Home Forums Discussions Problems AC is already running message

Sometimes when people in the office open AC in the morning, they get the message "Amazing Charts is already running" please wait for it to start ..something like that.

When we go to task manager it is there, we kill it and start again and it works fine. This has become a habit for some of the staff.

Do folks see this? I have seen this more on 64 bit Win 7 with increase after installing V6.

This is becoming a bigger problem since I am running AC in Terminal Services mode, so folks dont even have option to kill using task manager.

- srini

Have they been logging all the way out? This will happen occasionally if we restart AC, but rarely completely log out, only go to sign on screen, or keep screen open under the windows login.

Srini:

I have had the same problem over and over again. I always log out properly but always try to log in the next day but need to go to task manager and end all the AC tasks and then try again.


Ketan

For my office, this started back in v5 and has continued with EVERY upgrade since (over a year now). We have reported it every time we upgraded to a new version and found the problem persisted and are always told by Tech Support that
"this is a known bug and will be fixed in the next version so go into task manager and stop AC from running every time you get the AC is already running message."

@Ketan,

What do you mean EXACTLY by log out?

I think what Bert (and Wendell) are trying to emphasize is the difference between "logging off" and "shutting down" AC. We think it is rarely appropriate to close or shut down the program. Instead, go to logoff in the file menu, or hit ctrl-L. The "still running" problem only occurs for us when the program is closed completely; it NEVER happens after logging off (and you are looking at the log in screen).

Of course if your computer is shut down, or for some reason restarts overnight....then you lose the benefit of logging off and you may still have this problem. Can you make sure your computer doesn't restart overnight?

I don't see how any computer that has logged off (not locked) or rebooted could have a program in RAM. Sure, when your computer boots up, many services will load and any programs that have shortcuts in the startup folder will load, but they will not compete with another AC in the process.

Best practice would dictate that a computer be logged off and not locked. You can debate over turning it off or not. Our staff simply logs off so that log on is much faster in the morning.

The whole theory of logging off is to insure that there are no programs running either fully or in the background that could be accessing the database while backups are running.

This goes all the way back to Version 1. And, it was a lot worse then with multiple problems. Nearly stopped using AC because of it.

I would imagine that you are right. I was just trying to think of some way that Srini and Ketan could be having this problem UNLESS they are closing AC, rather than logging off.
Waiting to hear specifically when it happens to them.

This is a really annoying problem. When I had XP machines, we could go tothe task manager and see it running and force it to close. With W7 we don't see it running if we try that so we have to rebooot.

Wayne,
I don't think you need to reboot, even in Win7. Rather than looking for an application in the task manager, go to "processes" and find AC running there. Click "end process" and that should do it for you.

I can plainly see it in Task Manager as a program.

All you likely need is a script to shut down the processes manually. Talk to Indy or I can likely get a script for you.

I have instructions to the staff to "QUIT" AC rather than "logoff" just incase I need to restart the server in the night for maint.

I dont undesrtand why the exe should be hanging around after "quit". Killing from taskmanager on regular basis is not good coding practice.

Worries me how can I trust coders who cannot clean up. probably they have some reference to some dll still hanging.

Why aren't "admins" asking their staff to log off their computers?

I have never understood the difference between "quit" and "logoff". I can ask folks to logoff.

It depends what you are referring to. We have to get everyone on the same page here and state what you mean:

Lock computer
Log off computer
Log off AC
Exit AC

Starting with AC, you can use File -> Quit or use the red x button at top right to completely close the program. This SHOULD close the program and not have parts of it running.

To Log off AC so one can quickly log on with another user, you must go to File -> Logout. The program will still be completely running in RAM and no other instance of AC can open.

For computers, it is slightly different. To lock a computer, you can choose the Windows button + L or use CTRL + ALT + DELETE. When you lock it ALL you do is protect it from others. It has done nothing to the state of the computer. Every program and anything running on the computer is still running in RAM or on the taskbar, etc. You cal also have your screesaver automatically lock it.

Locking it is good when you will be taking a short break or you know you will be using it again. This is because you don't have to shut down programs and you don't have to wait for the computer to log back on.

Logging off however has many advantages. Usually, knowing you are going to log off and lose all programs and data, you close them down properly. If not, logging off will close them for you unless Windows can't get some driver to cooperate. WIN 7 now blasts right through those. Logging off shuts all programs off and severs all connections to servers and databases. Also, if you have updates, you cannot damage another program.

The other advantage is if you log off any one without local admin rights can log on. If you just lock it, then an admin will have to log in so they can log off so that user can now log in.

Oh you were talking of logoff of windows. MOst of the staff never does it as it takes sometime for the logon to happen. They just lock the computer and leave for the day.

I just ask them to exit AC.

Srini,
Bert gave a thorough description of several different processes. When you say "exit AC", are you sure they know the difference between "logging out" and "quitting" AC? This is relevant to your problem.

There is no harm in restarting the server even if they are just logged off and not quit.

Just like everything else in life, that which takes longest is generally best. I would ask your users to close their programs and log off their computers when they go home.

Applying user settings and Preparing User's Desktop doesn't take much time.

Assuming that Amazing Charts was properly logged of you can also get this message by 'over double clicking'. Some people (myself included) click too much too quick. You end up double clicking twice and it will try to open program twice.
You can adjust double click speed in control panel. But a sure fire way to avoid this is to just click once to select icon & then press the Enter key.

It seems to me that the programmers could instead of sending the 'AC is already running' message tell you an AC process is running and ask if you wanted to shut it down then load AC.

I assume it is better to actually log off the charts and the computers, as AC Backup runs at night, as does Windows Backup.

Correct. With clients logged off, then there is no way that any program including AC can be connected to the database. So, any backups on the server won't have problems. You will still be able to run antivirus programs if necessary.

I break this rule all the time as I tend to forget to log off my exam room computers.

Of course, a lot of this is easier now with VSS and backup open files with some of the better backup programs.