This mini-series explores the concept of ‘differential diagnosis’ and the application of the principles used in those diagnostic methods with QuickBooks. One of the methodologies of differential diagnosis introduced in Part 1 was the use of ‘flow charts’ (also known as clinical algorithms.)
In Part 2 we looked at what physicians refer to as the Chief Complaint, and we discussed the importance of a ‘history of the complaint’ along with a comprehensive health history. We then applied those concepts to a specific QuickBooks complaint, “QuickBooks just crashed.” Some of our diagnostic efforts were aimed at tracking down (like a ‘Data Detective’) the answers to essential history that the QuickBooks user couldn’t remember or didn’t know.
One of the most important resources for such information available to us is the QBWin.log file (both current and historical). We looked at several examples of the type of data the log provides including information directly related to why “QuickBooks just crashed.”
In this installment (Part 3) we want to look at how the ‘game of Clue’ can assist us with diagnosing the issues associated with our QuickBooks crash. In a future article we will examine how ‘flow-charts or algorithms’ can further refine our measurements and outcomes as we proceed with our diagnostic efforts, so there will definitely be at least one or two more installments in this mini-series in future weeks.
But as for now....
‘The Game is Afoot!’
In many ways working your way through the various steps that make-up a flow-chart or algorithm is like a game, perhaps a detective game like Clue. The board game clue is really an adaptation of a number of stories which then became one or more dramatics plays, and finally turned into several different movies.
There is almost as much mystery about the various stories and their names as there is in the game itself because it’s been known as ‘Charades’, ’10-little-Indians’ and ‘Clue’. In every case there is at least one character who, though a minor part, is the focus of the entire game…. ‘Mr. Body.’
Some experts would even argue that Agatha Christie’s murder mystery, ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, and several of here other stories, were simply adaptations of the basics of the story-line of our game. There was a ‘short lived’ remake of ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ released in theaters late last year which was apparently not nearly as well received by film critics as the 1974 version. But I digress from our game.
Sherlock Holmes frequently announced ‘the game was afoot’ when he started a new case, and so it is with us regarding our “QuickBooks just crashed” mystery. We must now take the steps to ferret out the truth of the cause.
“Who Dun It?”
As with the game of Clue we must figure out the culprit, the ‘who dun it’ so to speak. In clue we had 6 possible murderers of ‘Mr. Body’, they were:
- Professor Plum
- Mrs. White
- Mr. Green
- Mrs. Peacock
- Miss. Scarlett
- Colonel Mustard
When it comes to QuickBooks we also have 6 suspects for ‘the crash’:
- The QuickBooks Application
- The QuickBooks Server
- The QuickBooks Workstation
- Network Components
- The QuickBooks Company (Data) File
- The QuickBooks User(s) - it might be a conspiracy?
As a good Detective we need to examine each of these possible suspects more closely.
The QuickBooks Application (software)
QB Unrecoverable Error
When it comes to the application being suspect we tend to think of ‘software bugs’ as the culprit. A ‘software bug’ usually refers to some programming error that was unintentionally and mistakenly allowed to reach the production phase of the application without being identified and corrected. In some cases, ‘bugs’ can affect performance, but often they affect ‘functionality’, if we limit the term ‘performance’ to simply how fast or how well our software operates. If we broaden the term performance to represent all the intended operational capabilities and parameters, then ‘bugs’ can indeed be a source of performance problems.
From a differential diagnosis standpoint, a "software bug" should be experienced by every identical installation of the same software; of course, it is sometimes hard to know if a software installation is indeed identical to another software installation, and that is one factor we must consider in differential diagnosis of ‘software’ as the source of the problem.
But not every application issue is a software bug, some of them are application design flaws. Application design flaws are problems that are associated with the software that are by nature intentional in their design even though they do not produce desirable results. In terms of differential diagnosis "application flaws" should exist for all installations of the software regardless of installation variables if the minimum standards of the software are met within the installation.
The QuickBooks Server
Most server issues tend to be associated with RAM (memory), the Hard Drive (or components related thereto), or accessibility (networking/network-settings) within a local area network environment. While computer CPU, and RAM hardware failures are rare they can occur.
The most common component to fail is the hard drive or components related thereto. Hard drives can fail slowly, a few sectors at a time, or can simply crash. Hard drive RAID controllers can also impact data accessibility. The most common hard drive issue is inadequacy caused by either too slow a drive, or too much data on the drive. Excessive fragmentation will also impact QuickBooks data accessibility. From a differential diagnosis standpoint, all QuickBooks workstations should experience the same issues when the QuickBooks Server (hardware) is the culprit.
Issues associated the NIC (network interface card), network settings (such as TCP/IP) or firewall ports can all impact the flow of data between the QuickBooks Server and QuickBooks Workstations. If the culprit arises at the ‘Server’ level then all QuickBooks workstations should experience the same issues when attempting to access or exchange information with the Server.
QuickBooks Workstations
Frequently the QuickBooks workstation is the culprit most commonly as a result of either hardware or a bad installation of the application. While system crashes impacting QuickBooks are less common, many users interpret the Windows’ message “QuickBooks is Not Responding” as evidence of a QuickBooks crash even though QuickBooks is running and performing tasks. In fact, the entire reason that this message is displayed is because QuickBooks is too busy to respond to a ping from the Windows operating system.
Properly configured workstations, with sufficient resources exceeding the minimum system requirements will go a long way in making certain that QuickBooks does not fail as a result of workstation limitations.
When software, any software, installs improperly it can be extremely difficult to identify the exact cause of the irregularities or performance issues encountered. On the other hand, this tends to make ‘differential diagnosis’ easier than in some cases because typically the problem may exist with only a single workstation. If other workstations never experience the same issues, then not only do you have a ‘very good clue’ that the problem is with the workstation, but if the hardware checks out, then the most likely culprit is a ‘bad installation.’
Some experts would take exception to my referring to a software installation issue as a 'workstation' problem rather than an 'application' issue, but I suggest that there is nothing wrong with the actual software itself in these cases, only how the software actually was installed (improperly vs. properly) that is the culprit.
Many times, simply running the Windows ‘application repair’ utility will resolve the problem. In other cases, it maybe necessary to uninstall QuickBooks completely, re-download the application, and re-install it using the clean-install protocol.
Of course, NICs, network settings and firewall ports may also impact workstation operations in the same way them impact the QuickBooks server.
We have now covered 50% of the suspects. In episode 4 we will look at our remaining 3 potential culprits.