Same file, different entries

[ghard123]

At work we use access to keep a shift by shift report with multiple users. The database is split with both fe and be files in the same directory. Recently it was necessary to have the files restored by our IT people. They restored them to a folder called 'RESTORED'. They then copied the restored files from that folder to the usual folder.



I can open that database without any problems. Other users get an error message pointing back to the RESTORED folder. They can open the file in the restored folder and use it however their entries do not appear in the correct database. My entries appear in both???

Confusing but I hope someone can assist. Our IT people have given up!!!!!

[isladogs]

Can you confirm whether each of your users are running their own COPY of the fe on the own hard drive?
Or are your multiple users all using the same copy of the fe in the directory where the be is stored?
If the latter, then you have a major disaster waiting to happen

[ghard123]

The latter!!!! We all use the same computer though. At change of shift the outgoing logs off and the incoming logs on.

[isladogs]

Hmm.
So are you absolutely sure only one person can ever be using the app at the same time?
And how do you know the person who logged out closed the app properly first?

Clearly the paths for one person have been fixed but for everybody else they are different which suggests separate copies of the FE e.g. in users documents folder
OR the shortcuts on each user's desktop are leading to different places. Yours are fine. Everyone else's has been mapped to the RESTORED folder.
Check the path of the shortcuts used to open the app

You have a mess on your hands & whilst IT may partly have caused it, I can also understand why they would want to wash their hands of it

[ghard123]

Thank Colin. I will try and tidy this up. I have backed up the be which is ok. If I have everyone delete their shortcuts on other computers if they have them, and just use the one fe on the main pc, will this help?? If I email everyone a shortcut that I make, is that the way to go. Can I stop them making their own shortcuts?/ Sorry about all the Q's. Greg

[moke123]

Every computer accessing the database should have its own copy of the front end run locally. Dont provide a shortcut to a shared front end. If the computer does not have access installed you can install the free runtime.

here's a link to a pretty good write-up on splitting. https://www.fmsinc.com/microsoftacce...abaseSplitter/

You can also use an auto updater to ensure everyone is using the most up to date front end. FMS (the link above) has a paid version of an updater but there are numerous free examples in various code archives.

[isladogs]

Moke has rightly re-emphasised the point I was making.
At first you suggested that all users were running the app from the same computer ...but at different times.
Now you're suggesting some may be running it from the shared FE on their own PCs.
This means you could multiple users running the same app at once.
That WILL lead to corruption and quite possibly an unuseable application.

Your IT department should, I believe, be able to prevent users creating shortcuts BUT it's probably an all or nothing setting.
You need to educate your users.
One way to make sure everyone starts again is to rename your FE, then get IT to distribute the new file and a desktop shortcut for that file for their own PC.
This can be done automatically using a script file when they next going.