(House)Keeping your ACT! together #2

Last time I discussed how to ensure that in the event of a loss of your database you won't be left wanting for your information. This ACT! Tip of the Week discusses steps towards keeping the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death" and other error messages from ruining your day. However, there are no guarantees implied here as these phenomena have been described (tongue firmly in cheek) as "features" from the Evil Empire.

"Compressing and Reindexing" your database is another database maintenance function that needs to be attended to regularly. While it is not necessary to compress and reindex your database daily, or even weekly, the larger the database the more frequently this function should be performed. Compressing and reindexing will keep your database running optimally and keep the program's overall performance from slowing down. It also goes a long way towards preventing your computer from hanging or crashing while running ACT!

Access the "Compress and Reindex" function from the "File" pull down menu by selecting "Administration" then "Database Maintenance". Act! 2000 users need to make sure that the "Compress Database" box is checked when the dialog box appears, and then hit the "Reindex" button. Act! 4.0 users check the "Compress & Reindex" box and then the "OK" button. Act! 2000 users can also set a reminder in this dialog box before compressing and reindexing.

Setting a reminder will expedite the maintenance process. If you have not set a reminder, pulling down the "File" menu and selecting "Set Reminders" will allow ACT! 2000 users to set one. From the dialog box choose the appropriate task (Database Maintenance) and a number of days (7 - 14 days is recommended) between reminders. ACT! 4.0 users will need to use their PBD (Portable Biological Database) to set this reminder as ACT! 4.0 does not have this feature.