Check if Acctivate runs on the server without getting that message. If there's no error, check antivirus setup on the workstation, make sure you can navigate to the server and to Acctivate folder on the server. If unable to open, check share settings
Following a server migration, new installation of Acctivate on a workstation, or a network related change within your system, you may encounter an error along the lines of:
Could not Connect to SQL Server
If you get this message, there are a few common culprits that could be causing the problem. In essence, this error means that Acctivate is having trouble communicating with the SQL Server Instance – the database. To resolve this, we will go over some troubleshooting tips you can try.
First, confirm whether you can run Acctivate without getting that message on the server itself. If you don’t get that message on the server, it is likely that something on the workstation is impeding the connection to the database. Check the following:
- If you have an anti-virus software set up on the workstation, try disabling any real-time scanning options. These can impede our ability to communicate with the server
- Make sure you can navigate to the server from within Windows File Explorer. If you can’t, you’ll need to speak with your IT team to get your workstation connected to the server.
- If you're on a version prior to 12.2: Make sure you can navigate to and open the Acctivate folder on the server from within Windows File Explorer on your workstation. If you can’t open it, check the share settings for the Acctivate and AcctivateData folders on the server.
If you’re unable to open Acctivate on the server without getting the error message, verify that the SQL Server and Browser are running.
Another thing to check is whether there have been any changes to the SQL Server login credentials. If there have been any changes, these changes will need to be applied within Acctivate Database Maintenance in the “Database Sources” section. For information on the default login credentials, contact a support representative at Acctivate.
Finally, another place to check would be the Acctivate.exe.config file within the Acctivate folder. This file is different from the application file, and is a “XML configuration” type file. Open the file and look for the section in the “<add></add>” tags. It should look something like this:
<add key=”ACCTivateDataPath” value=”\\ServerName\ACCTivateData”></add>
Verify whether the path in the value section truly does lead to that folder on your system. If it does not, right click the file and click edit. Then find the path for the AcctivateData folder and paste it in that section in place of the faulty path. CAUTION: Modifying ini files can lead to unintended problems. Create a backup of this file elsewhere on the system before making any changes.
If after checking these options you are still getting the error, check out this article we have on a related issue for more potential fixes to the situation. Of course, you can also contact support directly to get assistance in resolving this issue.