Home Forums Discussions Problems AC slowing and crashing

Since about 1 week ago AC started slowing down tremendously. If only one workstation is on the network the AC works with reasonable speed. As other workstations are added the speed slows down to the point where the response time goes down to 2-3 seconds per click. Then the "error loop" message comes on and AC shuts down. The error loop message is the message that reads "too many errors in the past......." that comes up with the submit a bug report window. No new programs have been installed and no new workstations have been added. I restarted the server a few times and the AC would start with reasonable speed and again start to slow down when other workstations come on board. The network has mostly windows 7 machines and 2 windows 8.1 machines. We are using version 6.67 .I believe that the problems started when the server did an automatic update.
I am asking the question if anyone else has seen this problem because if this is the case there may have been a Microsoft update affecting the functioning of AC?

check to make sure services are running...they were being kicked off almost every other day until I upgraded to version 8 (that runs slower than a fine tuned 6.6.7)

Do you mean the 2 AC services that are running now under task manager. They are running now, but since there is only this computer on on the network(everyone has left for the day) no slowing is seen. I will check to see if there is a problem tomorrow when everyone is on their computer and things slow down. Thanks for the suggestion.

I would look at your bandwidth. It's strange that it happened all of a sudden. But, we need more information. What type of switch do you have an it is 10/100/1000 or what has far as Mbs? What is your server? What is the connection speed between the server and your switch?

Also, you can undo the update. Or at least try one at a time.

Bring up Windows Update on Control Panel. Select "View update history" on the left side. Select "Installed Updates" under Review your update history.

If this is a regular OS like Win 7, XP or 8, you can always try System Restore.

I am running version 7.1.3 and all my computers are up to date with Windows 7.

When I try to open an imported PDF, the system crashes too and I have to restart AC. I updated my adobe reader and it still crashes.

Any suggestions?

Sounds rudimentary, but have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling. Also, didn't you mention a problem with an update?

Dear Dino,

Just in case you haven't checked . . .

Can you open Adobe itself as a program, click on its files option, navigate to your AC-imported-files folder, and open one of your AC .pdf files directly with Adobe?

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Carl,

Yes from Adobe directly it will open OK. Also, other PDF's will open without crashing.

Dear Dino,

1) Sounds like an AC-specific problem, so call and email AC tech support, which you're probably already doing.

2) Uninstall Adobe and install FoxIt, a different free pdf reader that forum users have used with AC, just in case your AC setup will work with FoxIt and get you going again:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/foxit_reader.html

If Foxit doesn't work, you can always uninstall it and reinstall Adobe.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Hi Carl,

Thanks for the advice.

I uninstalled Adobe and installed FoxIt.

In AC, if I click on the imported PDF it displays in the window but crashes.
If I right click the pdf and open in default program (FoxIt) it works.

Any suggestions?

Dear Dino,

1) Email & call AC support. Optimizing the database and repairing the AC installation (below) can't hurt and might fix things, but your problem hasn't been mentioned on the forum.

"You can send an email to techsupport@amazingcharts.com at anytime. Guardian Angel Support Technicians respond throughout the day (and frequently evenings too)."

2) Optimize the database. With everyone out of AC, right click on the Amazing Utilities in the AC program folder and choose to run it as administrator. Run the first option, check-the-database. If that finds no problems, run the second option, optimize-database, which takes longer. This can fix odd problems, such as AC crashing when it tries to open the audit logs.

3) Repair AC. In Windows Control-Panel, choose Programs, and click on Amazing Charts in the list of installed programs. That gives you the choice to uninstall or repair Amazing Charts--choose to repair it.

4) You can also look in the Windows Event viewer, filtering to show just errors, and see if anything shows up. (Control-panel, administrative-tools, event-viewer, choose applications to start with and filter the endless results by clicking on view-filter and select only errors.

5) Use Notepad to keep a list of error messages, what happens, what you've done and how you did it, and which computers you did it to. Notes are a huge waste of time until you discover that you can't remember something and have to re-do it all over or need to type it all again for an email to tech support when you could have cut and pasted while you were in the right screen.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

To me this doesn't sound like An ac issue it works fine until you open urged ac programs. That would indicate a network bandwidth or other issue.

I would still make sure that every connection is 1 Gbs. What is your switch. It is also easier to troubleshoot if we do one thing at a time. I am still waiting to hear if it was an update issue. Did you try uninstalling the update?

I am assuming this is P2P. You could try installing the database on a different preload faster computer. Also is the server being used by anyone while this is happening?

Dino,
Have you followed the steps described here?

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your help.

I've tried your suggestions with no success.

Just some background info, I have been using 7.1.3 since October. My 5 other client computers have no issue opening a PDF within AC. All my computers are hardwired via a Cat 6 connection.

Any other tips?

I am sorry for your issues. This may not help but having all Cat 6 connectivity doesn't mean there isn't an issue with network speed. There could be many reasons for a bottleneck.

You can try support.If no help, I would hire someone to look at your network. Have you considered just upgrading to 8.1?

Dear Dino,

If you haven't already tried it . . .

