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How do I fix the “Failed to connect to server” error when starting Acctivate on one workstation?

Learn how to resolve the “Failed to connect to server” error on a single workstation when Acctivate cannot connect to your local SQL Server.

When launching Acctivate, you may see the following message on one workstation:

Failed to connect to server <ServerName\SQLInstanceName>. Please verify the server name and network connection.

This error means Acctivate cannot reach the SQL Server that hosts your company database. If other users can log in normally, the issue is specific to the affected workstation’s configuration or network access.

Common Causes

  • The workstation cannot reach the server over the network (e.g., name resolution or firewall issue).

  • The Acctivate configuration file (Acct.ini) contains the wrong SQL Server name.

  • SQL Server Browser or TCP/IP protocols are disabled on the server.  (This would impact all workstations, typically)

  • Windows updates or antivirus/firewall software are blocking the SQL connection.

Steps to Resolve

  1. Confirm network connectivity to the server

    • On the affected workstation, press Windows + R, type \\ServerName, and press Enter.

    • If you cannot access the server or receive a “network path not found” message, contact your IT administrator to check network or permission issues.

  2. Verify the SQL Server name in Acctivate configuration

    • On the affected workstation, open Acctivate Database Maintenance from the Start menu. 

    • From the Database menu, select Database Sources.  

    • Confirm that the server name matches the computer hosting SQL Server (for example: SERVER\ACCTIVATE ).  You can compare another user's configuration from a workstation that is able to open Acctivate.
      DBMaint_DatabaseSources

    • Close Database Maintenance, then close and reopen Acctivate.

  3. Test SQL Server connection manually

    • In Windows search, type ODBC and open ODBC Data Sources (64-bit).

    • On the System DSN tab, locate or create an entry for ACCTIVATE.

    • Test the connection using the same SQL Server name entered in Database Maintenance, using your SQL credentials.

    • If the connection fails, verify that SQL Server is running on the server computer.

  4. If all users are unable to open Acctivate, check SQL Server services on the host computer

    • On the server, open Services (services.msc).

    • Ensure the following services are Running:

      • SQL Server (ACCTIVATE) or similar

      • SQL Server Browser

    • If they are stopped, right-click each service and choose Start.

  5. Temporarily disable antivirus or firewall

    • If the issue persists, disable third-party firewall or antivirus software temporarily to test.

    • If Acctivate connects successfully after disabling, add exceptions for:

      • Acctivate.exe

      • SQLSERVR.EXE

      • Ports 1433 (SQL TCP) and 1434 (SQL Browser UDP).

  6. Restart the workstation and test again

    • Once settings are confirmed and services are running, restart the workstation and open Acctivate again.