Home Forums Discussions Problems AC Freezes when typing notes

Hello everyone, I've been having this problem since December 2007 last year. I recently migrated my AC database to a brand new computer (not a server but we called it the MAIN computer). Although AC freezes not everyday but at least once a week or sometimes twice a week. So it happened again this morning. The strangest thing is when AC hangs (on my laptop), I immediately checked the MAIN computer and tried to open AC from the MAIN PC, it didn't open (it will say not responding). The only way to get back on AC is to reboot the MAIN computer. Then all the workstations will be able to reconnect. Does anyone has such problem? Many thanks in advance...

Happens to me sometimes. Are you running a P2P? How many computers are using AC?

Yes I am running P2P. There are five computers that connects to my MAIN PC. The MAIN PC is running XP Pro SP2 and the rest are the same except one Vista machine. I just can't figure out what's going on. I thought it may have something to do with the virus program so I configured it to exclude the AC folder. :-(

FogCityMedical,

Can you describe your exact network configuration? i.e. are the PCs directly connected, are you using a hub, a switch. What type of cable...Cat 5 or Cat 6, etc. What NIC cards are you using? Do you know what they are set for, i.e. Full duplex, half duplex, Autoset, etc.?

Hi FogCity:

Just on first look, I would bet that it's probably your LAN and/or the Windows OSs. It should be an easy fix.

It could be the hub and an incompatability with Windows Vista. If you check http://forums.linksys.com/linksys/board/message?board.id=Hubs&message.id=180 you'll read a story how Windows Vista is incompatible with certain hubs, causing degredation in performance when connected (in that case the guy was using 2 XP machines and 1 Vista machine). In fact, Linksys had to take all their hubs off the "supported under Vista" list at that time (10/2007) according to the author. Imagine the scenario where the Windows Vista machine's MS Access front-end is bringing up a 20000 record table, then suddenly the hub performance degrades, then gets overwhelmed, breaking the connection. Bingo- "the freeze".

Also, you NEVER want to have a MS Access application on a more advanced Windows OS platform on a LAN accessing data from a backend MS Access application sitting on older version Windows OS platform. I did this back in 1999 with Window 2000 computers accessing a Windows ME computer and it corrupted my MS Access tables big time with occasional, but annoying once-a-week lockups. The poor LAN connection bug was never acknowledged anywhere by Microsoft, but once corrected (by getting the Windows ME off the LAN altogether), it never recurred.

FIX: You might wish to disconnect the Vista machine to make sure that it is not the culprit. If it is, either go all-XP or switch everything to Vista and be sure that you have a Vista compatible hub.

BTW, CNET UK placed Vista as one of Top ten terrible tech products last year... http://hubpages.com/hub/Cnet-Vista-one-of-Top-ten-terrible-tech-products

Good luck!
Al

Al, you're getting one step ahead of me, lol.

This is why we need a complete understanding of the LAN. It is difficult to mix and match and probably more so with P2P. Also NO Windows XP Home (which it sounds like you don't have). Vista is bad but may not be the only issue.

1. Make sure you have a high quality switch that is as fast as your NIC cards. Again, are they 10/100 or 10 or what?
2. The part I don't like about some Main computer setups is -- is anyone using that PC?

It is probably a networking issue as Al points out.

Al, J/K.

Guys,
Hello everyone, the kids and I are back. Now before you all go jumping all over the place, let's not forget our AC basics...

Fog,
Have you tried to do something as simple as:
1) Run Amazing Utilities???

2) Simply reboot the network by powering down your routers and your modem and then properly turning them all back on in proper sequence from modem out to the router(s) and so on???

I think 1 is your real problem and that is why AU is there in the first place. Just had to run it myself after coming home. The girls had a weird problem with a few select patients in "D" names not wanting to take an appointment. Never saw that before. But I simply ran AU "Fix a Malfunctioning database" and now the problem seems to be resolved. AU fixes many weird issues. Let me know....

Paul

Hey Bert and Al, thanks for your advice. here's a detail picture for my LAN. One MAIN PC with XP PRO-SP2, 4 PCs with XP PRO-SP2 and 1 PC with Vista. I also have one network printer. They are all wired to TWO 100/1000 8-port Dlink switches and they are daisy-chained. (I ran out of ports on the first switch so I need to buy the second switch). Now, I don't know having the two switches daisy chained will be the cause for the freeze problem so yesterday I replaced the two Dlink switches with ONE 16-port Linksys workgroup switch. I am keeping my fingers crossed here. ;-D

Oh, an additional weird thing that I forgot to mention regarding the freeze. I also dedicate the MAIN computer for file sharing besides AC database. And every time when AC freezes on the workstations, I will also lost connection to the shared resourses on the MAIN PC. Isnt that weird? Oh, there is no one using the MAIN PC at all. I set it aside and no one is allowed to use it.

