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If you are unable to run POSitive over the network there are several things to check where POSitive products and networking are concerned.
--- TROUBLESHOOTING SUMMARY ---
This article focuses on a list of issues to check for and review which might be causing problems with running POSitive over the network.
NOTE: The 'POSitiveForBusiness' folder referenced throughout this article represents your POSitive installation folder, which may have a different name on your computer or server. Similarly, the 'Data1' folder represents your company's data folder that POSitive uses, which may have a different ID number other than '1'. Likewise, 'PFB.exe' represents namely our 'POSitive For Business' product. Your product may vary, therefore the name of the executable file will also be accordingly different.
- Network and Shortcut Target
- Drive Mapping
- Folder Sharing
- Microsoft SQL Server Native Client
- Network Type
- Shared Folder Permissions
- Windows and Microsoft Updates
- Advanced Networking
- Back to Network Setup Basics
--- WARNINGS AND RESTRICTIONS ---
- Review the System Requirements to be sure your equipment meets our recommended hardware and software specifications
- Review the 'POSitive Running Slow' KB article to avoid pitfalls with poor performance issues and protection software incompatibilities
- Running POSitive products on more than one computer requires a high-speed internal Ethernet network connection
- Running POSitive products over a high-speed wired network is required for best performance and reliability
- Running POSitive products over a wireless network is not officially supported due to poor reliability and performance
- Running POSitive products on Microsoft Windows 'Basic', 'Home', 'Starter' and 'RT' edition operating systems is not a supported method due to various networking and other limitations
--- BEFORE GETTING STARTED ---
Be sure you can view file extensions in Windows. Here's how:
- Open Windows File Explorer (Press the Windows logo key + E)
- Click the File, View or Organize menu option
- Select 'Options' or 'Folder and Search Options'
- Select the View tab
- Uncheck the option 'Hide extensions for known file types'
- Click OK to close
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ITEM 1: NETWORK SHORTCUT TARGET
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Check the shortcuts that open POSitive on each remote workstation by right-clicking on the shortcut that open's POSitive on each remote workstation and choose 'Properties'. The 'Target:' field's contents should start with a drive letter and look similar to this: 'P:\POSitiveForBusiness\PFB.exe'. The 'Start in:' field's contents should be similar to 'P:\POSitiveForBusiness'. If either of those fields begin with two backslashes '\\' then you need to delete that shortcut and create a new one over a mapped drive.
See Network Shortcut Target in our 'Add a Workstation: Network Setup Basics' knowledgebase article for more information.
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ITEM 2: DRIVE MAPPING
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Check your mapping. In POSitive, click the 'Help' pull-down menu at the top (If you're using the Touchscreen interface, you will need to exit POSitive log into Manager Mode) and choose 'About'... The 'Data Path' will tell you where POSitive is running from. For example, assuming you have the 'C:\POSitive' folder correctly shared on the server, you should see 'C:\POSitive\POSitiveForBusiness' (assuming you installed POSitive to its default location, or something similar) on the server and 'P:\POSitiveForBusiness\Data1' on the workstations where 'P' is the mapped network drive letter. If you see something like '\\SERVER\POSitive\POSitiveForBusiness' then you need to map a drive to '\\SERVER\POSitive'. If you see something like 'P:\Data1', you are mapped to the POSitive installation folder instead of the folder above it. In this case you will need to change the folder that is shared on the server to the 'C:\POSitive' folder.
See Drive Mapping in our 'Add a Workstation: Network Setup Basics' knowledgebase article for more information.
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ITEM 3: FOLDER SHARING
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The shared folder for the mapped network drive should always be the folder directly above the POSitive installation folder. For example, if POSitive is installed in its default location, 'C:\POSitive\POSitiveForBusiness', then the 'POSitive' folder on the server would need to be shared with 'Everyone' and given 'Full Control' on both the 'Sharing' and 'Security' tabs in the folder's properties page and then mapped to that folder on the workstations. If you don't know how to do this see Folder Sharing in our 'Add A Workstation: Network Setup Basics' knowledgebase article for more information, or contact your network administrator or POSitive Support.
