PCLaw is built for several people to work in the same data at once. When that stops working, the symptoms are frustrating: one person is in and everyone else is locked out, a user who went home hours ago is still shown as logged in, or a workstation that worked yesterday cannot find the data today. These problems almost always have a specific cause, and most of them are outside PCLaw itself.
The usual symptoms
- A user is shown as logged in when they are not. PCLaw will not let them back in, or a task that needs everyone out cannot run.
- The data is reported as in use or locked, even though nobody seems to be using it.
- One workstation cannot connect to the data, while the others can.
- PCLaw works for the first person, then slows or stops for the next.
- Changes made on one computer do not appear on another, or appear late.
Why it happens
Sessions that did not close properly
When PCLaw is closed by a crash, a power cut, a computer that went to sleep or a remote session that was disconnected instead of signed out, PCLaw may never be told the user left. Their session stays recorded as open until it is cleared. This is the single most common cause of "user already logged in" problems, and it is very common in firms that use remote desktop.
Habit that prevents it: close PCLaw before leaving for the day, and sign out of remote desktop sessions instead of just closing the window.
Computers that sleep or drop their network connection
Windows power settings that put a computer or its network card to sleep cut PCLaw's connection to the data without warning. To PCLaw it looks the same as a crash. Workstations that run PCLaw should not sleep while PCLaw is open, and their network cards should not be allowed to power down.
The shared folder and its permissions
On the c-tree edition, every workstation reaches the data through a shared folder on the server. If a user's Windows account loses permission to that folder, if a drive letter is mapped differently on one computer, or if the server's name or address changed, that workstation either cannot connect or connects to the wrong place.
A specific trap: two copies of the data. After a server move or a restore, one workstation can end up pointing at an old copy. Its changes go into that copy, which is why other users cannot see them. Check that every workstation points to exactly the same data location.
Antivirus and backup software holding files open
Real-time antivirus scanning and backup software that copies the PCLaw data while people are working can hold files open at the exact moment PCLaw needs them. The result is lock errors, slowdowns and, in the worst case, damaged data. PCLaw folders should be excluded from real-time scanning, and backups of the data should run when nobody is in PCLaw, or use a method designed for an open database.
Wi-Fi and unstable connections
Wi-Fi is fine for email and the web. It is not fine for a file-based database shared by several users. A wired connection removes a whole class of multi-user problems.
Outgrowing the c-tree edition
The c-tree edition handles a modest number of simultaneous users well. Past that, locking and slowdowns increase with each person who logs in. If your problems grow with the number of users and the network checks out, the firm has likely outgrown it. PCLaw Enterprise on SQL Server is built for more users; see migrating PCLaw Workgroup to SQL Server.
What you can safely check yourself
- Ask everyone to close PCLaw properly, including anyone working remotely, then try again.
- Restart the workstation that has the problem. If the problem is on every workstation, restart them all before touching the server.
- Check the connection. Is the workstation on Wi-Fi? Can it open other files on the server?
- Compare data locations. On a workstation that works and one that does not, confirm PCLaw is pointing to the same place.
- Ask what changed. A new server, a Windows update, new antivirus or a new backup product is often the cause.
What not to do
- Do not delete files from the PCLaw data folder to clear a lock. Some of those files are part of the database, and removing the wrong one can make it unreadable.
- Do not restart the server while people are posting. Make sure everyone is out first.
- Do not keep working around repeated lock errors. Repeated forced closes can damage the data. If they keep happening, run Verify Data Integrity with everyone out of PCLaw, and look at 5 signs your PCLaw database needs immediate attention.
When to call for help
Call a specialist if a user stays stuck as logged in after everyone has closed PCLaw and restarted, if you suspect two copies of the data, if lock errors come with integrity errors or missing entries, or if the problems began after a server move or upgrade.
Our PCLaw support team resolves multi-user problems remotely, usually the same day, and finds the cause so it does not come back. If the data has already been affected, see PCLaw data recovery. Contact us and a specialist will respond within 15 minutes.