Thanks AL for pointing out the Linksys Hubs issue. That's good to know. And also about the MS application runing on different OSs platform. I would never thought about that. Maybe my next step is to down grade my Vista PC to XP PRO just rule out that possibility. Ummm....

Thanks guys
Tommy from FogCity

Tommy,

Thanks for the name. It's much easier. And, welcome to AC. Definitely, try the Amazing Utilities, but I don' think this will fix your entire issue.

In a true server/client domain, we tend to always blame these issues on DNS. Here, I think it is going to be a networking issue. From what you are saying, it seems like your computers just lose their connection to the server or the database is crashing on the server.

I am not a big believer in Vista yet, although SP1 is coming out anytime. I wouldn't call it downgrading, I would call it "upgrading" to XP, lol. Right now, Tommy, XP Pro is the best OS Windows has ever put out, and it is rock solid as an OS and a network component. I don't think having two switches will cause issues, but I do think it makes sense to get a larger one and use only one.

These may help:

http://cws.internet.com/article/3592-.htm

http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/3667576

Also, I insure that my databases are truly databases for the network, but only having the AC folder on the server and not the actual program.

=================

If all else fails, you could actually do it completely the opposite by not running AC on the clients and only running it on the server and sharing out the executable file. This isn't the recommended congig, but last time I tried, it worked fine.

HTH

Not that I am tech savvy, but we had similar problems until we disabled the anti-virus software. Things worked like a charm afterwards without lockups. Part of the problem was that 2 computers, the main one and a laptop, had the same make of anti-virus software, but 2 different registrations. Seemed to throw things for a loop. Once I disabled one of the computers' software, the whole system worked fine. Just a thought.

Thanks Bert. Yeah, I did run the AC Utilities several times already and it doesn't seem to do the trick. Since i already replaced the switch, if it freezes again, I am gonna get rid of the Vista machine for sure. HAHA!!!

And David, what I did on the MAIN PC is I configured the anti-virus software not to scan my AC folder. Because I am afraid if I disabled the entire anti-virus software altogether, then i wont have any virus protection? So should I do the same thing on the workstations too?

I will keep you all posted on this...
Please pray for me, guys!!!
Many thanks to everyone.
Tommy ;-D

Question: How does the rest of the system work if you simply don't ever boot or use the Vista computer? And perhaps I missed it but what anti-virus package are you using anyway? Perhaps your settings in there are funkie and some are better than others. Bert and I use TrendMicro stuff ourselves. I think they are much better than anything Norton. Just a thought....

Tommy,
Remember, I am not a techie! Just wanted to share my problem , but it sounds like you have that angle covered. We had problems with Norton and it all went away when I uninstalled Norton from the main computer. Still running Norton on my laptop just fine. So I am not sure what to tell you, except you are probably better off listening to the tech savvy folks (of which we have quite a few on the boards...thankfully) instead of me!

Tommy:

Why don't you turn the Vista machine into a gaming machine to keep the kids in the waiting room entertained? That's the only thing that it's good for. You can even get a Wii and put it right next to it so that folks can play "Guitar Hero"! For the serious stuff- stick to XP. The bugs are now worked out; all the drivers work; it's reliable overall.

I agree about the antivirus- Norton and PC Tools Antivirus are really bad. They have a very large footprint and can bring down processing to a crawl. I also like Trend Micro and even like AVG a lot. Occasionally I use a free on-line scanning from McAfee (see http://www.rcn.com/customer/virusscan.php ).

At emrupdate in the past folks have come down hard on MS Access programs for the freeze problems when almost 100% of the time it's a LAN or OS issue.

Very interesting thread, BTW.

Cheers,
Al

I would second the Symantec thing. I have no idea how they stay in business. Can't say enough good things about Trend Micro, but I am referring to the corporate edition. AVG and NOD32 make good products as well.

While XP Pro is the way to go, don't be too hard on yourself for using Vista. I use it at home simply because some day it will probably be forced on us. It isn't that bad.