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ITEM 4: MICROSOFT SQL SERVER NATIVE CLIENT
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With the use of older versions of POSitive it was required to use the 2005 version of Microsoft SQL Server Native Client. However, with newer releases of POSitive, and with Microsoft no longer supporting the 2005 version, you will need to uninstall it and install the 2012 version of Microsoft SQL Server Native Client. To this, follow these instructions.
If you have already done this at some point, you should re-verify that the 'Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Native Client' has been installed on each workstation. The easiest way to do this is to just re-install it again. See step 9 of our 'Add a Workstation: Network Setup Basics'. While re-installing you might see options to Modify, Repair, or Remove. Choose 'Repair', then click 'Next' and continue the process.
--- Troubleshooting Re-Installing the Native Client ---
If You Get an Error Trying to Re-install the Native Client...
It's likely that you are trying to install the 64-bit version when you already have the 32-bit version installed. If you are running a 64-bit version of Windows, now is a good time to completely uninstall 'Microsoft SQL Server Native Client' 32-bit version and install the 64-bit version of 'Microsoft SQL Server Native Client 2012'.
How To Properly Uninstall Desktop Software Programs Or Applications
- Windows 10
- Other Windows Operating Systems
After Uninstalling the Native Client
Now you can install the 64-bit version of the Native Client.
See Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Native Client in our 'Add a Workstation: Network Setup Basics' knowledgebase article for more information.
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ITEM 5: NETWORK TYPE
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Often after a power outage, changes in the network (such as a new router), Windows or other software update can change the Network Type in Windows. Among other things, this can affect POSitive, typically where the Windows Firewall is concerned. To get the best connectivity the 'Network Type' all computers that access POSitive should match the server's settings for Network Type. Follow the instructions for 'Network Type' in the 'Add a Workstation: Network Setup Basics' knowledgebase article.
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ITEM 6: SHARED FOLDER PERMISSIONS
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If you are getting an error message on the workstation such as:
'The program can't start because [filename] is missing from your computer.'
- Double check to be sure that 'Everyone' on the server has full access rights to the POSitive folder by following the instruction on step 2 above.
- Make sure that the Windows computer you are using using requires a password to log into Windows
- Make sure that the user you are using to log into Windows as has full administrative permissions.
--- Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 instructions
- Take full ownership of the POSitive Files & Folders and Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries:
- On the server computer where POSitive is installed, right-click on the shared 'POSitive' folder and select 'Properties'.
- Click the 'Security' tab and click 'Advanced''
- On the window that pops up click the 'Change' button
- On the window that pops up click the 'Advanced...' button
- On the window that pops up click the 'Find Now' button
- Select the Windows Administrator user that you are logged into Windows as and click OK (window closes)
- Click OK again (window closes)
- Place a check in the box that's labeled 'Replace owner on subcontaiers and objects
- Place a check in the box that's labeled 'Replace all child object permission entries with inheritable permission entries from this object' > OK
- Keep clicking OK or Close until all of the opened windows are closed
- Try launching POSitive again on the workstation that's getting errors
- Try reinstalling POSitive on the server (same version or newer)
- Try creating a new folder on the server and installing POSitive inside of it (review the section POSitive Installation Location of the 'Add A Workstation: Network Setup Basics' knowledgebase article) then proceed with a Folder Sharing in our 'Add A Workstation: Network Setup Basics' knowledgebase article.
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ITEM 7: WINDOWS AND MICROSOFT UPDATES
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See the section Windows and Microsoft Updates in the 'Add a Workstation: Network Setup Basics' knowledgebase article for more information.
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ITEM 8: ADVANCED NETWORKING OPTIONS
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You may be experiencing other networking issues that are beyond the scope of this article. However, here are some additional optional networking related items to consider. Please consult with your POSitive reseller, IT contractor for further information. Or contact our partner IT provider StriveTech at (509) 845-4155 (billed separately).
NOTE: Not all of the following settings changes are intended to be completed. These are troubleshooting options only, to solve some specific problems you may run into.
- ON THE SERVER
- Make the following changes to the database properties and SQL Server properties
- 'Auto Close' = False
- Open SQL Server Management Studio and then connect to your SQL Server Instance
- Right-click on the database name and select Properties.
