Single-user file locking

Important networking information for Mac OS X users

A few important MYOB AccountEdge tasks require that only one user is using the company file. Many of these tasks are file-maintenance procedures, such as backing up and checking your company file for errors, and require the "full attention" of the company file while they're being performed. Single-user file locking ensures that only one user is using a company file when these tasks are occurring.

When you begin to perform a task that requires a single-user file lock, no other users can have the company file open. If you attempt to begin one of these tasks when the file is open on another user's workstation, AccountEdge will prevent you from starting the task. Similarly, if a single-user file lock is in effect on a company file, no other users will be able to open the file.

When you open a company file, you can specify that you wish to activate single-user file locking. In the Sign-On window that appears when you start AccountEdge, choose the Single-user Access option.

Note: Having problems with single-user access?

 If you're the only user of a particular company file but AccountEdge still won't allow you to begin a task that requires single-user access, some problem may have occurred when one of your coworkers last closed the company file. (For example, it's possible that someone didn't exit AccountEdge properly when the company file was open, or a power interruption caused a workstation to shut down unexpectedly.)

To fix this problem, exit AccountEdge, then start AccountEdge again and open the company file. (When you use the Sign-on window to open the company file, you might want to consider choosing the Single-user Access option to ensure nobody else will open the company file.) You should now be able to perform the task.

The tasks in which single-user company file locking occur include:

  • Backing up a company file

  • Restoring a backed-up company file

  • Checking a company file for errors

  • Purging journal entries, closed sales, closed purchases and business contacts

  • Exporting MYOB AccountEdge data

  • Importing data into MYOB AccountEdge

  • Starting a new fiscal year

  • Starting a new payroll year

  • Loading payroll tax tables

  • Optimizing a company file

  • Setting up, changing or removing passwords

  • Setting up, changing or removing an employee's payroll information

In addition, the following elements cannot be created, changed or removed when more than one person is using the company file.

  • Payroll categories

  • Report batches

If you wish to perform a task that requires single-user file locking but other users currently have the company file open, you can quickly determine who is using the company file by displaying the Active Workstations window. To do this, choose Active Workstations from the File menu.

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Working with Your Company File on a Network Overview - Single-user file locking