Unreadable Lock File

[MrsCleaver via AccessMonster.com]

I have a back end and copied -to -desktop frontends for 6 departments at work.
There are 6 backends (one for each department). There are 6 master frontends
in a file. Employees copy the frontend to their desktop for their group. The
frontend is linked to the correct backend. There are over 190 employees and
because I have (in the past) had locking issues and other issues I didn't
want everyone to be down at the same time and keeping the groups smaller I
can localize problems.
The current issue is with users getting locked out. I believe now that maybe
all the groups don't have modify rights in the folder the backend is in and
have requested that this be fixed. When I check the lock files for these 6
backends some correctly have the computer names listed but some have symbols
(unicode maybe?). What does that mean when a locked file does not correctly
show the user/ computer name?
Thank you

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

I have a back end and copied -to -desktop frontends for 6 departments at work.
There are 6 backends (one for each department). There are 6 master frontends
in a file. Employees copy the frontend to their desktop for their group. The
frontend is linked to the correct backend. There are over 190 employees and
because I have (in the past) had locking issues and other issues I didn't
want everyone to be down at the same time and keeping the groups smaller I
can localize problems.
The current issue is with users getting locked out.

What is the exact message?

I believe now that maybe
all the groups don't have modify rights in the folder the backend is in and
have requested that this be fixed.

Quite possible. An easy way to check for this is for the users to
create and delete a .txt file in the BE folder using Notepad.

When I check the lock files for these 6
backends some correctly have the computer names listed but some have symbols
(unicode maybe?). What does that mean when a locked file does not correctly
show the user/ computer name?

I've noticed that myself. Not sure under what situations this happens
however if you see unusual characters such as "†" you must close the
ldb file, not Notepad, and open the ldb file in Notepad using the
Encoding: ANSI option rather than the default Encoding: Unicode
option.

--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/

 

[David W. Fenton]

Quite possible. An easy way to check for this is for the users to
create and delete a .txt file in the BE folder using Notepad.

This is most easily accomplished by opening up Windows Explorer,
navigating to your server folder, right clicking and choosing NEW ->
Text File.

 

[MrsCleaver via AccessMonster.com]

I have a back end and copied -to -desktop frontends for 6 departments at work.
There are 6 backends (one for each department). There are 6 master frontends

[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]

can localize problems.
The current issue is with users getting locked out.

What is the exact message?

I believe they get a message that they are unable to update. Record is locked.
They don't get the message that another user is in the record...save changes
etc. because they can only see their records. It's the way I set the form up
because this deals with employee time keeping. >

Quite possible. An easy way to check for this is for the users to
create and delete a .txt file in the BE folder using Notepad.

Looks like the modify rights was the issue. Everyone got updated to modify on
Friday and, so far, I haven't had the issue come up. I have heard of creating
a text or word document in the folder the database resided in and seeing if
they can create and delete it. That's a great way to narrow the problem down.

I've noticed that myself. Not sure under what situations this happens
however if you see unusual characters such as "†" you must close the
ldb file, not Notepad, and open the ldb file in Notepad using the
Encoding: ANSI option rather than the default Encoding: Unicode
option.

I will try that but, if all the backends are in the same folder and I open
the lock file files with all the same notepad settings why would some lock
file contents show normal text and some files show symbols like boxes and
lines?
Thanks for the input.

 

[Tony Toews [MVP]]

I will try that but, if all the backends are in the same folder and I open
the lock file files with all the same notepad settings why would some lock
file contents show normal text and some files show symbols like boxes and
lines?

I have no idea why this sometimes happens. I shrug my shoulders and
continue.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/