Home Forums Discussions Problems Trouble finding database

Hello,
I have AC installed on a "main computer" and have 3 wireless clients. (Two running on Windows 7 Professional and One On Windows XP)

All 4 computers stay on all day (I disabled sleep)

However, when I logout of AC for the day, the following morning when I log back on to AC, both my Windows 7 computers are in search for AC database, while my XP never has that issue.

What do I do??

Map a network drive on the client computers. When you browse for the database the next time, choose the database file from the network drive in my computer.
Windows 7:

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk94/sandeepluthra/Tutorials/3b11f13f.png

Windows XP:

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk94/sandeepluthra/Tutorials/1782cb11.png

Also, check the power settings of the network card. I detailed it in the image below:
1. Click your network connection in the system tray
2. Open the Network and Sharing Center
3. Click the Wireless Network Connection (I don't use wireless, but same thing applies)
4. Click Properties
5. Click Configure
6. Go to the Power Management Tab and uncheck the box under "Allow the computer to turn off this device..."

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk94/sandeepluthra/Tutorials/e01a4ebf.png

You haven't told us anything about your "main" computer.

"Main" computer is a standalone desktop running Windows 7 professional

In the interest of avoiding repetitive questions and answers, here is the beginning of this thread (I think).

Dr. Nico,
It seems to me this is related to your use of a wireless network. Your Win7 machine is hibernating or sleeping, or somehow entering a state which allows the connection to be lost. There is something in your "power options" that is permitting this. I would suggest you follow Bert's suggestions and go through the "power options" to be sure that machine NEVER hibernates, sleeps, or otherwise powers down.

I have just been troubleshooting what may be a related problem in my network. I have a desktop (not wireless) that frequently hunting for the AC database on my server whenever it starts up. I was able to fix the problem (since my server has a fixed IP address on the network) by typing in the server IP address instead of the server name in the search box when you instruct AC to "Browse for the Database". In my case I typed \\192.168.2.120, which is the fixed address for the server. It has not lost the database since.

John,

Can you explain step by step how you do that? I can't see a place where you can enter an IP address. Thanks.

Thanks for the detailed help!
I have already mapped the AC folder from the "main" on all clients.
In addition, the computers are set to "Always ON" and I disabled the wireless adapter from sleeping. My problem is, say I have a Windows update that requires a restart. Upon rebooting, and opening AC, the client always looks for the database.

When AC on your client computer can't find the database, the AC Setup Assistant window opens ("Click the Next button to find your main computer database"). After clicking Next, a new window appears titled "Please find the file called AmazingCharts.xml on the MAIN COMPUTER". Instead of browsing through the network to find the server, I type "\\192.168.2.120" (my server's fixed network IP) in the box at the bottom of the window and click the "Open" button. The files on the server display. Then I navigate through the files to get to the AmazingCharts.xml file, and click open. AC starts up.

Jon I have also done that and I still have the same problem

Cool!

Much appreciated. It's beastly hot here in Florida.

I realize that you said you can't go with a wired network, but I'd try a temporary cabled connection through your router just for troubleshooting. It might tell you whether to focus on an AC problem or a wireless network (router or adapters) problem.

Well if that is truly the case, you will be in much better shape...and closer to diagnosing the problem. Let us know if that is where you are.

Just a few random, very random thoughts.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
- <AmazingCharts>
- <Settings>
<LocalDbPath>D:\Amazing Charts\AmazingCharts.mdf</LocalDbPath>
<SqlPortNumber>61067</SqlPortNumber>
</Settings>
</AmazingCharts>

Check your XML file. I don't see how you could connect at all if it weren't correct, but it can't hurt to check. Caveat to everyone. I don't think this will work -- just fun.

On the main computer, make sure that IT has all power options turned on, especially NIC card.

On the main computer under performance options, Advanced tab, make sure that it is set for "Background Services." Clients should be set for "Programs."

At this point you have a small sample size of WIN7 to XP Pro. Sounds like it may be an issue with WIN7, but do you have any other XP Pro machines you can add to the network to see if XP always works and WIN7 never does. That would get your troubleshooting down. I just started using WIN7, and I find the park bench and Home and Work, etc. to be rather silly. The power settings are silly. Makes it more difficult to network in my mind. It networks better, but setting it up is different.

If it happens everytime during bootup, then it could be a service, program or driver issue.

Open your Run command and enter "msconfig" without the quotes and hit enter.

On the services tab, click on "Hide All Microsoft Services" and reboot. See if it stays connected.

Then run the Startup tab. Disable all. If it stays connected, then reboot and disable five at a time until it disconnects, then troubleshoot those five.

