Rather than download and unzip a file I probably can't open anyway, I'll guess that the timer looks like a form, in which case, it's probably set to be a popup and modal (property sheet, Other tab). Modal will prevent access to any other part of the db while such a form is open.
Maybe if users are able to do other stuff, the timer could become useless since it won't be seen when they activate some other form or report.
The more we hear silence, the more we begin to think about our value in this universe.
Paraphrase of Professor Brian Cox.