Act database disappears after Windows update

[Robert Wells]

Act database disappears, seems to be after a Windows Update.  Downloading and installing a new database is only a temporary fix until it disappears again.  This is the 4th time in 2 or 3 months.  Issue happened on both v 20.0 and v20.1.

Running Act Premium v20.1 (subscription) with local client on a MacBook with Parallels and Windows 7.

Why is this happening and what can we do to prevent it?

Thanks,

[juancarlosoterogarc…]

I suggest then that before Windows updates ...   Back up your database in a folder created for that in the DOCUMENTS folder - and place a copy of the ZIP file in an internet storage, example Google Drive or Dropbox

How to back up and restore an Act! database CLICK HERE
 
It is also important to have a written NOTE IN A SAFE PLACE  of the Database Administrator username and password.
 
Best regards and Good luck...

[Robert Wells]

After Windows 7 updates, the ADF file is gone so user cannot sign in to his database.  Act is still there.  We want to keep the db on local clients, not solely in the cloud.  And we do not have our own server, which is why we have a subscription.

[Robert Wells]

Thanks to those who replied.  Though there were some suggestions as to what to do to mitigate damage before or after the database disappears, apparently nobody knows why this is happening or how to stop it from happening again.

Let me add, the culprit may not be Windows updates.  There was no update just prior to the latest incident.

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

[DanEvans]

Hello Robelt,

If the ADF just disappears then I would be looking at any anti-virus that is on the machine that could be quarantining the item. I have seen this before and you will need to put the relevant exceptions in place to prevent it in the system you are using. The windows system wouldn't just remove items.

For additional exceptions for Act! check the link: http://kb.act.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/25125/

Dan

[Robert Wells]

The quarantine file was one of the first things I checked weeks ago.  The missing ADF file wasn't shown as quarantined.  If it's anti virus, I would think it would disappear pretty quickly every time, which it does not.  Sometimes it's 2 or 3 weeks, the next time only 1 week.

Also I would think that if it's the anti virus, all users would have the same problem.  They all have the same anti virus - Webroot - and this is the only user with this issue.

[DanEvans]

Hello

It is not something I have seen before on a Windows environment. Where is the database being stored? Do other users us parallels set up?

[Robert Wells]

One other user uses Parallels, and hasn't had this problem.  Other users are running Act on a Windows 7 desktop PC.  All use Webroot anti virus.  None of the others have this issue.

Databases are in the default folder - Documents/Act Data/Databases.

By the way, only the ADF file for the main db disappears - there is still a PAD file.  And the demo db is still there.

The second and third time this happened, it was right after a Windows update.  But this last time, there wasn't an update, so I guess that's not it.