"The database ... could not be accessed. In order to access this database, check your network connection and verify that your database server is available. It may be necessary to disable any firewall software on your computer or the server."

If you are having problems opening the database please check to make sure that “Share Database” is checked Under Tools>Database Maintenance. If that is checked please look through this sage document. It covers most of the solutions to this problem. Some of the most popular causes for this issue is firewalls. A firewall such as Norton Internet Security, McAfee Security Center, and even Zone Alarm all can prevent ACT! From sharing the database over the network. So if you do have a firewall you may want to disable it on both computers. If that is the issue then you will need to set exceptions for the particular firewall you are using. Please let me know if this document does not resolve your issue and we can take a closer look at it on Monday.

Error: "The database <Database name> could not be accessed. In order to access this database, check your network connection and verify that your database server is available. It may be necessary to disable any firewall software...

Question

You attempt to open your database and receive the following error message: "The database ... could not be accessed. In order to access this database, check your network connection and verify that your database server is available. It may be necessary to disable any firewall software on your computer or the server."

Answer

There is more than one possible cause for this issue.

This error has been known to occur if:

• The Share Database option is not enabled
• Permissions for Folders of the Shared Database
• The .PAD file is damaged
• Your installed version of ACT! is different than the version of ACT! on the Computer hosting the shared database
• The SQL Server Browser and/or SQL Server (ACT7) services are not started or is disabled
• Protocols for ACT7; TCP/IP is Disabled
• Firewall or Anti-Virus software is blocking access to the database
• The Preferences file is damaged
• Your database is damaged

In some cases, particularly when accessing the network using Windows XP Home edition, you can resolve this issue by creating a new Windows user, on the computer hosting the shared database, with the same user name and password as the Windows user of the remote (XP Home) computer. This step can provide the remote user with permissions needed to access the shared database.

Please refer to your Windows documentation or contact Microsoft® for information on creating a new Windows user.


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Share Database Option Disabled:
This error will result when attempting to access a shared database if the Share Database option is not enabled. Follow the steps below to verify that this database is enabled for sharing:

1. From the computer hosting the shared database, launch ACT! and open the database.

2. Click the Tools menu, point to Database Maintenance, and then ensure that the Share Database option is enabled.

If the Share Database option is not checked, click this option to share the database. The following ACT! dialog box appears:

3. Click OK to complete the process, and attempt to open the database again from the remote workstation.

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Permissions for Folders of the Shared Database:
Ensure that users Permissions are set to Full Control for the folders containing the shared database files are stored.
Please refer to your Windows documentation for detailed information.

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Damaged .PAD File:
This error may occur if the .PAD file for this database is damaged. To resolve this issue, you can open your database using the .ADF file instead. Prior to opening your database with the .ADF file, you must detach the database from the SQL Server and delete your current .PAD file. Follow the steps below:

Detaching the database
Follow the steps below to use the ACT! Diagnostics utility to detach the database before deleting the .PAD file and opening the .ADF file:

1. Close ACT!

2. Click the Windows Start button, and then click Run. The Run dialog box appears.

3. Type actdiag in the Open field, and then click OK. The ACT! Diagnostics utility launches:

4. Click Databases from the navigation bar. A list of your databases will appear.



Note: If the STATUS of your database is listed as SUSPECT, refer to the following Knowledge Base Answer for information on resolving this issue:

Title: Error" "Cannot Access Specified Database..." and the Database is Listed as SUSPECT in the ACT! Diagnostics Utility
Answer ID: 19641

If the database STATUS is listed as ONLINE, continue with the steps below:

5. Click the gray rectangle on the left side of the DATABASE name that you wish to Detach. The entire row displaying the database information becomes highlighted.

6. Note the path in the DATABASE FILE LOCATION column.

7. Right-click the rectangle on the left side of the DATABASE name, and then click Detach Database from the shortcut menu. The following Detach Database dialog box appears.

8. Click Yes. The following Detach Database message appears.

9. Click OK. Your database is detached from the ACT! SQL Instance.

You must now locate the .PAD and .ADF files associated with your database. You must delete the .PAD file, and then open the .ADF file to recreate the .PAD file and reattach your database to the SQL Server ACT! instance. Use the following steps to reattach your database to the SQL Server ACT! instance.

The default location is as follows for your version of ACT!:

C:\Documents and Settings\<User_Name>\My Documents\ACT\ACT for Windows 9\Databases

If your database files are elsewhere, please use the Windows Search function to locate the .PAD and .ADF database files.

Searching for the Database Files:

Windows Server 2003/XP:

1. Right-click the Windows Start button, and then click Search on the shortcut menu. A Search Results window opens.

2. In the Search Results window, enter <database_name>.pad in the All or part of the file name box with <database_name> replaced by the name of your database.

Example: When searching for the database called "Contacts", enter "Contacts.pad".

3. Click the desired search location in the Look in drop-down list.

4. Expand More Advanced Options by clicking it.

5. Enable the Search system folders, Search hidden files and folders, and Search subfolders check boxes.

6. Clear the Case sensitive and Search tape backup check boxes.

7. Click Search.

8. When the search completes, the results will list the Name and the In Folder location of the ACT! database file matching your search criteria.

9. Right-click this .PAD file, and then click Delete from the shortcut menu.

10. Repeat steps 1-8 searching for <database_name>.adf in the All or part of the file name box with <database_name> replaced by the name of your database.

11. Note the In Folder location of the .ADF file.

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Different ACT! Versions:
This error can result if you upgrade or update your ACT! application to the current version but ACT! has not been upgraded or updated on the Computer hosting the shared database. (or vise versa)

To determine your version of ACT!, click the Help menu, and then click About ACT!. The Version is displayed near the upper-right corner. Please ensure that the Version number of your ACT! application is the same as the Version number in the ACT! application installed on the computer hosting the shared database.

