DDE

Hi I'm using NetDDE to access info from an In Touch application, I never used to have any problems when we ran NT. How ever we have now up graded to Win2000 and IT are now insisting that if there is no activity (mouse move's) that the PC locks you out and requires you to enter the password. I think this is stopping my DDE has anyone had this problem before?

I've had DDE running in Excel spreadsheets while the computer was "locked" and never had any problems. Excel and my DDE server (RSLinx) kept right on running. I've also seen InTouch (WonderWare) updating DDE/OPC data while the computer was locked. I don't know if IT can set a computer up to stop DDE services when it's locked. Maybe...

Are you sure your program doesn't have a bug in it somewhere (possibly relating to "gee, I'm really starting to get a lot of data") that happens to show up about the same time the computer goes into locked mode? I've had this happen in Excel where it was logging past data and basically went too many columns over (Excel only lets you go to column IV for some reason) and when it tried to go to the next column (after a while) it generated an error.

the PC locks you out and requires you to enter the password

Click to expand...

Ahh, but how / what method is this happening by ? Screen saver, system policy, hybernation (suspend to ram or disk), power save mode (w/cpu throttle) ... ? Is it logging you out or just locking you out ?

Try doing a C-A-D and selecting Lock Computer while NetDDE is active, wait a minute and Unlock to see if your data has been updating.

I've also seen some screen savers totaly 100% eat cpu cycles so that nothing else computer when they were active.

to eliminate any "IT" problems -

1. Ignore anyone from the IT department.
2. Disable any/all screensavers (set to none), if you are worried about the monitor set it up to go to sleep after the time a SS would kick in.
3. Set "turn off hard disk" to never.
4. Set "system hibernates" to never.
5. Set "system standby" to never.

If IT demand that the system locks the screen this should only be done with the screensaver utility (you can make it a blank screen to save resources) and if so all programs,servers,comms,etc. should always run.

I've just tried it again ,this time with my laptop connected to the network next to the In Touch PC and it all worked fine even when the PC was locked ........

Yet when I try it in the workshop it will not work .I'm going to go and see our pet IT guy (Everyone should have one) and see if he can come up with some ideas...

to eliminate any "IT" problems -

1. Ignore anyone from the IT department.
2. Disable any/all screensavers (set to none), if you are worried about the monitor set it up to go to sleep after the time a SS would kick in.
3. Set "turn off hard disk" to never.
4. Set "system hibernates" to never.
5. Set "system standby" to never.

If IT demand that the system locks the screen this should only be done with the screensaver utility (you can make it a blank screen to save resources) and if so all programs,servers,comms,etc. should always run.

Click to expand...

I'd love to try that Kennyb but thanks to our IT dept non of this can be done (even with administrator rights)

I.T Dept ............ the first against the wall come the revolution

I'm With KennyB. Our systems are ours to do what we want with.
They can't touch them, besides they just jealous because we have better stuff than they do.

LOL...

If IT would let us get our own gear (or even had an idea what our gear did) it would be better.

I'm just having yet another arugment with IT now. If its non standard software IT won't support it, so I have to yet IT won't give me network Admin rights .So I have to put a call into help desk to tell them what to do, then when they can't they'll give me admin rights to that machine so I have to go back and do it....... banghead bonkhead

slightly OT

Not to drift OT, but yesterday I spent a pleasant 6 hours installing the RSLogix5000 suite on a "new" laptop supplied by our IT department.

They were told to leave it blank apart from Windoze - no clients, nuthin. It was to be a configuration device for use in the plant and would never see a network ever, at least the kind they play with.

Everything installed OK (very slowww..llyy)except RSLinx. IT helpline listened for about 45 seconds and when I mentioned the fault message (Microsoft ODBC setup...etc.) you could hear the panic. I was fobbed off with a support request number and an assurance that they would contact me.

By contrast the AB guy was not panicked in spite of the fact he was totally bemused by the fault. Incredulous is a better description. Completely baffled ("never even heard of this one before") he still tried one or two suggestions and came to the conclusion that whoever set up the laptop screwed up somewhere - either a Windows installation fault or some other s/ware install was screwing up the Windows installer.

Let me take you back for a second - "they were told to leave it blank" - remember?

It turned out they had installed Lotus Notes (with no way to connect to the company Lotus server), a VPN package, VNC server and SAP frontend!! None of these is of any use to 90% of people who ARE on the network!!(apart from maybe Lotus)

I took it upon myself to uninstall all this dross and guess what???

That's Right!!

So rests the prosecution in the matter of ...etc.etc.etc.

PS still have not had a callback!