I think Microsoft should take a cue from McIntosh, and come out with smaller updates more frequently. Part of the difficulty with Vista is it is such a complete feature shock. Also, Bill tends to think we are all stupid when it comes to security and attachments and more and more wants to hold our hand when it comes to these issues.

The other thing with Vista that not everyone is aware of is that it absolutely requires 2 GBs or RAM and, if you are going to use, Aero, you need a very good Video card. There is also a way to strip it down so it uses less resources.

BTW, what version of Vista are you using? It comes in seven flavors. Is it an upgrade or a full version? Did you install it clean or over another OS?

Keep in mind that while SAV can causes problems on your computer, it can cause bigger problems off your computer. It is without a doubt, the most difficult program to uninstall ever made. Especially on a server. If one just uninstalls it from Add/Remove programs, there will be so many telltale signs on your PC, you may as well not uninstall it.

If you go to uninstall SAV, make sure you go to the website and search for uninstall your version. Then follow those directions to a "T." This will require registry key deletions, etc., but it is the only way to uninstall it properly.

I will never put a Symantec/Norton product on my computer ever again. I don't even know how they stay in business.

I just deleted the last copy of Norton that I can from our last machine to install Trend on it. First I followed their instruction which was thru add/remove, but that then brought up their own removal program or utility. But it still left a few thing behind and I kind of knew this would happen. So I had already copied to disc a copy of their own removal tool which you can download for free from the website. I ran this before I installed my new TrendMicro Pro version of internet security so I would have as clean a machine as possible before I installed my new one. And even then I had to call Trend (first time I have every had an issue like this) because the darn things wouldn't activate after installing. It could take updates, but it was having trouble activating. Very strange.

In summary, Bert is correct in that Norton has lots of tenticles that are very hard to get rid of once in place. I almost thought of wiping and re-loading my laptop but so far all is good it seems. Oh and the removal tool seems to remove almost all Symantec products so be careful if you have others. We didn't but it is an issue to be aware of.

Welcome to AC Tommy.

I used to have a P2P system until Sept '07 I upgraded to server/client system.

My practice management program worked beautifully until I installed Vista on my "Main Computer." Then it kept crashing and not responding. Once I upgraded to server model, everything was fine.

I think given the configuration you described, I would DEFINITELY re-install Window XP-Pro on that one lingering machine w/ Vista. While in theory XP-Pro and Vista should interface, in practice they don't do so very well. there are many differences between the two. Either have EVERYTHING XP-PRO, or EVERYTHING VISTA. If you go w/ VISTA, make certain it is BUSINESS edition.

I love Bert like a brother, but I will disagree w/ him on this point. I don't consider Vista to XP-Pro a "downgrade." My bias is that you should have all your machines running Vista Business.

I am actually using Vista-Business on all of my clients and Window Small Business Server 2003 on my server. For a reasonably small investment, you could upgrade to have a real server and therefore a much more robust system.

P2P connections are prone to "hang-ups," and "broken links." This is probably the issue, however removing Vista or upgrading everything to Vista could resolve the issue.

Another point or two you MUST consider, as Al alluded to. Firewalls. Firewalls. Firewalls. They are great but the source of many a problem. Make certain that AC is on the "allowed list," on each computer's version of Window Firewall. Make certain that IF your virus scanner is ALSO a software firewall (like McAfee), you TURN OFF the software firewall.

The only firewalls you should have are your HARDWARE firewall that your internet modem connects to, and your Window Firewall on every machine. Any other SOFTWARE firewalls need to be off.

Bert,
Do you remember who recommended that I buy Symantec Antivirus 10.0, business edition? I can't remember, but I'm certain it wasn't the Tooth Fairy.

Adam,

See I don't love you like a brother (J/K), therefore I recommended Symantec. Symantec works pretty well when it's on, you just can't get it off -- kind of like an antidepressant I won't give to patients.

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?effexor

This is a must read for anyone prescribing Effexor to his or her patients.

But, when your prescription (not to Effexor) but to Symantec runs out, you can switch to Trend Micro. Some corporate AV programs don't play well with SBS. Yes, and all you have to do to get Symantec off perfectly (and, yes, I know of all the ways Symantec recommends to remove it including the two hour manual version) is just reformat your server.

Ah now I see why you recommended Symantec.
Remember the old adage, "keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer?"

Reformatting the server, sounds fun. I have not done more than 10X, but only when I was 1st configuring it. Since then, I'll never reformat again. Doing the RAID was the fun part, installing SBS was just boring.