If you have upgraded or updated ACT! on the host computer (Server) and have not yet restarted this computer, you may be able to resolve this issue by restarting this host computer. The database must be opened from the host computer after upgrading or updating the ACT! software. Opening your shared database to upgrade or  update the database. Only then can this database be opened from the upgraded or updated application on a remote computer. Please refer to the following Knowledge Base Answer:

Title: How to Upgrade ACT! By Sage 2007 From a Previous Version
Answer ID: 19154

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SQL Server Browser and SQL Server (ACT7) Service:
This issue can result if the SQL Server Browser and/or SQL Server (ACT7) service is disabled or simply not started.

Follow the steps below to enable or start the SQL Server Browser and/or SQL Server (ACT7) Service.

1. Click the Windows Start button, and then click Run. The Run dialog box appears.

2. Type services.msc into the Open field, and then click OK. The Services panel appears.

3. Locate the SQL Server Browser service:

· If the Startup Type displays Disabled, follow the steps below to change the Startup Type to Automatic:

a. Right-click the SQL Server Browser service from the Name column, and then click Properties from the shortcut menu. The SQL Server Browser Properties (Local Computer) dialog box appears:

b. Click the Startup type field, and then click Automatic from the drop-down list.

c. Click Apply, and then click OK.

· If the Status does NOT display Started for this service, right-click the SQL Server Browser service, and then click Start from the shortcut menu. The following Service Control progress indicator may appear as the service is started on the Local Computer:

· If the Status displays Started for this service, right-click the SQL Server Browser service, and then click Restart from the shortcut menu.

4. When complete, the Status column will display Started, and the Startup Type will display Automatic for the SQL Server Browser service.

5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 for the SQL Server (ACT7) service if set to Disabled and/or not Started.

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Protocols for ACT7; TCP/IP is Disabled:
The TCP/IP option is disabled in the SQL Server Configuration Manager. Use the following steps:

1. Click the Windows Start button, point to All Programs (or Programs), point to Microsoft SQL Server 2005, point to Configuration Tools, and then click the SQL Server Configuration Manager option. The SQL Server Configuration Manager panel launches.

2. Expand SQL Server 2005 Network Configuration, and then click Protocols for ACT7 in the left pane.

3. In the right pane ensure that the TCP/IP option in the Protocol Name column is Enabled in the Status column.
If not right-click TCP/IP, and then click Enable from the shortcut menu. Otherwise close SQL Server 2005 Network Configuration panel.

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Firewall or AntiVirus Blocking:
If the SQL Server Browser and/or SQL Server (ACT7) services are started, and opening your database with the .ADF file fails to resolve your issue, refer to the following Knowledge Base Answer for information on disabling the Windows firewall. If you have other firewall software, you will need to temporarily disable it to troubleshoot this issue.

Title: How to Add ACT! by Sage 2007 and the SQL Instance to the Exception List for Windows Firewall
Answer ID: 19420

After the firewall software is disabled, you may still need to add the following folders to the firewall Exclusion list (or ensure that these files are granted full access).

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\
C:\Program Files\ACT\ACT for Windows\ActSage.exe

If disabling the Windows (or other) Firewall software does not resolve the issue, you will need to temporarily disable your AntiVirus software to troubleshoot this issue. Please consult your AntiVirus documentation or their Web Site.

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Damaged Preferences File:
This issue may be caused by damage to an ACT! Preferences file. Follow the steps below to resolve this issue:

Warning: If your are using Internet Mail, Outlook Express, Eudora or Local ACT! Folders for E-mail, renaming this preferences file may result in a loss of e-mail messages. If you are using Outlook for E-mail or are just beginning your use of ACT! E-mail, you will not experience this issue.

If your are using Internet Mail, Outlook Express, Eudora or Local ACT! Folders for E-mail, please create a backup of your ACT! E-mail database. You can then restore this backup after renaming the preferences file, opening and then closing your ACT! database. Refer to the following Knowledge Base document for detailed information on backing up and restoring your ACT E-mail database:

Title: How to Back Up and Restore Your ACT! E-mail Database
Answer ID: 19212

1. Close ACT!.

2. Launch Windows Explorer (or My Computer).

3. Navigate to the location of your preferences file. By default, this file is located at:

C:\Documents and Settings\(User Name)\ Application Data\ACT\Act for Windows 9\

4. Right-click the preferencesBak.XML file and then click Rename from the shortcut menu. Rename this file to preferencesBak.xml.old.

5. Navigate to the following folder.

C:\Documents and Settings\(User Name)\ Application Data\ACT\Act for Windows 9\Preferences

6. Right-click the USPreferences206.XML file and then click Rename from the shortcut menu. Rename this file to USPreferences206.old.

Caution: There is also a file in this directory named Preferences206.XML - Do Not rename the Preferences206.XML file.

This file will be rebuilt when you launch ACT!.

7. Close Windows Explorer (or My Computer).

8. Launch ACT!. The ACT! Getting Started Wizard launches.

9. Proceed through this wizard to reconfigure your Word Processor and Fax preferences (but do NOT reconfigure E-mail if you backed up your e-mail messages) until you can open your database.

10. Close ACT! and restore your E-Mail (if necessary).

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Damaged Database:
If the issue persists after ensuring that the SQL Server Browser and/or SQL Server (ACT7) services are started and firewall software is disabled, it is likely that your database is damaged.

If you have a current backup, you may restore the backup to resolve this issue. If you do not have a current backup that can be restored, refer to the following Knowledge Base document for information on repairing and rebuilding your ACT! database:

Title: Database Rebuild and Repair Procedures
Answer ID: 19642