Form opened acDialog mode slows network -- why?

[Mark Hammer]

Greetings:

I have discovered that when one user has a form opened in dialog mode it
causes a major slowdown in network responsiveness with my application
(RetreatTracker.com). I am using Access 2002 here, both runtime and full
versions in test environment with multiple Windows versions.

Specifically, I have an unbound login form which opens in dialog mode. When
that form is open on any client machine, network response time on other
client machines slows markedly. Time required to load bound forms and
controls more than doubles, and time required by my table relinking routine
to relink 40 tables goes from 2 seconds to 5+ minutes.

I tested to be sure this wasn't caused by something else on my login form.
I created a new unbound form with just one label control and opened it in
dialog mode. Same result; network slows to a crawl.

In this forum I see many recommendations to use the technique of opening a
form in dialog mode. However, I haven't found any discussion of the
drawback of slowing the network to a crawl. Which leads me to think I'm
missing something basic here.

Possible clue: the same slowdown occurs anytime a client machine has a form
or control open which is bound to a back-end table. However, with my
acDialog form, there's nothing bound to either front end or back end.

Can someone tell me what's going on here? Any workarounds short of
abandoning the use of acDialog mode forms?

TIA,

Mark Hammer
Lake Oswego, Oregon, U.S.

 

[Tony Toews]

In this forum I see many recommendations to use the technique of opening a
form in dialog mode. However, I haven't found any discussion of the
drawback of slowing the network to a crawl. Which leads me to think I'm
missing something basic here.

Agreed that this makes no sense whatsoever but see if the following
suggestions help anyhow.

Possible clue: the same slowdown occurs anytime a client machine has a form
or control open which is bound to a back-end table. However, with my
acDialog form, there's nothing bound to either front end or back end.

The three most common performance problems in Access 2000 are:
- LDB locking which a persistent recordset connection or an always
open bound form corrects (multiple users)
- sub datasheet Name property set to [Auto] should be [None]
- Track name AutoCorrect should be off

If the problem is for everyone when starting up the MDB then it likely
needs a decompile.

For more information on these, less likely causes, other tips and
links to MS KB articles visit my Access Performance FAQ page at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/performancefaq.htm

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

 

[Mark Hammer]

Right on, Tony. Thanks! The decompile and the persistent BE connection
combination solved the problem.

--Mark

In this forum I see many recommendations to use the technique of opening a
form in dialog mode. However, I haven't found any discussion of the
drawback of slowing the network to a crawl. Which leads me to think I'm
missing something basic here.

Agreed that this makes no sense whatsoever but see if the following
suggestions help anyhow.

Possible clue: the same slowdown occurs anytime a client machine has a form
or control open which is bound to a back-end table. However, with my
acDialog form, there's nothing bound to either front end or back end.

The three most common performance problems in Access 2000 are:
- LDB locking which a persistent recordset connection or an always
open bound form corrects (multiple users)
- sub datasheet Name property set to [Auto] should be [None]
- Track name AutoCorrect should be off

If the problem is for everyone when starting up the MDB then it likely
needs a decompile.

For more information on these, less likely causes, other tips and
links to MS KB articles visit my Access Performance FAQ page at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/access/performancefaq.htm

Tony