Under General tab, click on Diagnostic Startup and check again. If this changes things, it may be difficult to find out which driver.

What antivirus are you running on the clients. Are they different on XP than the WIN7s? Disable the Antivirus and/or firewalls on the WIN7s and reboot.

If you are running McAfee or Norton Suites turn them off. And, turn them off by uninstalling them. Especially if you have McAfee or Norton on the WIN7s and not on XP. And, ESPECIALLY, if you have McAfee.

Agreed. Norton Internet Security causes problems for a lot of people. Just today someone called me and took us 2 hours to figure out that Norton Internet Security was blocking access. (He told me he had Norton at the end of the two hours lol.) Uninstalled that and the internet came back.

Also when you map the network drives, instead of using \\MainComputer\Amazing Charts; try \\192.168.2.120\Amazing Charts if you already haven't.

Yeah, I have learned the NM rule awhile back. One of the first questions I ask.

Also, rather than looking back at all of Sandeep's incredible directions and pictures (thanks, those were great), he means to put in the UNC path of \\192.168.1.20\Amazing Charts in the Folder window. Don't browse. (again he may have already said that). Also, obviously, click the box reconnect at logon or you delete the whole purpose. Consider Connect using a different user name that has admin privileges if any problems.

Ok so major update!

During this whole time I've had Norton Antivirus as well as Windows firewall running. Despite these barriers my Windows XP computer which would go to standby every night NEVER lost the database. Meanwhile my 2 Windows 7 computers, which remained on ALL the time including the wireless card which never went to sleep, would lose the connection any time the computer was restarted.

So, I went to Windows firewall and "Allowed a program through Firwewall" and enabled AC for this. This however still did not fix my problem. Then I completely disabled the Windows firewall, and for the past two days, I've had no issues! I honestly can not tell if Norton is running a firewall in the background, however.

So my question now is, assuming I have no firewall protection, is my computer/data being compromised?

Individual firewalls, as long as they are inside a *nix firewall, are of marginal utility in my book.

I run the risk of sounding like a skipping record (ha ha - how retro), but the single greatest thing that you can do to SECURE your individual machines is NOT run as a user with administrative privileges. /soapbox off

And ... if you are really concerned about your patient data and want that extra level of paranoid comfort, you can always use full disk encryption, or encrypt the Amazing Charts directory, so that the disk/directory have to be de-crypted before the data can be accessed.

I wouldn't worry so much about the firewall if you have a hardware firewall, BUT...I don't see how Windows Firewall could be the problem if you EVER had connectivity.

How would it intermittently only stop the connection when a computer was rebooted. I mean a fireall port is either open or closed.

I can't prove this, but I think the whole Windows can power off the NIC card thing doesn't do much.

To backtrack a bit, firewall and especially suites are big players in these issues, but again, not intermittently. But, isn't it ironic that we talked about Norton. You really should know if Norton has a firewall or not. It is either Norton Antivirus or Norton Antivirus/Firewall/Whatever else suite. Look in Add/Remove Programs or Programs and Features. Do you have the box or the download? I would just get the free version of Avast or run MBAM and take off Norton.

Have you had mapped drives before Sandeep recommended them?

With P2P, it's more important to have a firewall, then if you had a server. Windows Firewall has come a long way. You could also consider Microsoft Security Essentials as your malware solution. Better than Norton or McAfee and won't screw up your computer.

Not that it matters, but you can also open port 61067, which will accomplish the same thing as adding AC program. But, generally, once again, if you have connected once, it usually does this automatically.

My point about individual firewalls is that they are primarily for preventing peer-to-peer attacks on the same network subnet. From my experiences in dealing with forensically analysis, the vast majority of attacks are now single computer attacks. File payloads, web-scripts, malformed attachments (PDF is almost matching IE attacks now).

That said, we use and recommend Sophos, or Avast! if you want free. Bad AV produces almost as many problems as attacks anymore.

No love from you guys for AVG? I have been happy with the free version for years. Am I just out of date?

I use ESET but not on the server. Avast is great. I think AVG is very good.

If you started a thread asking which AV is the best, you would likely get 30 posts or more.

I got tired of AVG splashing the upgrade ads every time you need a new virus description update. Microsoft Security Essentials doesn't badger you.

Microsoft Security Essentials works great. Got it on 8 computers. If you want a managed solution, check out Forefront. TrendMicro makes an affordable package as well. We opted for MSE because you can't use AVG free edition in a commercial settings. MSE on the other hand is licensed for 10 computers in a commercial setting.

I wonder why it is free. All I can think of, is while it is profitable for them to take that $250 support charge, they probably hate troubleshooting difficult malware issues. They really are no fun even with MBAM, Combofix and the other one that Trend Micro bought.