Database could not be accessed. ACT Premium

[HugoMartin]

The last 3 days every time I open my act program I get error: The database xxxx could not be accessed. in order to access this database, check your netowrk connection and verify that your database server is available. It may be necessary to disable any firewall software on your computer or the server.

I never had this problem before, nothing has changed in my pc, my internet connection is working perfect, I am runing my database online in 1 computer (this one). The only thing I did uninstall was quicktime player and installed a previous version but I doubt this will cause a problem.

The only way that I could get back in my database is rebooting my pc and I am back again to open it only once. please help

[HugoMartin · Accepted solution]

Kquigley,

Thank you for yout help. SQL Server is set Auto. I should be fine from now on (i Hope)

[kquigley]

It is lilkely your instance of SQL is stopping. When this happens again, click START, RUN, and type "services.msc".

Then from the service list check to see if "SQL SERVER (ACT)" is running. If it isn't, start it, and if it is, stop and start it. My guess is ACT! will resume working after that.

[HugoMartin]

I will try that next time but How do you start SQL SERVER (ACT)?

[kquigley]

After running "services.msc", you'll see the complete list of services. Select "SQL Server (ACT)" and click on the Start button at the top, or right click on it and select Start.

[HugoMartin]

Today I opened my dabatabase and the same thing happened. I did run services.msc right after and founf SQL SERVER and started it. SO far the database work perfect. Do I have to do this everytime? Also in services.msc it says SQL SERVER (ACT 7), I do have act premium ver 09, should sql server be 9 and not 7? or 7 is perfectly fine? Thanks

[kquigley]

Firstly, check that the startup settings for SQL Server (ACT7) are configured to be "Automatic", and if not, then set it so.

If it is set to Automatic, and it isn't starting with the WInboot, you'll have to check the Event Viewer within Administrative Tools (in the Control Panel) for hints as to what might be interfering with it starting properly.

Secondly, "SQL Server ACT7" represents the SQL version, which is SQL Express 2005, which was released with ACT7, and used by every subsequent version of ACT!.

Good luck.

[MMcFadden]

Clarification.

ACT7 is the name of the Microsoft SQL Server private NAMED instance.  This name was introduced with ACT! 2005 which at the time, was also version 7.0 of the product release.  Note this version utilized SQL 2000 MSDE.

For sake of upgrades since then, we have kept the name ACT7.

With ACT! 2007, which was product version 9.0, ACT! shipped with SQL 2005 / Express edtion which replaced the discontinued MSDE edition, which was also incompatible with Windows Vista.

ACT! versions 9.x, 10.x and 11.x all shipped with SQL 2005 / Express, which also utilize the private instance name of ACT7.

Hope this is helpful.

thanks

[kquigley]

Thanx Mathew, you're correct in pointing out that I had referred to Act7 as ACT2007, which of course it isn't.

One day Sage will come up with one name for each release, if for no other than reason than to not confuse ACC's like myself.

The point I was trying to make to the gentlemen, which you made more clearly, was that SQL Server (ACT7) represents the newer version of SQL being used by ACT!, and all subsequent versions - namely, 9, 10, and 11 use the same one.

Kq\

[HugoMartin · Accepted solution]

Kquigley,

Thank you for yout help. SQL Server is set Auto. I should be fine from now on (i Hope)

[neonz]

FYI, with ACT 2009 Premium ST there have been a few instances where I've had to start/restart the SQL SERVER (ACT7) service even if it was set to Automatic.  You can also set the FIRST or SECOND failure occurrence to restart the service.  This is rare, though, and is likely caused by something other than the ACT software.  Just my two cents.  It's happened enough times to where that is the first thing I look for when the software runs but can't connect to the database.

If ACT/Sage decides to create new SQL instances for new releases (i.e. ACT9, ACT10, ACT11), this may lead to the possibility of running multiple versions of ACT on the same computer.  I can see how this would be beneficial for ACC's supporting a wide range of Act versions.  The network sync service would have to be really creative!  (helpful reference: http://community.act.com/sage/board/message?board.id=Prem&message.id=3105)