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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.

You can not have two users using AC on the same computer at the same time. Log off the first user and log on the second user if you are using the same computer.

I hope I understood you question right.

Sachin

So how do I have more than one user using RDP on the same computer? In other words, HOW does AC work on a LAN but NOT a remote connection? Thanks again.

Can you tell me why AC won't open in a separate user account on the same computer? I can't see why it wouldn't (famous last words I'm sure). Is there a way to "split" the server into 3 separate ones?. Thanks again.

Sachin is 100% correct that you can't have two instances of AC running simultaneously on the same machine. Simply log out one user and log into the other.

I am really not understanding the scenario you are portraying.
Perhaps you could try to describe exactly what you are doing. From what you have provided, it sounds like you want more than one user logged into a computer using RDP simultaneously.


You can't have two users logged into a client computer using RDP simultaneously. When you log into a computer w/ RDP when another user is on it, they are kicked out.


AC works on a LAN and a remote connection, but you can't have two instances of AC open on the same computer nor can you have two users logged into the same computer each using their own instance of AC. AC works by running one instance of AC on any number of computers. The "main computer" or "server" is not even running an instance of AC on it. It is simply the location of the database. While you can run an instance of AC on the "main computer" or "server," it is not necessary to make AC operate correctly.


I can't answer "why AC won't open in a separte user account on the same computer," I can only answer that it is programmed not to. As for "splitting the server into 3 separate ones," more information would be helpful about your network configuration so that we can know why you wish to do this. This desire to split the server makes it sound like you wish to have 3 separate practices sharing one server. What is your goal in splitting the server?

Hey guys. Thanks for your input but believe it or not, I got AC to work simultaneously in 3 separate user accounts all on the same computer last night. It was 2 AM so maybe I was dreaming it lol. I will doublecheck this morning while I'm alert but all I did was move the entire amazing charts folder to the Shared Documents folder and then accessed it from each user account. The program initially said there was a registry error the 3 initial times I opened it and I had to run it as the Admin but amazingly, it finally opened and worked all3 times while I was on the main server. I am going to try to make changes the DB while it is opened in the 3 user accounts and make sure it doesn't screw something up. I am doing this because I need 3 people to be able to be logged in remotely to the server and accessing AC all at the same time (I'm an NP and I'm charting, my wife is doing the billing, and the Dr is co-signing my charts). All 3 of us rarely need the server at the same time but occasionally we do and it's very frustrating to have to wait one at a time. So, hopefully, this is going to work! I will let you know later today. Thanks again for all your time.

I should add that my server is running Windows XP. I am now trying to duplicate this on my laptop which is running Windows 7 which I found out has a Public Documents folder instead of a Shared documents folder. Idk if that makes any difference or not.

1. I don't like sharing a DATABASE out of a preset shared folder such as the ones you are describing.
2. I do not think you will be able to open more than one user account at a time, much less access the database at each computer.

What you need to do is set up the database on that computer so that all computers can access it. Then each user can log in remotely to their computers and access it from there.

wwpp,

First, it would be helpful to give us your real name as I am assuming that wwpp is not.

It would also be helpful for you to understand how different user accounts work. Look at it this way.

You have a computer such as XP Pro. You have user 1 and you have everything set up on that computer. User 1 can use AC, Word, Adobe, Excel, Windows Media Player whatever. All of these programs are by default installed to the Program Files likely on the C: drive. These programs are in ONE place and are all accessed by user 1.

When you make another user in User Accounts, you aren't changing anything on the computer. All you are doing is making another profile. Everyone's profile contains all of their settings (wall paper, icons, etc.). As soon as you log into your account, your account looks for your profile and then sets you up with that profile. You are now ready to use the computer and use AC or Word or whatever. When you log out and another user logs in, it loads their profile and now the wall paper shows their cute little dog and their grandchildren, etc. Their icons are different, all of their favorites on Internet Explorer are different. But you are NOT splitting the computer/server into different servers.

If you open My Computer and then browse to:

C:\Documents and Settings you will see all of the user profiles including, hopefully, the default administrator profile.

