QB 2006 - Must install on server where data file kept?

I have not seen that specific message, probably because I did what I knew (from past experience) is required - QB requires that the location of the data server be "mapped" to the client computer. Assuming you are using Windows XP - open My Network Places, click to select the drive (or the specific folder) where your data is located, then choose Tools, Map Network Drive, and select a "Drive Letter" to identify your data location. When you open QB and navigate to your data, use this Drive Letter. Actually, it's quite possible that you have previously mapped the data location but you didn't use that drive letter when you attempted to open the file in the NEW installation of QB.

You will also be advised not to convert a file from a previous version while it is located on a server. This is recommended, but not mandatory. To comply, copy the existing file to the client computer, open (convert) it, then copy the converted file back to the server. This is good advice for larger files and/or busy networks, but probably not necessary for smaller files and "unbusy" networks.

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Is your response based on actual experience with the US 2006 version with the data file located on the server.

I have read that beginning with version 2006 all flavors of QB will use a different database engine. Intuit's web site only mentions this with reference to the Enterprise version.

Perhaps this engine requires that it must be running on the machine where the data file is located. I won't be picking up my version of 2006 until latter this week so I do not have access to a manual.

Many users have complained about the QB database engine. If a better engine is now being used then this is cause for celebration. I know our friend No-Spam would be dancing in the streets if this were true.

As far as the OP, chill dude, it's not the end of the world. The sky is not falling.

Thanks for your reply. Yes - the drive is mapped - I have no problem opening these company files in previous versions and other files saved on the server using other programs. Thanks for the suggestion.

Thanks for your response Allan. Could you post your experience when you recieve your QB file next week? I guess I'll have our "computer guy" install QB on the server so I can get on w/ business. I attended a new features "freebie" class put on my QuickBooks and I attended a webinar too and neither did they mention having to install QB on the server. I think its pretty common these days to have common data on a server - I know most of my clients are set up this way. I rec'd my QB thru the ProAdvisor program and did not receive a manual w/ it. (Probably would not have looked in it anyway - after 10 years of using QB I don't tend to read the book ! Thanks again - will look for your post next week.

Wait no more. Here is your answer.

Question: How do I setup QuickBooks 2006 for Multi-User access and what is Recommended or Alternate Mode?

Answer: QuickBooks 2006 uses a database file and a database manager to talk to the file. There are different ways to configure QuickBooks to open the file using the database manager on a network.

Recommended Mode is defined as running the database manager with hosting enabled on the same computer where the company file is located.

To set up Recommended Mode:

1.. Install QuickBooks 2006 on the computer where the QuickBooks company data file is located. (If you do not want to install QuickBooks on the data computer, see Alternate Mode.) 2.. Start the QuickBooks 2006 program. 3.. From the File menu, select Utilities and Host Multi-User Access (if you have the option to Stop Hosting, go to step 6). 4.. Click Yes. 5.. Read the message about Hosting, and then click OK. 6.. Open the QuickBooks company file that you want to host multi-user access for (Click File and then select Open Company). You may now close QuickBooks on this computer. After setting up recommended mode, the database manager will automatically start when the hosting computer starts up, so it should not be necessary to go through these steps again.

Important: Hosting Multi-user Access does not require QuickBooks to continue running on this computer but it must be installed and the computer must remain on. Restarting or shutting down this computer will disconnect other users from the company file.

To set up Alternate Mode:

1.. Open QuickBooks on the computer you want to use as the host for the company file. 2.. Click File and then select Host Multi-user Access. 3.. Click Yes to start hosting 4.. Click Yes to continue. 5.. Click OK to the dialog that states you have enabled hosting. 6.. Press the F2 key. The product information window should now show Hosting local files only at the bottom of the window. 7.. Open the QuickBooks company file you want to host multi-user access for (Click File and then select Open Company). 8.. Read message stating Hosting Configuration Change [H505] and then click Alternate. Important: If you want the same computer to be the host in Alternate mode each time QuickBooks is used, the computer either needs to run QuickBooks all the time or be the first computer to log into the company file each day. This will prevent other computers from becoming the host.

