FAQ 327: My database is [Invalid?] and I can’t log on

[clinicoffice_user]

This FAQ applies to ClinicOffice Startup and Professional editions.

From time to time it has been reported to us and therefore we have been called regarding this error. Users will see a screen that looks like this:

This is caused because of a couple of reasons. And when you try logging on you will see that we have already put in place a small explanation as seen below:

The most common cause for this is that you are trying to connect to a database over a network, and for some reason your computer cannot access the network.

To verify whether this is the problem, please try the following :-

1. Look closely at the error message and note the location where ClinicOffice is trying to find the database (in the above example it is \serverMy_Database) as underlined in red

2. Click Start and then Run (Alternatively hold down the windows/microsoft button on you keyboard and press the letter R)

3. Type in the expected database location exactly as it appears on the message
(e.g.  \\server\My_Database)

4. Click OK

If a window opens showing you lots of database files, then your computer can connect and all is OK. If this is the case, try restarting ClinicOffice (or even your computer) to see if the problem is persistent.

Most likely however, you will see a message which says something like…

\\server\My_Database
The network path was not found.

…which means that your computer cannot find your server computer and/or the shared folder on it.

At this point, we have identified that the problem is a networking issue rather than a ClinicOffice problem. Here are some things to try:-

– Check that your network hub is turned on

– Check all network cable connections

– Temporarily disable any firewalls to see if they are blocking access

– If the fault is intermittent, try swapping network cables over with another computer

– Try accessing different computers on your network, not just the server

If you have a ‘techie’ available (i.e. someone technical who knows all about computers), it would probably be good to get him to look into it, as networking problems can be difficult to fix.

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