To further understand how it works, go to the same folder:

C:\Documents and Settings but then open a profile such as

C:\Documents and Settings\user2 and you will see the following:

Application Data
User2's Documents
Desktop
Favorites
Local Setting
Start Menu

There are more that you can't see unless you have your folder settings set to a certain setting. In fact, you won't see Application Data unless they are set that way.

That is a separate tutorial.

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.

Wow. Sorry. I didn't know all the rules. I'm also still new to posting and wwpp is just how I set it up lol since my name is so long. Anyway, to make a long story short, my name is Wayne. So, as I stated previously, I figured out how to open the AC DB on the same computer in 3 separate user accounts in Windows XP and just now, Windows 7. To me, it seems that it is acting exactly the same as if I were accessing the DB from 3 separate computers (i.e., if you update the allergies or meds or demographics, they will also be updated in that pt's file IF you open a new note (they will not update IF the pt's note is already open). Of course, in our office, we each have a computer and we access the DB off the LAN. I needed this fix to give myself a simple remote control fix without having to buy an actual server with server software. Maybe in the future we will do that if my Dell 8400 can't handle 3 users using RDC at the same time. I will try that maybe tomorrow. If I needed more than 3 remote users, I would setup a VPN or something similar but RDC (I think) will allow 2 users on at the same time but more if you edit the group policy file. Then, the maximum number of users is 4 (I think). Anyway, so far, so good with just moving the files to a Shared/Public folder. I also can't wait for the new version. I'm hoping there will be a lot of improvements to cut down on so many unnecessary keystrokes, etc. Thanks for the help. I may just try the VirtualBox stuff out. I'm just very happy to have solved my problem without any major effort. And I back up every night so if for some reason AC would crash, I have my data saved.

Bert. I didn't display Wayne as my user name since there is already a Wayne on this forum and it looks like he has been here many years so I didn't want any confusions. I also saw someone else here using initals (bcmd) and I liked that idea so I went with my initials as well. Anyway, I love Maine by the way. Been there many, many times and have always had a great time. I used to live in Boston.

I'm also using a Winconnect demo right now to remotely connect to our "server" and it works great even with the 3 users on the one computer at the same time (I might just shell out the $300 for it lol). It seems to me to be faster than Logmein (which is only 1 user at a time anyway as you all know).

I thought I should give a final update on my "experiment" with multiple user accounts using AC simultaneously and putting AC in a shared folder. When I initially started on my quest to be able to do these things, I only had one user account (an Admin account) on my server. When I added a 2nd account, I did not set it up as an Admin account and so the only other option (in XP) was a limited account which I chose. At the time, I did not think it mattered (but now I know that it did). So, when I could not open AC in this account while it was open in the Admin account (an error message said that another account had EXCLUSIVE rights to it), I THOUGHT I had to move the AC folder to a shared folder so that ALL user accounts could access AC. So I moved it and when it worked, I thought it was that simple of a fix (which it is but...). So, I then created a 3rd user account for my wife (who does our billing so I set it up as an Admin account this time) and it also worked. I then posted my results. However, later last night for some reason, if I accessed too many patient files in AC while in the limited account, the debugging program would shut AC down. I finally THOUGHT that maybe it was because it was a limited account so I changed it to an Admin account and it never shut AC down again. I THEN thought, MAYBE I hadn't even needed to move the AC folder to a shared folder in the first place, MAYBE I should have just changed its properties and allow it to be shared to start with (which is what moving it to the shared folder did automatically I now know lol). So I moved the AC folder back to where it was and then changed its properties to allow for the entire folder to be shared and DUH!, it still works. I can STILL run AC in multiple user accounts at the same time (just like what happens when I (and all of my employees) run AC on my LAN). So, in conclusion, after spending hours on this little experiment, I now know that I can run AC simultaneously from multiple user accounts on the same computer if I set up all user accounts as Admin accounts (I think - at least in XP that seems to be a requirement) and I allow the entire AC folder to be shared. I am now moving on to other problems I am having with AC that I need to fix. I just thought I should post all of my findings here just in case there are other AC users out there that want to do what I'm doing but don't know how and have been told that it is not possible (which is what AC Tech and AC forum users all told me but luckily, I'm stubborn lol). Good charting to everyone.

I am confused - how can you run 3 user accounts at the same time ? 10 computers can run AC and access/save the data on the 'server' all at the same time, but you are not using user accounts - my server is peer to peer, but AC runs on each workstation.