- Under the 'Select a page' section on the left pane click on Options
- On the right pane scroll to the top of the list where you'll find the option 'Auto Close'
- Ensure that 'False' is selected and click OK button to save changes
- The following setting changes are not recommended for companies running less than five workstations
- 'Cost Threshold for Parallelism' = 30 (the default setting is 5)
- 'Max Degree of Parallelism' = 2 (the default setting is 0)
- Open SQL Server Management Studio and then connect to your SQL Server Instance
- Right-click on the SQL Server (not a database) and select Properties
- Under the 'Select a page' option on the left page click Advanced
- On the right page scroll to the bottom of the list
- Click in the field 'Cost Threshold for Parallelism' and replace the value with 30
- Click in the field 'Max Degree of Parallelism' and replace the value with 2
- ON THE SERVER AND ALL WORKSTATIONS
- Disable TPC/IPv6 in the computer's network adapter properties
- Disable any unused network device/adapters, including Wi-Fi adapters in either...
- Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet > Change adapter options ... or... Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings
- Disable power saving options in the Ethernet adapter configuration in the Power Management properties
- Verify that the workstation can ping the server by name and returns the correct IP address
- Verify the server can ping the workstation by name and returns the correct IP address
- Verify all Windows operating systems are running the 'Professional' edition of Windows (See System Requirements))
- Assign a static IP address on the server and update the connection properties on POSitive's Choose Company screen
- On the server, click the Windows Start button and type "cmd" and choose Command Prompt (App)
- In the Command Prompt window type "ipconfig /all" and press Enter
- Under the active 'Ethernet adapter' section, note the results for the following items
- IPv4 Address
- SSubnet Mask
- Default Gateway
- DNS Servers
- Windows Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet > Change adapter options
- Right-click the primary Ethernet (Network) icon and select Properties
- Select item 'Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)' under the Networking tab and click the Properties button
- Switch the selector to 'Use the following IP address'
- Complete the fields using the information you noted above (You can leave 'Alternate DNS server' blank
- Place a check next to 'Validate settings upon exit' and click OK
Alternate methods to assign a status IP address resource: https://is.gd/p3sc6s
- Update the connection properties in POSitive software
- On the server, launch POSitive software and stop at the Choose Company screeen
- Press Ctrl+Shift+E, highlight your company and click the Change button
- Replace just the server name with the IP address you noted above (e.g. "SERVERNAME\POSITIVE" becomes "192.168.1.117\POSITIVE")
- Click OK and log into POSitive to test settings
- Turn off 'Password protected sharing'
- Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet > Change advanced sharing options ... or... Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings
- Expand 'All Networks' section
- Under 'File sharing connections' select 'Enable file sharing for devices that use 40- or 56-bit encryption'
- Under 'Password protected sharing' select 'Turn off password protected sharing'
- Click 'Save changes' button
- If that doesn't work, re-enable 'Password protected sharing' and create a user on the server, then use that user's login credentials when creating the mapped drive on the workstation
- Open 'Computer Management' and expand 'System Tools', then expand 'Local Users and Groups' (Not seeing this option? You must be running a Professional edition of Windows)
- Right-click on the 'Users' folder and choose 'New User...'
- Complete all of the fields and uncheck the option 'User must change password at next logon'
- Click 'Create' > Close
- Right-click on the newly created user and select Properties
- Click on the 'Member Of' tab and click 'Add...'
- Type "Administrators" and click OK > OK
- Next, map a drive on the workstation, but be sure to select the option 'Connect using different credentials' > Finish... When prompted to Enter network credentials click on 'More choices' and choose 'Use a different account'
- The User name is the local workstation name separated by a backslash, followed by the user name you created... e.g. LocalWorkstationName\UserName
- Enter the password for the user you created and select the option 'Remember my credentials' > click OK
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ITEM 9: BACK TO NETWORK SETUP BASICS
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Go to the 'Add A Workstation: Network Setup Basics' knowledgebase article and start from POSitive Installation Location.
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Updated 10/05/2021
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