Oh, but it's much more fun reformatting SBS midstream. To see how it is done, go to http://www.creatingcomputerproblems.com.

Please leave any comments for the webmaster.

Oh, and don't forget to reformat your SBS and then not reinstall your antivirus for ten days. Your machine runs perfectly..of course you run that slight risk of malware.

If everything on my system is working fine, but I want to screw it all up....can I go to www.creatingcomputerproblems.com in order to find new ways of causing problems?

No better way to test your computer savvy than to be able to break your computer AND fix it. The ultimate challenge is this: crack the motherboard AND still make the computer work. Are you up for this one Bert?

Would the two of you care for a few "Fire Plugs" to pee on while you're at it???

"I Dare ya", "Well I double dare you."

On Discovery Channel, a show called MythBusters...you ever see it? On one challenge, they demystify the urban legend that you better not pee on the 3rd rail of the train track/subway track otherwise you get electrocuted.

They proved that if you pee standing up, no electric shock because the urine stream breaks up. HOWEVER, pee 6 inches from the track and ZAAAAAAAAPPPPPPP......you have a freshly chared, well, uhm, member of your body.

hello everyone, I am back. And guess what, my MAIN computer froze again. So I replaced the 2 daisy-chained switches with ONE 16-port switch. I was hoping that the problem will go away. Dream on...haha. And yes, I still have the Vista machine (by the way, its the Home Premium edition of Vista) Ok, so I am going to take that machine out of the loop, period. :-D And thanks for everybody's advice. much appreciated!!! Will keep you posted soon...

FogCity,

Sorry you are still having problems. Troubleshooting can be a pain. When I first got AC in 2003 (and Jon probably remembers this), it would just crash and burn three to four times a day. We would have to turn them all off and fix the databases. This was back in the day of having to have them all off to fix the database (which is a good idea anyway). To make matters worse, in the good old peer-to-peer days, some users had the fast user switching thing and when AC was shut down on any computer, it would sometimes run in the background. You would have to use Task Manager to find out. So, with fast user switching, you would have to actually go into each one and check if you couldn't fix the database. Everyone in the office knew the drill and knew which computers to cover. We had a game plan.

But as fast as it happened (for at least a month -- with tons of support from Jon), it went away. Same version. The only thing I did AND I KNOW THIS SHOULD'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE, but I installed Access on the pseudoserver. Shouldn't matter, but it never happened again. Coincidence? Probably.

By the way, and don't take this personally and it probably doesn't matter on a peer-to-peer that is working, but you can't use XP Home or most home versions on a domain. And, I recall one of my "guru" networking friends saying "What is it about home that offices don't understand?" I got the point and my friend changed to all Vista Business from XP Home.

Good luck. We will hang with you.

My computers still do this. I am always double-clicking on my AC icon and finding that it never completely shut down to begin with.

>>> Ok, so I am going to take that machine out of the loop, period. :-D

Finally! (LOL)

Bert's right about the "Home" edition of Vista or XP- they aren't supposed to be used on a LAN. That issue should make the connection almost impossible, but shouldn't freeze the LAN.

You've pretty much ruled out the hub as the culprit. This now leads you to look at the server itself as having an intrinsic problem which can cause it to power down or shut off. I had this issue once, but fortunately it occurred on a node computer, thus NOT affecting the whole LAN.

My theory then was that this computer was locking up due to a faulty power supply box, a relatively common occurrence which is a relatively easy fix.

It would have episodes of computer "bradycardia" where it would briefly and partially power down then power up to normal functioning. About 1 in 3 episodes would result in a computer freeze. The fix would be to just buy a new 600 Watt power supply (see http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&dfsp=1&from=R10&_trksid=m37&satitle=computer+power&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=22124&sabfmts=1&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&fsop=1%26fsoo%3D1&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search ).

I took it home, disassembled the computer, and lo and behold, the system worked with the new power box! No more "bradycardia" episodes. I reassembled the computer, put everything back into the housing, closed it up and then the issue recurred. It turned out to be a short in the fan of the computer casing- a fan with a lot of light and other fancy stuff. Unplugging it fixed the issue and it has worked for almost 2 years now. I let the new power box in there anyhow since it's on all the time.

Another computer would freeze after 5 minutes of working. The first thing that came to mind was that it was a heat issue, but the CPU fan was working fine as was the box fan. One day in a dream it came to me (yeah, I dream about computers!!!). It was most likely a problem with the CPU conduction goo, or lack thereof, so the CPU fan was not being effective since the heat was not being transferred from the CPU wafer to the fan. I went to Radio Shack, bought a $1.50 goo tube and bingo! Fixed.

