slow to open Access XP over the network

[ngan]

I have several Access XP files located on two W2K servers. Most files are FE
with dsn-less links to SQL tables. There are a couple of files that have
Access BE. I have Windows XP and am able to open the Access files just fine
when I navigate to the files via My Computer.

However, W2K clients are having delays in opening the files. During this
delay, the network drive freezes. They have the most current Office and
windows updates installed.

What works:
1. If they open the db file using a shortcut located on their desktop
2. If they open Access program first and then do the File | Open

What doesn't work:
1. If they navigate to the network drive and open the db file that way

Other Office XP files like word and excel opens fine every time. We have
the latest MDAC and Jet SPs.

Anyone know the solution to this?

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

The FEs should really exist on the hard drive of each user, not on the
server.

 

[ngan]

Let me rephrase that. Each user has a copy of the FE in their U drive, which
is located on the network. They are not sharing one copy of the FE.

They don't have it on their hard drive because of any changes I make to the
FE. It's easier for me to copy the FE to the U drive. Also, if they change
computers, the copy is still there in the U drive.

 

[melspence]

Do you mean that the U: drive sits on a File Server? If so, thank god
it's not on any network I use. I can think of several network admins
who would simply delete your files from the servers. If they were in a
good mood they might copy them first........

 

[ngan]

Well, if they simply delete files from the servers, they aren't very good
admins.

Aren't U drives usually located on a server somewhere? If people are
putting it on their local hard drives, files aren't being backed up and if
the HD dies (which has happened before), they are SOL.

But back to the original question. Anyone know why it would be slow to open
if soeone tries to open an Access XP file on a network drive via My Computer
or Windows Explorer? Could it be a recent windows or Office SP? Windows XP
computers don't have an issue with this.

 

[melspence]

Not quite sure what you mean when you say that Win XP computers don't
have an issue with this. Do you mean that not all the PC on the
network are running the same OS?

My flip response aside, have the front end on the network is a
seriously bad idea. I appreciate that you want to enusre that the
Front ends are up to date and backed up, but much better to add some
code so that the app won't open unless it has the correct version
number and thenm either provide users with a location they can
download the new version on, or package the front ends up and update
all the PCs overnite.

As for them being slow, it's probably just because your sending and
receiving a heck of a lot more network traffic than you need to.

 

[ngan]

Not quite sure what you mean when you say that Win XP computers don't
have an issue with this. Do you mean that not all the PC on the
network are running the same OS?

You are correct, we have Windows 2k and Windows XP clients. Windowx XP
clients do not have this issue. My WXP comp can open any files with no
delay, regardless of the location.

As for them being slow, it's probably just because your sending and
receiving a heck of a lot more network traffic than you need to.

If a user goes to their U drive via My Computer and tries to open any mdb
file (even one they created on their own), the My Computer locks up and it
takes a minute for Access to open the file.

If the user has a shortcut to this mdb file on their desktop and they click
on the shortcut, the file opens up just fine. Why does the shortcut to the
same file opens faster than actually going to the original location of the
file?

If the user opens up Access and then goes to File | Open and goes to the
original location of the file on the U drive, the file opens up just fine.

Is there something with just browsing to the drive via My Computer?
Sometimes if I just go up and down the files on the network drive, it would
lock up. Maybe it's more of a network connection issue than just Access.

 

[melspence]

You are correct, we have Windows 2k and Windows XP clients. Windowx XP
clients do not have this issue. My WXP comp can open any files with no
delay, regardless of the location.


If a user goes to their U drive via My Computer and tries to open any mdb
file (even one they created on their own), the My Computer locks up and it
takes a minute for Access to open the file.

If the user has a shortcut to this mdb file on their desktop and they click
on the shortcut, the file opens up just fine. Why does the shortcut to the
same file opens faster than actually going to the original location of the
file?

Does the shortcut open access on the local pc first and then open the
front end on the u drive eg "c:\programfiles\ofice\msaccess.exe" then
the front end mdb is passed as a parameter?

Remember, by clicking on the file on the U: drive you then have all
sorts of extra traffic as messages are sent back and forward to open
access, then open ur mdb.

If the user opens up Access and then goes to File | Open and goes to the
original location of the file on the U drive, the file opens up just fine.

Is there something with just browsing to the drive via My Computer?
Sometimes if I just go up and down the files on the network drive, it would
lock up. Maybe it's more of a network connection issue than just Access.

Sounds like u mayhave a network problem as well, are all the XP boxes
collected in one part of the network?

 

[ngan]

Does the shortcut open access on the local pc first and then open the
front end on the u drive eg "c:\programfiles\ofice\msaccess.exe" then
the front end mdb is passed as a parameter?

I don't think so. I just right click on the original file and drag it to
the desktop and choose "create shortcuts here"...In the shortcut tab of the
shortcut properties, it has the target being "O:\databases\database.mdb"

Remember, by clicking on the file on the U: drive you then have all
sorts of extra traffic as messages are sent back and forward to open
access, then open ur mdb.

Sounds like u mayhave a network problem as well, are all the XP boxes
collected in one part of the network?

The users have their mdb files located in one server...and there are other
mdb files located on another server. It happens in both servers.

If I browse through a network folder and just go up and down the non-Access
files, I'm fine. However, once I click on an mdb file, the folder locks up.
It takes a min for it to get unlock. This happens with any mdb file (even
the ones that are stand alone - with no link tables).

Wonder what happened that caused this. Unfortunately, I dont know when this
happens because most people use their shortcuts to get to the mdb files. And
I have XP so I never got the problem.

Thanks.
Ngan

 

[ngan]

ugh...never mind...it's my antivirus that is slowing things down. I guess it
scans the files when you click on it...that's why it's slow to open when you
click on the original file. If you go through the shortcut, nav doesn't scan.

crazy. guess i have to call nav to see if there is a workaround.

Thanks for everyone's help! I'll look into having everyone have a copy of
the mdb on their HD, not U drive.

 

[melspence]

Thanks for replying with the root cause. Def one for the books

 

[ngan]

np. Actually, I guess it's an issue with one of NAV's settings. By default,
NAV on the client computer is set to scan the network drive (therefore, if
you click on a file on a network drive, it will scan before opening). If the
file server already has nav, client computers don't need this setting. So
you can just uncheck this box so the client won't scan the network drive.

That solves the problem.