This should be interesting. I bet the support calls and complaints reach a fever pitch before they settle down.

One other annoying feature is that QB creates a new user on your computer for the file server and then periodically closes back to a screen that forces you to login again.

This should be interesting. I bet the support calls and complaints reach a fever pitch before they settle down.

One other annoying feature is that QB creates a new user on your computer for the file server and then periodically closes back to a screen that forces you to login again.

You do not have to install QB on the server. There is no problem opening a data file that resides on a server with your local copy of QB 2006. Mapped drive letters and UNC paths (\\server\share) still work fine as before. Have your computer guy look into other network or permissions issues. However, the new hosting setup with the DB Manager on the server is probably the best way to go now.

As Allan mentioned, all versions of QB 2006 now use a new data engine -- based on the "SQL Anywhere" engine from Sybase.

On the plus side, performance and data integrity should be better.

On the minus side, Intuit has gone from a padlock on your data to a bank vault. There are now only 2 ways to get data out of QB: Report export and the SDK. Other utilities that could read the data file directly will no longer work. The SDK limits access to payroll data, so many 3rd party tools that use other methods may be broken, and competitive app conversion tools (SBA, Peachtree, etc.) will not work completely either.

This is a MAJOR change which should have been broadly announced.

Interesting, I wonder if this means that access to the datafile can be restricted to only the QB program. I know that high end database engines have this feature. (ie. Users without security permissions can not see or write to the data outside of the program designed to access it).

Can you envision a situation where changing database engines would not have these same results? Any third party vendor that is serious about staying in this business must be able to adapt to and expect these types of changes. If not then they have no right being in this business. If I choose a third-party solution then I expect the vendor to be able to support any future versions of QB.

I can only assume that this database engine change was absolutely required if Intuit wanted to continue being the market leader in this field. There comes a time where they either have to shit or get off the pot.

Multi User Setup Of QuickBooks 2006:

As others have already mentioned ...there is a recommended and an alternate hosting mode for the QuickBooks 2006 product. Recommended mode is well, ...recommended, BUT, you don't have to actively run QuickBooks on the server to comply with recommended mode. All you need to do is install QuickBooks on that server, then run QuickBooks and then set it up to host the file. Once you do that, close out of QuickBooks, reboot the machine and you're good to go. No one ever has to run QuickBooks on that machine again. But the machine does needs to be always running, and not be in standby mode, not be hibernating.

So in short, install QB on the server, run it, open the file and host it, close out, reboot, then have others access the file from over the network, done.

Alternate hosting also works fine, but, there's a reason why one mode is called recommended. From my understanding, it's easier to setup and maintain, and gives better performance. You also want to run hosting from a more powerful machine on the network with more ram (typically the server). If you run it in the alternate mode, then the first person who accesses the file will be hosting the file out to the rest of the QuickBooks workstations on the network.

If you're getting the above error message and you don't want to run it in recommended mode, for whatever reason (maybe your file server is just a network accessible hard drive for instance), something else you can try is to have the workstations go through UNC instead of using mapped network drives. I don't profess to have all the background on this but, from my understanding, UNC, makes it easier to for the database server (QBDBMgrN.exe) to connect to the data file .

"Please use the direct path to the company file, not the distributed file system path."

Mapped drives should work fine in almost all instances but,.. in the case of the above error message - I would try skipping the mapped network drive and navigating directly to the file via "My Network Places" (Under File, Open Company, My Network Places ...). You'll know you've done this right when you're on a workstation, in QuickBooks, and you hit "F2" it tells you you're accessing the file from "\\$someplace\$datafilename.qbw" and not "Z:\$someplace\$datafilename.qbw".

I should stress again though, that if everything is working for you, you DON'T need to go through UNC. Running in Recommended mode, should fix these issues altogether, ...from my understanding. Unless there's a good reason why you don't want to do this, I'd give recommended mode a try first. If that doesn't work, try going through \\ from the workstations. Let the group know how it turns out.