So there- you have more issues to consider, in order. Post here and we'll all walk you through it if you get stuck. Here are some good sources on computer disassembly:
* http://www.build-your-own-computers.com/5-tips-for-disassembling-a-computer.html
* http://www.pccomputernotes.com/assembly/disassembly01.htm



BTW, tonight I brought home another computer from the office to fix what may be a true faulty power supply box. The thing has had issues since I first bought it a year ago. I got it revved up yesterday only to have the thing work for a day, then only to show a black screen continuously broken by a rare occasional picture of a brief perfect WinXP screen. I'll be taking it apart tomorrow (my day off). More later on that issue...

Cheers,
Al

Bert,
That friend of your did the same EXACT thing I did. He got rid of XP Home and installed Vista Business? I did the SAME THING.

what a coincidence...

Ok- last night I looked "under the hood" at this HP computer that I purchased on 12/2006 with what seemed like decent specs at the time- $400 for a 3GHz "multimedia edition" WinXP with 1GB DDR2 ram memory. It was for a friend of mine- an FP. It has been in storage since being purchased; I just want to get this thing cranked up!

The reality of the situation was that it had some very prominent problems/flaws that were caused by HP cutting corners:

* The 250GB HD was a Seagate (Seagate HD are probably the most unreliable HD out there)
* The Power Supply box put out only 250 Watts- I haven't seen one of these weaklings since the 386 computer days 15 years ago!
* The 1GB Ram wasn't really 1GB- about 30% of it went to the graphics adapter card.
* The computer box was crowded- typical of HP computers. Although the motherboard had expansion slots for 3 more SATA drives, there was neither the room nor the power to support them.

I then looked at the monitor- the HP Pavilion f1703. That was the culprit of my blackouts. It is well known to have several fusion joint problems (see http://www.lesliewong.us/blog/2005/05/02/hp-pavilion-f1703-flat-panel-display-blackout-solution/ ). HP will not fix it since this monitor is now way out of date, even though this is a design problem. I'm going to have to do some soldering in the next few days. Fun.

I took a 350GB Maxtor drive and put it in as the primary drive leaving the Seagate as a backup drive. I then ordered 2 more GB "DDR2" ram from Crucial.com for about $78, not a bad deal. I had to order SATA cables, as I had never worked with SATA drives before ($4 eBay). I ordered a 600 Watt Power Supply from eBay (~$30).

Take home message: don't buy HP unless you absolutely have to. Heck, even I like to not have to deal with this stuff!

Hey Alborg, is it a coincidence or what, my only Vista PC(Home Premium edition) on my P2P network is also a HP machine. Anyway, I removed it from my network already and let's see if there is anymore freezing issue. I am keeping my fingers crossed here. :-D

Al,
Some wonderful photos there dude. BTW, we really call those solder joint issues, "Cold Solder Joints" because they usually are caused by not heating up the actual connector hot enough. I gather you know proper soldering technique, but for those who don't here we go. You need to put a dab of solder on the iron's tip for good heat conduction, then apply the tip of the iron to the connector you are soldering, and only when the solder can melt from coming in contact with the wire and or connector that you are soldering (not the old melt the solder on the iron's tip and then allow it to drip onto the connection, that causes the fore mentioned cold solder joints) itself are you ready to apply the solder to the joint you are creating.

Another good tip for folks is, if you are connecting a bare wire to some sort of connector, it is best to first "Tin" the wire before attempting to solder it to any connector. This is simply done by heating up the wire to the point where again the solder can freely melt and flow into and onto the strands themselves without touching the tip. Now you will have a much better connection with that wire you are mating to the connector. Hope this helps all you DIO'ers out there. Have fun....

Fog,
If it's HP, then you KNOW it's not the computer.

Fog,

Bert's playing with your mind!

You have a few things to fix it up:

1) Get a new Power Box.
2) Make the primary HD the secondary, and get a Maxtor or Western Digital HD for the primary HD.
3) If the video is part of the motherboard, consider adding in a separate video card.
4) Consider upgrading the memory to 2-4 GB.

I finally got my HP computer working... it's limping along with the new Maxtor HD (the Seagate just couldn't hold a boot sector, which is weird). Hockeyref, the f1703 monitor only had a problem where the power cord plugs into the chassis. I taped it in tight and it now works. Never had to take it apart to do any soldering!