What most people call a user account is when you turn on the computer and log onto the computer - eg admin, user1, user2.

I am unclear. We may be talking about the difference from peer to peer vs server logins.

I run peer to peer and have 5 user accounts on each machine. Usually several of them on a given machine are logged into AC simultaneously with fast user switching option.

Steven and Wendell, I share the confusion about wwpp's setup.
He referred to running Windows XP on the "server." So I am assuming he is referring to a peer to peer network, where the "server" is the "main computer" in the peer to peer where the AC database is installed. I assume this because Win XP is not a server OS, rather a client OS.

The easy answer is to put your name at the end of your posts.

Greg

wwpp:

If your intent is to confuse me, you have. Maybe I am missing something but where does Wayne come from Greg Phillips. I thought Greg had been here before. bcmd (a god on here) used his name Brian at the bottom. The deal is, it is much easier to address someone by a name, e.g. Mike, then it is initials: wahpdkf. So, it isn't just for you.

Chill, it isn't a rule. It is just that everyone wants to use first names to converse.

@ Wendell, Adam and Steven:

You can log into one XP program with three remote users only using a registry hack. Why one would want to is beyond me. The reasoning that using separate computers causes issues with adding allergies makes little sense. What do you do when you are at the office?

It scares me to think that you aren't worried about corrupting data because you have backups.

I have given up on this whole thing. For the final time, just log into each client and run AC from there. What is so wrong with that?

Bert,
My initials are APL, but that could be confused for Apple. I'm not a Mac user, I prefer PC. But that is not meant to confuse the reader, by PC I mean Personal Computer not PuboCoccygeal muscle.

So I use LauerDO. That's last name followed by "D.O." Doctor of Osteopathy. Not LauerDOO, as in ScoobyDoo.

And what does BERT stand for? Best Emergency Room Technician? Bart's Elk/Raindeer Tracker? Beautiful Elvish Rings of Tolkien?

This whole name thing is confusing. Bert will you please explain the rules again? You are afterall the GB,that's Global Moderator, not Gall Bladder.

Adam, were you drinking when you wrote that?

I think he was rummy from speed posting......

I hope so. Probably need to post a lot to bury it to camouflage it.

I appreciate the long post. I think we are at a point where we could try this over the holidays.
vr

What a thread.
An online forum can be a really useful means of exchanging information. It can also be a Twilight Zone-like experience of mis-communication.
Look at the number of posts here that mention "confusion"... or a reference to alcohol...
How neat is it that Vicki could somehow communicate through the fog with John and find something helpful!

I have to admit, I was mildly amused that I posted a long detailed response, and probably missed the point of wwpp's question entirely.

Oh well, have fun Vicki.

Excellent post on how to set up a VM, ryanjo. I have always thought that virtual machines are the coolest thing going on computers. Hyper V, etc. In fact, I thought it was so cool, that I demoed it at the user conference, and to be honest, I don't think anyone found it as cool as I.

Thanks for touting me on talking about the uses of VM and testing. Snapshots are 50 times better than System Restore on an OS such as XP, if only because it works.

But, one thing I have talked about ad nauseum was the use of VM and multiple ACs on one machine. This for people who want to open more than one chart at a time or for multiple computers at a nursing station, etc.

But, if the VM is in response to wwpp's issue of multiple logins, it is different. With VM on your computer, as you know, you can run an infinite number of OS. I know one person who had 37. Of course, he didn't run them all at one time. But, basically, it is a separate computer within a computer. So, each can have AC open and AC is accessing the database of the server because it is connected to the database. They aren't having to log in.

Therein lies the difference. With LMI (especially free), it is actually logging in remotely. And with that setup only the one user can log in at a time.

Vicky, good luck with VM. Make sure you know the reasons you are using it. Personally, I find using it as a sandbox for testing purposes is the best. But, it can be used in other ways.

Again, great post, but one thing Jon forgot to mention is that even though you can pay for VMWare or get a free Microsoft version or a free VMWare version, you still much have a license for the guest OS you put on. Some will find it tough to go out and buy WIN7 for $200 + (not sure the price) to put on the system. Of course, you do have the 30 day window.

Actually he did mention it, sorry.