Hope this helps.

-Elw00de [Remove the piece of pie for my real email address ... Take that email farming spiders!!]

Hi Allan - No, my response is based on the Canadian Premier (Accountant) version. It would appear that the US version is different - perhaps VERY different. It is a great pity that Intuit does not provide information about such differences between countries. The Canadian version has no "Host multi-user access" function. Very likely, I presume, this indicates that it is NOT using the new database engine. Which may also explain the apparent early release in Canada - it's probably not a new version at all, just a very slightly warmed over copy of the 2005 version.

US users should be grateful for your info.

"Allan Mart> Is your response based on actual experience with the US 2006 version with

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Allan - I very much appreciate your answer to my question. Where did you find the information you posted regarding the Hosting / Multi-User Access - I went thru the pitiful "Start Up Guide" and it does not mention anything about this. Not only do I have to communicate this to the "computer guy" at my office but now I have to communicate this to the "computer guy" for each of my new clients or upgrading clients. The silly thing is our company stores all our data on a server for security and backup reason but we really don't use the multi-user feature in QB and neither do 99% of my clients. I would like a source to refer them to. I only do quickbooks and accounting/bookkeeping consulting but clients expect me to be able to handle every quickbooks-related question. Thanks again. Terry

If neither you nor 99% of your clients use the multi-user feature (I am assuming that only one user needs access to the file) then why have the actual data file on the server to begin with? It makes more sense to have the file on the local workstation and simply auto-backup to the server.

If you hold yourself out as a QB consultant then you should not be relating anything. You should be the one on-site installing the software and generating the fees.

I found the information on the following site.

Allan, My office keeps all our QB company files on the server so that it may be accessed from any PC in the office so that anyone may view it as needed even though two ppl aren't working on it as the same time. Also - security - as our server has extra firewalls, etc (not my area but this is what I'm told by TPTB). I also deal w/ a lot of small businesses where they want to access from more than one location but not at the same time (bookkeeper/owner), etc. I push the server idea to most owners because I've seen some real nightmares w/ backing and restoring incorrecting and ending up with multiple company files. As far as installing the software, etc. - most small business owners buy it at the store and only come to our accounting firm after they screwed it up royally. QB "consulting" is not our main line of business but a service we offer to new and existing clients out of neccessity to complete their tax work.

A further complication I've encountered - our network used Novell and QB does not work w/ Novell. QB tech support told my "computer guy" they would look into it and "expediate" it but until then its going to be interesting.

Thanks again, Allan. Terry

Terry,

Naturally, if more than one person needs to access the file, even if not concurrently, then the data must reside in a central location. I also understand that many firms offer QB "consulting" as a loss leader for the far more lucrative areas of their practice.

By the way, most QB users screw up their records royally even if they never come to you.

Celebration? LOL!

If they fixed this piece of crap it's not cause for anything. They should be apologizing for the millions of wasted hours they've forced their customers to waste.

In any case, I just talked to a QB sales drone and there are still NO DECENT FEATURES FOR CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES in Quickbooks 2006. A Construction business revolves around Jobs. Quickbooks revolves around dates and still cannot do any job costing other than the standard p/l report it does.

If the reporting is improved, at least to the point that a simple change in a header does not force the report to calculate from the start, I may consider giving the 2006 a second look.

Till then, you keep on cheering.

=

What is all this file hosting business? I've seen something like this on high end graphics/architectural based LANs where they lock up a database of basic elements that are used in a project to avoid anyone changing them and using the wrong ones.

So now if a data file is on a Network Accessed Storage drive it also has to be hosted on one of the systems, and if one system is more powerful than the others then that system has to be started first all the time?

What a bunch of idiots they are... Unbelievable...

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Now you must realize that my comment was for comical effect. I would never assume that you will ever be happy with the product.

If you look at QB 2006 it becomes evidenty clear that from a functional stand point the major enhansements are geared towards those industries that have inventory. There still appears to be enough great changes to satisfy most users.