QB2006 & XP Home Ed

This is a peer to peer setup not a client server.

Since upgrading to 2006, everthing

QB 2006 can run in a peer to peer setup. The literature does not say it requires Windows Server 2000 or 2003.

I'm the first to admit that I don't know my ass from first base when it comes to networks but in this case, since the company files are stored on the "server", it seems to me that this is a client-server network. Am I mistaken? So...back to my original question...do I need server software to run QB

2006 with this setup? And, as a follow up...if I installed Windows Small Business Server 2003 is it just installed on the server or on all the clients which are now running XP? Can anyone enlighten this poor fool?

No you must be a computer guru. you said in your original post:

"I've been running QB 2003 with 5 machines in client server setup and using XP Home Edition and it's been working OK."

Let us in on your secret. How did you manage this dude? XP Home Edition in a client server environment? We mortals all know that the major feature missing in the home edition is the ability to run in a client server environment. Can you image how much money you can save us. Say good bye to XP professional and hello to XP Home. You are the man,

Yes. Calling a machine a "server" does not make it so. Operating systems with "server" in their names (i.e., Small Business Server, Win2000 Server, etc.) are way different from XP Home/Professional. A completely different breed of cat.

Peer-to-peer networks may functionally appear to act like client/server configurations, but, under the hood, they operate differently. Way differently.

Then there is the client/server database application which ACTS like client/server architecture on a peer-to-peer network. This is the QB 2006 methodology.

No. You simply tell QB that the database resides on a particular machine. QB loads its "server" database software and all other machines communicate with the "server" portion of QB's software. This is the equivalent of a "poor-man's server." It has the appropriate features of a client-server architecture, but only for one application: QuickBooks.

It is installed on every machine on which you want "server" capabilities - usually just one.

Again, a "Sever" OS is magnitudes more complicated and feature-rich than XP. You will need MS certification or the help of a 12-year old male to get it running.

I bet if you don't have multiple O/S licenses installing on more than one machine will prompt all sorts of error messages. Further more, getting XP home to talk to Small Busniness Server 2003 is a trick even your 12 year old buddies can't handle.

Allan,

You're running 0 for 3 dude. Time to turn in the a.c.s.f.q membership card.

We have a handful of units that are XP Home on our network, and they do just fine. They simply don't login to the domain server, they login to the local unit instead. They can still use domain resources, such as shared directories, shared printers, etc. They aren't peer-to-peer at all, they use the server.

Oh, and they run Quickbooks from the server fine, as well.

I'm trying to figure out how you act like an expert about stuff you have no expertise about.

Oh, almost forgot, we aren't paying you so you have no duty to provide truthful advice. Yeah, THAT's it. We aren't paying you.

*Watt

Even if I were getting paid my advice would be the same in this case. Client Server environment use XP Professinal, not XP Home on the client side.

Allan,

You'll need to see our Windows XP home clients in our offices then.

Running eithwe QB 2003 or QB 2006.

Works fine.

You should limit yourself to things you know about.

*Watt

You need to fire your network administrator.

Thanks very much for your thoughtful and informative post. I'm beginning to see the light.

So what you are saying is if I walk into your office and see everyone wiping their arises with a coon skin cap I should put Daniel Boone in my speed dial list?

Allan,

What I'm saying is your expertise falls short of your mouth, causing you to look pretty foolish.

You seem very slow to catch on. And a pretty desperate one, at that.

*Watt

Just because you run XP Home in a client server environment in your office means squat. The nature of my work allowed me to see first hand over a hundred client server installations. The one thing absent from each is a workstation running XP Home. I will trust my own observations not yours.

Allan,

You haven't seen even one.

What does that prove?

Only that you have never seen one.

You are slow to catch on.

Work's great. Stop by our offices sometime.

*Watt