Many of our clients are using the Advantage Database Server for true client-server operations ( faster and more secure processing ).  In fact, many still use old versions 7 or 8 and they were doing just fine … until the last few days.  Then the software stopped working on the “server”.

Here is the problem.  ADS 7 & 8 only came in 32 bit versions.  The newer ones had 32 and 64 bit versions.  Some people have moved to Windows 10 as their server, and we have reinstalled ADS on those new machines.  If it was ADS 7 or 8, and 32 bit, it still ran fine … until recently.

Microsoft has been releasing updates to Windows 10 called the Anniversary Edition.  Within those updates, they have added many new bugs, including issues with the networking and security.  Once installed, the ADS 32 bit servers will no longer work.  New versions of ADS, with the 64bit install, seem to be unaffected.  Also, ADS 7, or 8, on pre-Windows 10 computers will continue to work without a problem.

There is nothing we can do in ASW to make the ADS server work.  However, you can stop using it by doing the following on each workstation:

1)  Click on the folder displayed on the taskbar ( System Explorer ), and when it displays, open the C drive.  Find the ASW9c folder.

2) Right click on the CONFIG.CBA file and select Open With:  Notepad.

3)  When displayed, you will see a line that says ADS=C.  Change it to read ADS=S.

4)  Click on File, then Save, and then exit.  You can now access the server in Peer to Peer mode.

If you are using version 7 or 8 ADS, we can sell you a new, current license.  The cost is $650 per 5 users.  We are only resellers of this product.  Since those versions are at least 10 years old, we do not expect there will be any fixes by SAP to them, nor can we see Microsoft addressing the problem.

We are concerned that Microsoft continues to release very buggy upgrades to the software, and this has been a major problem around this anniversary edition.  It appears to be the new acceptable standard in the tech industry where young, creative, people implement new ideas with no concern for compatibility, quality assurance, testing, or documentation.  Our voice has been heard on your behalf at the highest levels of that corporation.  Sadly, it’s a behavior replicated at every other tech company out there today. 

Feel free to email or call with any questions.