Home Forums Discussions Problems I have baffled ACs level three tech support

I took the plunge this past New Years break and upgraded from 6.3.3 to 7.1.3. I have 18 computers (yes 18) that run AC, plus a separate dedicated domain server and AC Server. I have a hybrid network with 5 computer workstations that run on a server/domain configuration. These computers run our practice management software and are serviced by a third party vender. The other 13 computer workstations are set up as a peer to peer. All of the computers are hard wired into an network switch and all talk to eachother without problems. We have multiple network programs that run without issues, and have for many years (including AC). All computers are less than 2 years old and all run Windows 7 Pro (except for the domain server which runs Server 2003). All updates have been applied. The computers all accepted the AC update without problems. However, when AC was run on each computer, three of them have had issues. Those three are computer workstations that are part of the domain group. It is interesting that when AC is started, the computers easily connect to SQL and the main screen for AC opens. I can generate a report, search the database, access administrative functions etc. However, when I click on a patient name... nothing happens. After about 30 seconds, the bug window comes up and the program stops. After a few more seconds it says that over a dozen errors have occurred and shuts down. AC tech support has spent over 3 hours trying to figure this out, but without success. They said they have to have the developers look into it? Meanwhile, two of those 3 computers are my check-in and check-out computers. Yep. My reception staff is not very happy. I just beats me how 15 computers can update and run without a hitch... but then there's those other three... Those three are part of the domain portion of my network, but one of the other two working domain workstations is identical to two of the non-working computers. Why would a workstation connect with the AC SQL database and allow limited access, but crash when an attempt is made to open a patient chart? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Dear Ed,

It's no fun, but you could try a clean reinstall of Windows 7 on your least important system.

Most W7 systems come with a reinstall DVD or a recovery partition.

Wipe out the existing installation, reinstall W7, turn off W7 updates, and install AC.

If AC works, turn on W7 updates and expect to run up to 200 W7 updates overnight.

Then install your other programs, one by one, checking as you go to see if any of them kill AC.

***

Or you can try as many of the three repairs listed below as you can stand on your least important system. The first two, tweaking and combofix, are most likely to help, fairly easy to run, and quicker than reinstalling W7.

Each of the three repairs (tweaking, combofix, and revo uninstall with cleanups) have solved mysterious AC problems for my clients.

The repair programs are all free and available at www.majorgeeks.com

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1) Try tweaking.exe with all repair options checked and anti-virus disabled. About half an hour to run.

***

2) Try combofix.exe with anti-virus disabled, also about half an hour to run.

***

3) Use Revo uninstaller (www.majorgreeks.com) to do a full uninstall of all the AC programs, not just the main AC program (sort by date in Revo's detail-view and all the programs with the same install date are part of AC).

Delete the empty AC folders, which are easy to find with everything.exe.

Run ccleaner.exe's registry and file cleaning options.

Run Wise Disk cleaner and Wise Registry cleaner (with deep option)

Run Auslogics Registry cleaner.

If anything is left of AC after all this, it's darned well hidden.

Reinstall AC.

***

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Thanks Carl. I'm going to see what ACs developers have in mind today. However, mal-ware or a virus certainly could be a problem.

Ed,

It may have been already tried, but just in case, ahve you tried pointing to the server via IP?

Domains and workgroups use different name resolution approaches, so it may be that simple.

Dear Ed,

As usual, Indy has a very good suggestion, namely checking how AC points to the server, by name or by IP. If your other domain computers are working because they were set up to use an IP to point to the AC server, then your problem has a simple fix and everything that I suggested would be a huge waste of time.

***

Just to clarify, I doubt that you have a virus problem.

Tweaking.exe and combofix.exe are not primarily anti-virus programs. They're registry-repair programs that like to be run with any anti-virus program like AVG disabled to avoid interference.

For example, tweaking.exe can trigger anti-virus warnings when it cleans up file permission and ownership problems.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Dear Indy and Carl,

I received a message from AC Tier III tech support. They did try to re-path the workstations, but no luck. Presently, they are analyzing my database and trying to replicate the "out of memory" error. Here are the bug details:

Version 7.1.3
User: Nursing
Active Form: frmSchedule
Active Control: dblistPatients Value ***
Source: Context:SetChartForm line: 230
Error: (7) Out of Memory

The same error occurs on all 3 computers, although the line number value in the Source varies.

Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a software engineer!

Dear Ed,

Given the "Error: (7) Out of Memory" message, I'd use regedit to look at the registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\SubSystems

and its subkey Windows

(which is long and will end with ... in the display)

on a computer that fails and see if it differs from the same key on a computer that works.

It should include the phrase "Windows SharedSection=1024,20480,768" somewhere in the middle.

Double-click on the "Windows" subkey and arrow left and right to view it.

If you see lower numbers, you may have found your problem.

If not, you've only wasted a minute or two ruling that out.

***

About the middle of this page are detailed directions to find, view. and fix the key:

http://www.windowsanswers.net/articles/fix-error7-manual

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Thanks Carl, I will check that out.

I have an idea if the above suggestions don't work.

Sandeep,

Unfortunately, the above suggestions did not work. I know that you have helped many on this forum. Any ideas would be appreciated. Otherwise, I am committed to 4 to 6 hours of OS re-installation on these 3 computers plus hundreds of windows updates plus the monetary cost of paying our practice management software tech to come in and re-install that program on each computer and connecting it back to the domain.

Domain Controllers and Domain joined computers are picky about permissions. The issue is that the AC installer is geared towards P2P networks and resets the security permissions upon upgrade and adding the Everyone group to the ACL. The way it is declared is what domain controllers don't like. It's a recent "improvement". I would add the permissions for a security group that has the domains users that need to access AC.

If you need help with this, you can PM me.

On the machines that error out, have you viewed the application event viewer in windows to see if there is a corresponding error / event in Windows that would start leading you towards the problem on those machines. Start, Run - Eventvwr.exe

Also, if the error is "out of memory" - I would delete your Memory SWAP file from windows and re-create a new one, I have seen where swap files get corrupted and applications will start throwing memory related errors, modifying your swap file to be 0 in size, defrag the hard drive, and re-create a larger than required swap file may be worth the time before performing re-installs of the Operating System.

I really think this has nothing to do with the machines. I think it is all networking. Just my take. More later.

All good suggestions so far. Don't want to step on anyone's toes.

To be fair, I think this would baffle Tier 4, 5, and 6. Sometimes I think we are too tough are support. They mainly know AC backwards and forwards and installation on the main computer.

This is a lot of computers on a different type of network. They would have to remote into a few machines. There has been a version change from a version 6 to 7. I think this is an issue for Indy or Sandeep or maybe change to one domain controller and run all machines on the domain. Client/Server on a network domain. Run AC and SQL and PM all on one machine. There are businesses that run different servers for each, but those generally have 50 or more computers and still run on the same network.

Just my thoughts.

I am with GTaber. You could also let the Windows' system manage your page file.

Still would be best to go with one domain.

Ok folks, I have an update. Tech support spent about ten hours on this without an answer. Then I was contacted by Clayton Wade, Tier 3 support. He went over the system very methodically and generated a new error that occurred only when the letter writer opened. The error had to do with a font... ??? He was excited about this error and I am thinking what the heck does a font have to do with the program crashing? Well, it had everything to do with it. Clayton repaired the font file and viol?, the error went away. It appears that the corrupted font file was preventing patient's file from opening, causing all kinds of computer mayhem! Well, Clayton its my new hero. This has been a nightmare and I hope this is the last time I see of that faceless AC bug technician. with the cool Clark Kent glasses

BTW Bert, single domains are for sissies.

I seriously hope you are joking. And, what you have is not a multiple domain. It is, as you say, a hybrid of a P2P with a domain. There is no advantage.

Dear Ed,

Glad to hear that things are fixed.

Was the corrupted font file on each of the three computers that were giving you trouble?

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Bert - I was joking. For me, managing my page file is sorting out all of the scattered paperwork on my cluttered desk. And Carl, the corrupted font was on all three computers, and also recurred on all three new computers (??????????). Tech support fixed it, but had no explaination for it. I personally believe that the cause was supernatural or possibly extra-terrestrial.

Thanks. Thought you were. Actually, many will just tell you to let Windows manage the page file.

Dear Ed,

Thanks for the details about three of six systems with font problems going on to develop strange AC problems.

Now I know to look at fonts, which are usually so trouble-free that there are hardly any repair or diagnostic programs for them.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel