locked database - but just one person

[doyle9732]

I sure hope someone here can shed some light on a problem that plagues me.

We have numerous Access databases - most interacting with Cold Fusion.

We have one database, an old HR one, that we use for displaying current employees in drop down boxes for other CF applications. I can have the HR db open and it affects nothing, my boss can have it open....everyone can have it open, except one admin, who periodically updates it. As soon as she opens it, every application in the building throws error messages that the database is opened exclusively by someone. We have been through all the options on her machine, and everything appears to be identical to everyone elses machine.....

Anyone out there ever experience anything like this? Anyone out there know what I must do to resolve this???

many thanks!
Stephanie

 

[MoLaker]

Make sure this user is not accessing the database with a shortcut which includes the command-line switch "/excl". This forces exclusive mode.

 

[doyle9732]

thanks for the speedy response!

I just sent an email to the admin. (I think she does use a short cut)

So, if that's the case, she will have to go to the database source (navigate to the file) to open it up in future?

stephanie

 

[doyle9732]

hmmmmm.....I just created a shortcut and opened the database.....and was hoping to get those errors....but me being in via a shortcut didn't seem to affect anything!

Is it associated with other permissions (ie. the admin has limited permissions but I have full control of that folder)

Is there a way to change the shortcut properties? I looked but didn't see anything pertaining to exclusive.

many thanks!
Stephanie

 

[MoLaker]

The "excl" switch only works when your link calls the MS Access executable first then specifies the database and has the "excl" switch. Something like this...

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSACCESS.EXE" "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\testdb.mdb" /excl

If you just put the switch after a link to the MDB, it won't do it. Look for "Start Microsoft Access with command-line options" in Access Help

Your admins person may have such a link to also include a switch to use a specific workgroup file. Also, if she does not have Delete permissions for the directory where the database resides, it could leave the database locking file in a state which might prevent anyone else from opening the database.

 

[doyle9732]

well, I just tested it out with the admin, and whether she opens the database with the shortcut, or navigates through the network, it still causes the database to throw the 'locked error'.

I was soooo confident that the shortcut was the problem.

Does anyone else have any idea why this is happening to just this admin??

many thanks!
stephanie

 

[MoLaker]

We have been through all the options on her machine, and everything appears to be identical to everyone elses machine....."

I made an assumption because of the statement you made in your original posting, but I probably should not have. Have you verified the Default open mode for admins while in the database in question? Check under the Advanced tab in Tools|Options. Make sure Shared is selected.

Additionally, don't be fooled by believing the problem can't be the shared mode if everyone is set to Exclusive. There is a Open Exclusive permission in User Level security for the database that will override the Open Exclusive selection in Options. So, if admins has Open Exclusive selected and has Open Exclusive permission then she will open it "Exclusive". On the other hand, if other users have Open Exclusive selected in Options, but not in Security Permissions, they will not open it exclusively.

 

[cooldisk2005]

I am having the same problem when people on our network who uses CITRIX.

They all have shortcuts to the database and anytime one of those users access the database with the shortcut, it gives the message "database has been put into a locked state by admin...."

I will do some testing tomorrow and have one of the users just try to open the database the long way, and then I, who don't use CITRIX, will try to access the database and see if it still gives that error.

Thanks for this thread, because this problems has been plaguing me for about 3mths now!!!

 

[ajrimmer]

Does this user have full read/write access to the folder where the DB is located? If they have a read only then there will be locking file issues in which case have their access amended to read/write on the folder.

 

[doyle9732]

as a followup - I never did find the reason why this one admin locks the database when she does updates....but my solution was to give her a web interface for doing updates and letting ColdFusion to all the database work.

Good luck with yours!
Stephanie