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Act 2012, need script to share a database?

Hello, have Win7 64 bit PC's and using Act 2012. I think there may be a issues with running this version on Windows 7. One of the main databases they use randomly stops being shared and forces you to go to file open/share on the hosting PC and click the share button again.

Is there any way to write a simple script so that when the PC is rebooted or the user clicks on the script it will automatically share the main DB they use?

Does anyone know if there is another reason a DB would randomly become unshared? I have done a restore of the database and tried several other things online to try and fix it but it still unshares for some reason and prevents users from accessing it.
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SStroz
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REIUSA,

Actually, ACT! 2012 is supported in your environment with Win 7 and 64-bit (as long as it's SP1).

I've never heard of the "sharing" feature automatically turning off.  My guess is it's related to user permissions.  One thing you may try is moving the database to a new directory (C:\ACTDATA\) and sharing that folder with "everyone" with full permissions.

Hope that helps


Steve
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The Database should be on a network location if your sharing with other users. Failing that , it MUST be in a folder outside program files and userdata folder

it is very likely permissions
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ASKER

Hello,
The Act DB is in a separate folder off of the C:\ and has user access with full control and the folder is being shared with everyone full control share permissions.

About the only thing I could find online to fix it becoming unshared for no reason is doing a restore of the DB but I tried that already as well as deleting the pad file I think it was and running maintenance on the DB.

Is there any reason third party backup to a DVD software would cause the DB to stop sharing?

Another thing that is odd is there are 3 or 4 DB's they use but the primary one they use 90% of the time is the one with this issue.

If there is a way to script sharing the DB that would help keep them online at least until we can work out what the problem is with the DB.
does the PAD file get altered to turn of sharing?
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ASKER

I'm not ware of any changes to the pad file before it becomes unshared, just normal use of the database.
When you share a database in ACT, It alters the PAD to set the host= portion to the PC / Server name

Is the PAD being altered back to have host="."

?
Does the DatabaseFiles folder (under the folder with the database in it) become unshared?
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ASKER

Hello, no it does not become unshared, it stays shared as far as you can tell from the OS.
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GMGenius
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Remove the OS Shares before sharing it in Act!
Also, make sure the database isn't under user documents - put it in something like C:\ACTDATA
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ASKER

Thanks I will be back in that office on Monday and check these items then.
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ASKER

Hello, sorry for the delay. Just checked and the Act DB from viewing within Act and file/open is unshared again. The folder where the DB is located "C:\Act_DB" is still shared and everyone has full permissions, the folder where the DB files are located "C:\ACT_DB\ACME-database files" is also shared and everyone with full permissions.

Pad file contents are:
<?xml version="1.0" standalone="no"?>
<!DOCTYPE ACTDatabasePADFile>
<!--This file represents a Pointer to an Act Database or [PAD]-->
<ACTDatabase name="ACME" host="PC1" location="C:\ACT_DB\ACME.ADF" type="Sql" />


OS is WIndows 7 Pro.

I will try unsharing the folders and sharing the DB again. One thing to note is there are three other Databases that remain shared even though the primary DB is becoming unshared. The other pad files look the same. Could there be a problem with the database files folder being nested in another shared folder?
being nested in
C:\ACT_DB\DB1
C:\ACT_DB\DB2
C:\ACT_DB\DB3

would be fine but

C:\ACT_DB\DB1
C:\ACT_DB\DB1\DB2 etc is probably not
Did you remove all other Windows shares on the Supplemental files folder before resharing?
See: http://kb.act.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/19876

Also, with the older versions of Act!, this could happen if using RDP or Terminal Services to access the database. See: http://kb.act.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/14928
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ASKER

I removed the share from windows before resharing and looked through all the steps in that link. It looks like it did go back to . for the host after unsharing. I went ahead and deleted the pad file and recreated it and then shared the DB again. Ill see how that goes the next day or two. Thanks.

GM Genius,
It is like this example. Act_DB is also shared.
C:\ACT_DB\DB1
 C:\ACT_DB\DB2
 C:\ACT_DB\DB3
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ASKER

Thanks for the info. Still waiting for users to test but will open a new question if needed.