Download and run the Adobe Reader and Acrobat uninstaller, which is much more thorough than the control_panel/programs repair/uninstall method and intended to fix stubborn Adobe problems:

http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/acrobatcleaner.html

Reinstall Adobe and see if that fixes things.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

My original post stated that AC was slowing and crashing. I had a computer tech look at my network and he stated that all the speeds are comparable at the work stations. He noted that when AC starts up it "hangs" a long time with the "loading requirements" message at startup. At the time of startup when that message appears what information is pulled and where is this information loaded from? Does anyone know if it is from the AC folder on the server? I think that I am going to go with Bert's suggestion to roll back the windows upgrades since I believe the problem started with a windows upgrade. It is so bad now that I cannot do a backup in the middle of the day when other computers are online. The proces takes about a hour now(no imports are backed up).

Well here is something else to try. Make sure the connection at the main computer hasn't downgraded its speed (despite having a 1 Gbps Cat 6 ethernet cable).

One time, my main computer scaled back to 10 Mbps (100 times slower connection) due to a power save issue or something). This would then affect all computers amazing charts speed, especially when starting up.

ANyway, here is how you can check this.

On the tray of the main screen, right click the networking icon. Choose open network and sharing center. Left click "change adapter settings" and right click "Local Area Connection" Status and you should see a speed listed. It should hopefully be 1 Gbps. It is shows 10 Mbps you may have found an issue. I don't think this will fix your pdf issue however.

In future releases, it preloads info without that statement. It shouldn't take that long. I am not sure where it puts it. SQL has cache. Basically, when you pull up a chart, the data has to come from your server hard drive from amazingcharts.mdb. This obviously takes longer than if it were already preloaded in your RAM, but I don't know how it would know what to bring up.

When you do pull info on specific things, that is a query and is saved as a page in SQLs memory or cache. That is what the 1GB of memory is for and why you see it take more and more memory UP TO that limit. When you reboot the server all that memory is released back to the server BUT at the cost of losing those pages. If you were to open a random chart, it would take a certain amount of time. The next time you open it, it would theoretically take less. But, given the fact that the amount of data you are pulling up is very small.

I am still not sure where the data is being pulled to when it starts up.

One thing I have forgotten to ask:

ARE YOU SHUTTING DOWN AMAZING CHARTS ON EVERY COMPUTER AT THE END OF THE DAY?

Is so, don't.

I agree with Ken. This is why I said you can't just go by every computer having Cat6.

Try this, which likely won't help, but it will give you info.

Go C:\Program Files (x86)\Amazing Charts or wherever your program actually is on a given computer. (Not the server).

Right click on Amazing Utilities.exe. Choose Run as Administrator. Select "Advanced Options" then "Test speed from database."

You may want to do this as you add AC programs.

_____________

Go to Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager -> Left click on your NIC card

Then choose Link Speed in the tabs. This should show you your Link Status, e.g. should say 1.0Gbps/Full Duplex.

Under Speed and Duplex, it should say Auto Negotiation.

Check on each computer. If it is less than 1Gbps, then check Speed and Duplex. If it says Auto Negotiation (which is best), you may want to change to 1Gbps Full Duplex in the drop down.

MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THIS IS CORRECT ON YOUR MAIN COMPUTER. IF IT IS SOMETHING LIKE 10Mbps or even 100Mbps, that would be a problem. Actually, 100 shouldn't, but you still want the 1Gbps.

If off on any computer, it could be the setting or problem with Auto Negotiation or the card may not be rated for 1Gbps.

I know your IT person said everything was clear, but, I would check all these things I mentioned and what Ken mentioned.

Make a list of all computers with the main computer on top. Write down all of these troubleshooting steps on a table. Then check them such as

Nurse computer: 0.677 for speed to database | NIC 1Gbps etc.

MAKE SURE YOUR SWITCH IS A 1Gbps switch.

I would think that if a computer were running at 10Mbps, it would be slow even if none of the other computers were running AC.

As stated before, some offices make sure every computer is either Logged Off or turned off. But, you can just lock your computers allowing AC to always be on. Not sure if it is a problem starting them up or just if they are all on.

This shouldn't be a difficult problem to troubleshoot given the way you can reproduce it. For me, it is bandwidth on the network as you continue to have to run more data to and from the server as you add computers. If you only have, let's say, 10Mbps on the server computer, one can do fine, but two is then a problem, three is worse.

This should be testament to the functionality of this board. I called my comp tech guy again and gave him the suggestions given by Bert and others above. We went over every computer and it turned out that the power supply to the switch burnt out and the switch was working at a much reduced speed. I went to radioshack and purchased a replacement and WOW!!! we are back to the way we were. It makes you appreciate speed. If it wasn't for your suggestions I was going to undo upgrades and even reinstall AC. My idiot geek guy was very impressed with the suggestions and had to admit he is not that great with networks.


THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP AND SUGGESTIONS.

Sorry I misspelled you name Bert.

Bert saves the day again.

Burned power supply is interesting. Is your switch hooked into a UPS/AVR or a regular surge protector?

Thanks. Everyone forgets about the switch. That's a great point about the UPS/AVR or surge protector. If you have a decent UPS/AVR for your modem, router and switch, if the power goes down, you may still be able to get to the Internet.

Also another good reason to get a managed switch. And, also another good reason to have an IT guy who has a fluke meter or whatever type of meter they use. They can go around your entire network checking network speeds.

Raj,

Sent you a PM in case you don't see it.