear out his hard drive installing and uninstalling..... I must admit that I don't have each employee log onto their own computer as a user - I have them log into AC under their name, but each computer just has one log on. I guess I am not that sophisticated in networking, but it works. Also requires less work.

It seems i may have chosen poor wording to describe the what was happening here.

When i installed the software, i had it install for all users, which worked properly. however when each user went to open AC, the Amazing Charts Setup Assistant would appear and asked if this computer was being set up as a main computer or if the database was located on another computer. when they selected not the main computer they would have to browse to the database file on the server, despite the fact that it had been done 2 or 3 times on that computer already, albeit different user accounts, but done none the less.

Unfortunately, for this office, using a single login for all users isnt a viable option.

Well, it wouldn't say unfortunately as a single login wouldn't be the ultimate setup and since the network you describe is more powerful and complicated than what Bill Gates' uses, it would be silly to have a single logon for the domain.

I was under the impression and HOPE now that I am misunderstanding Wendell more than you, because if he is only "configuring it" than that is no big deal.

I must say that when I install AC on my computers which is a simple domain using all XP Pro and one SBS 2003 Standard R2, AC automatically finds SQL Server. All other accounts log in and click on the icon and it finds the server database as well with no setup assistant. The only thing I can say for certain (which I imagine you are set up the same way) is all of my users are domain users with the same permissions for the database. When I say permissions in this sense, I am talking about when each staph member was set up as a user and made part of the domain users or Power Users, etc. It is possible that if the users had different permissions, they too, would be able to access the database without any issues.

I do have to say, though, that I, like you Walter, have had to set up many, many accounts. But, in the end, having to browse to the path doesn't seem like that big of a deal, no offense intended.

In fact, even though my staff comes running to me for many things, they all know that their bonus will be smaller if they are not able to browse to the AC database after being shown a few times.

I will step down now as it appears that Walter is eons above me in the network field, and I welcome him aboard to help all of us with networking issues.

I am using a peer to peer domain.

I have changed the "main" computer a couple of times. Every time I change it AC will, of course, ask me to find the database (or I will chose change the database in tools. This information does NOT carry over to the other windows logins. That is what I am referring to.
I have not done a complete fresh install since I put in V4 about a year ago, but I understand the issue.

I am sorry I was not more clear. I had the same issue, but it was not a re-installation issue. Instead it is like a "first-time use wizard" or something in that vein. Has to be done for each user account for each computer the first time they run AC after upgrading.

OK, here is the issue. By definition, a peer to peer can NOT be a domain. A domain requires a central server with server software which contains the domain controller.

In a peer to peer network, each user must log into EACH computer. Therefore, when user A logs into Computer 1, they then browse to the database on the main computer. When user A logs into Computer 2, the main computer has no idea who user A is in relation to its AC database. Therefore, user A will need to browse to the database. The user accounts are kept on the CLIENT computers.

On a domain, the user accounts are on the server. When you first set up the server and anytime after, you add users to the server in active directory (for Windows). You choose what permissions it has such as User, Power User, Admin, etc. Once the user is set up on the server complete with its profile, mailbox, etc., the server recognizes that user. When any user logs into ANY client, the server authenticates thta user, because it recognizes its username and password.

If user A tries to log onto Computer 2 but does not have the correct username and or password, they will most likely not get onto that computer as they are logged off or if they are on will not be able to access the server. Again, if user A has the wrong credentials (username and password), the server will not be able to authenticate that user and will not allow the user to connect to the server making that user and computer virtually useless.

Now, here is the rub. Once user A logs into Computer 1 user A which resides on the server will either be connected automatically via the xml file to the database as the server may recognize AC or user A may need to browse to the database. But, that is the last time. The next time user A logs into ANY computer, it will connect automatically to the database.

This is one of the huge advantages of the server/client DOMAIN environment. Everything is CENTRALLY located: Users, mailboxes, databases, etc. Now, I make a distinction between server/clinet domain and server/client, because just because you have a "main computer" acting as your server and all your clients are connected to it, it is basically a peer to peer if there is no server software with a domain controller.

The following article is very helpful:

http://www.alliednetworks.com/news/network-intro-peer-to-peer-vs-domain/