Had I not looked under the computer cover, I would have never known what was really there. Its motherboard looks pretty decent:

I'm waiting on the other stuff to come in (SATA cable, Ram memory, Power Box).

Which HP computer do you have? (for example, I have a HP Pavilion a1040n)

Cheers,
Al

Gotta chuckle on that one.

The problems you are finding really center on whether you purchase a consumer class or a business class machine. I agree it shouldn't be that way but it is. I would recommend that AC users not purchase a consumer class machine for your office, especially when an office attempts to make their purchase last 3-5 years. You really do "get what you pay for".

In my previous role, we actually had a dedicated team to evaluate desktop and workstation hardware vendors and their hardware offerings. We did comparisons and testing between HP, Dell, IBM (now Lenovo), Gateway & SUN and we monitored our warranty experience with all the vendors.

You guys might laugh after Al's post but HP came out consistently on top. With their business class machines, HP had the best in class performance, durability and design. They just were designed to last.

If I were going to buy desktops again, I would recommend looking at the HP xw4600 Workstation line. Something more like:

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/en/WF05a/12454-12454-296719-307907-296721-3429268.html

I agree completely with Eric. My statement to Fox was not to confuse him, it was meant to give my kudos to HP. I doubt it is due to the computer being HP. Everyone has their favorite computer vendors based on experience.

I have all my computers custom built (no, I don't mean we build our own computers or do some fancy thing), we just use a vendor online and decide which components to use and how to set it up. I would have no issues going through Dell or HP. HP is an extremely rock solid reputable company which makes the best printers hands down. They haven't been in the PC business as long, but they use the same work ethic and ideas.

As Eric will tell you, I am sure, all of the other companies should take classes from HP's support. Dell built their empire on it, then decided to change over to explodable batteries (OK, low blow). My warranty ran out on a machine, and I called HP twice in two weeks for an issue, and BOTH support techs told me my warranty had run out and BOTH solved my problem. I asked them how much the support would be, and they said, "Oh, this is easy, I'm not going to charge you. Try that with Microsoft.

I don't mean to disagree with Al, he could be completely right. But, I think he is getting too technical and changing a networking problem into a computer issue. I have a friend who always tells me, "think DNS first." I don't think your issue is DNS, but it just seems like a networking issue. When troubleshooting, which is what you have to do, go back to basics and start where it is working. Use the machine you have the program running as the main database. Then add another until it works, etc. With networking, it could be many things including the NIC card, the settings on the NIC, the IP address, anything.

Another friend of mine who is super computer smart and rather condescding always tells me, "All of your problems stem from not having it set up in the first place." And, to this day, he has always been right. But, we don't always have it set up correctly the first day, soo...

AmazingCharts can certainly be run peer-to-peer, but so can many programs. Many of these headaches would disappear with a server/client domain. I am not saying that AC is a program which runs as a server/client; it is not. But, having a dedicated server with a server operating system which sets up all of your networking is helpful. Doesn't mean you can't run peer-to-peer (most users on here do, and that's fine). I ran peer-to-peer for six years.

It can also be helpful to have your computer system set up by a certified IT person who shows you everything he/she does. Then you can fix these problems yourself, but when it gets too difficult or it's Monday morning at 8:00AM, you can make that call.

Just a quick outline that may help. And, I realize that people are already locked into certain configurations which would cost money to get out of. But, if you are planning a network or thinking of changing one, think of either two configurations:

1. A server with a server OS and all clients running XP Pro.
2. If no server and no server OS so peer-to-peer, run AC on an XP Pro machine and all clients/PCs which will connect to it should run XP Pro. The computer with the main database would be the computer you want the best hardware, i.e. most RAM and processing speed.

Disclaimer: Some people like Vista and Vista Business or Vista Ultimate are fine. It's just that SP1 is just coming out, and one day, there will likely be an SP2. Plus, seven different versions is five or six too many. Microsoft would save everyone a lot of headaches if they would simply release one version for all. But XP Pro is a rock solid OS (probably Microsoft's best to date) which has proven itself over and over in a networking environment. Getting Home versions for business network environment is not ideal as the home version is not set up to network well. For instance, XP Home won't even connect to a domain. Mixing and matching can also make troubleshooting more difficult.

Disclaimer 2: I am comparing apples to apples in the Microsoft world. I am not saying anything about Linix or Mac or others.