Procedure for Disabling OPLOCKS on Startup

 

 

 

 

There is a Windows operating system feature named “Oplocks” that should be disabled because it may hold ‘open’ transactions that should be processed immediately.  Errors referencing “Jet Database error” and “Unrecognized Database” could otherwise result.  All workstations on a network including the Server should be checked. to make sure "Oplocks" is disabled.

 

1. On the file server or workstation: Click on ‘Start’ and then ‘Run’.  In the “Run window” that appears, key-in the word Regedit then click the “OK” button.

 

Now select the following key using the “+” sign to the left of each level in turn to open the selections below that level, one level at a time:

 

      +HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

+SYSTEM

+CurrentControlSet

+Services

+LanmanServer

Parameters

 

2. Once reaching the Parameters level and you have ‘opened’ that folder: right mouse click, then left mouse click on “New”, then select DWORD.  It will be ready for you to name this DWORD.  Key-in using no spaces the single word: EnableOplocks.  The default value will already be zero.  Leave the default value at zero and then close regedit.

 

3. Re-boot the machine just tweaked.  At this point OpLocks will be disabled from the start, and this should eliminate  the Jet corruption problem or unrecognized database errors it it were the culprit.

 

4. In a small number of cases these same errors may also be caused by power surges, brown-outs, workstations abruptly powering down with AA running, workstations locking up, bad network cables, network cards, or almost anything else on the network that is inhibiting the error free flow of data across the network.  Sometimes playing a kind of "musical chairs" game with your network can isolate the offending workstation, or network device.  A known case existed where one Network Interface Card installed in one workstation was performing substandard, and when that workstation was unplugged from the network, the “Unrecognized Database” errors ceased.  The 20 Dollar network card was replaced within the workstation reattached to the network with no the errors reappearing.

 

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