e-mail in Goldmine is slow

[hartbeatmr]

Good morning all

At one of my sites here is the equipment and OS's

(1) Dell PE server running server 2003 Sm Biz (in domain) Goldmine is installed in server and all PC's map to the 2 folders in goldmine
(3) Custom desktops all with 2.5Ghz cpu and 1.5 gig ram All have XP pro (all joined to domain)
(2)IBM laptops 2.5Ghz 2 gig ram both have XP pro and hard drives are encrypted(only laptops are encrypted). (1 in domain) (1 in workgroup boss's so the boss can take it back and forth from work to home his choice not mine )

     This software is there CRM so all contacts email etc is thru this program

But my question is this the boss and all people that use it are complaining that the email was slow (deleting, accessing customer dir, moving from folder to folder etc) This has been like this no matter what AV suite is used (so far Norton Ent, Avast Pro and now Vipre Premium). But no one is getting ANY errors either in windows or in the program it self.

So far this is what has been done

All desktops but the boss's has had a fresh install & makes no difference on the speed of goldmine, Both laptops have had a fresh install too with same results goldmine is no faster on them either. IF one person is using goldmine it runs like bang, bang the more people sign in to use it that when they say it slows up.

Windows firewall is off (not needed because Vipre has the firewall) all exceptions for goldmine have been added.
Malwarebytes is scanned on a reg bases nothing found.
Trendmicro online scanner on all systems same result nothing found.
Vipre scans everyday and besides cookies nothing is found.
Ran the un-install UT for all the old AV suites and manually edit the registry also. 
All patch cables tested, all drops tested all came out good but one (changed that one)
Site has roadrunner business class with a static IP (coming in) and I had RR on site for testing cable modem and there cables all was good but I did a hard reset on the cable modem just to be safe and input the static info back into there cable modem. All PC's in house are DHCP only the printers are static his business packet is for 7mb down and 768 out

They were getting dropped packets so I got
New commercial wireless grade 4 port sysco router set WPA2 (nothing has an issue wired or wireless wise) <1mil sec ping inhouse
New Commercial grade 24 port switch (UN-managed) just a switch
MSCONFIG and shut off all non-essential items.
All writes / permissions are set and have been for a long time (no new employee's)
Check event viewer no errors tied to goldmine
The two main folders on the server for goldmine (that everyone is mapped too) both are about 15 to 20 gigs each, yes the data folders are that big.
His lic has expired and to renew is about 12k I have tried to convince him to switch to outlook but he doesn't what to he likes the goldmine program and so don't the users. But he wants it fixed

I know like with outlook if the pst's get over 1 gig or so outlook will get grumpy / errors / corruption etc is it the same with goldmine and is there a way to compact them or do something with the folders I think they may be to big and that is slowing it down for them but I am not 100% sure I am at a loss for the reason I am not that familiar with all the in's and out's of goldmine hopefully some of you are

I have spent countless hours working on this with some success that was when I changed the switch and router. Before the hardware was changed he was right if you would highlight a email and click delete it would be 1-3 min before you could do anything else in the program and now after the switch it is down to 10 -30 sec if you do the same thing. I was ya that was it and he is still not convinced it is as fast as he thinks it should be  
       


Where I am it is almost 2:45am and I have to get up in the am.

Thanks in advance, Mike

[soybean]

But my question is this the boss and all people that use it are complaining that the email was slow

You mean email that works through Goldmine? 

His lic has expired and to renew is about 12k

That's $12K to renew the license for Goldmine, right?  I know nothing about Goldmine but, for that license fee, I'd expect some very good tech support.  Seems to me that's the avenue you should be seeking more aggressively and you should not have to spend all that time you've been spending trying to resolve this internally because it really may be an issue with Goldmine's software rather the hardware and network within your office. 

[hartbeatmr]

Good afternoon soybean


   Yes all there email, contacts, calendar, customer data base etc is handled by and through goldmine that is on the server this is there CRM software. This is a financial location if that helps.

    But most of the time they are mainly in the email so that is why most likely why they think it is just the email issue and not any other sections of goldmine. So let's say if a client emails them say a signed contract they have to take that email & attachment and put into another section of goldmine (customer data base)

    And yes he told me that if he wants any tech support (thru goldmine and for there software), updates to the software, patches etc he would have to pay almost $12,000.00 for all new lic / seats for a newer version of the software for the server and all user's & PC's that access and use it. Because like I said his lic has since expired. 

   He still is able to use the software and keep everything the way it is and has been for years but not to long ago the lic expired. They just can't get any help / tech support with out renewing the subscription and lic etc for all users and equipment that have access to it. But if anything happens to the data base it can not be re-installed / set-up because when I tried to re-install it (trial run and test for installing goldmine) it gives a goldmine access error's on the PC (not a write / permission issue it is just that it can not be re-installed because the lic has expired) and also get user errors trying to access it if that makes since hopefully it does.

   The way goldmine works is when it is installed on a users PC the only thing that is set up on the users pc is the lic is put into the users profile and the drives for goldmine are mapped automatically but all the software / data base stay's on the server.   

   So I am assuming that it goes online only during the install of goldmine to verify the lic and if goldmine's lic is good it can be installed. So some of you may be wondering how could I of done fresh installations on the PC's and not run into this before! That is because before the OS was installed I saved / backed up the EU's profile.

So here is what I did to accomplish this and keep him going. 

   I Backed up the users file's (doc, pic etc) and then I also save the whole profile (Redundant I know) I just don't take any chances 
Then format the HD, install OS & apps etc and then install MS updates etc and then pc is 1st set up in a workgroup (not in the domain yet).

   Then I join the PC back into the domain (with my domain admin account) then I log in as the normal user (say John) and then I log off that user (John) so the org profile is created. Then I go back into my admin account rename "John's" (profile) to "Johnold" then copy the backed up profile back onto the pc. This has been the only way for the goldmine's mapped shares / lic etc will work for him.

   I have tried doing the fresh install (trial / test run) and then put the user's doc, pic's, fav's etc back and copy the goldmine lic back into the user's (newly created) profile it fails every time and goldmine will not work and that is when the user will get the error's in goldmine.

Boy I hope this makes since to you guys. So another words if I back up there stuff (folder by folder) and then put all the stuff back (folder by folder etc) goldmine will not work. That is when that goldmine error / access issue comes up. But if the whole process is done by using the old / original profile goldmine works.

Thanks a bunch, Mike   

   

[patio]

Tell your Boss to spend the cabbage...or he has to put up with it...

[soybean]

Tell your Boss to spend the cabbage...or he has to put up with it...

+1

[hartbeatmr]

Thanks guys

Ya I have run out of idea's, maybe someone else will chime in if they have ever run into this or is better versed in goldmine CRM software.
Thankfully enough this is not my boss or I would have to deal with it too.

My outlook runs just fine 

This is a client. 

In my area besides myself I know folks that work in server farms, and citrix servers etc etc and no one has EVER worked on or touched goldmine.   

Thanks a bunch again, Mike 

[soybean]

If suggesting an alternative to Goldmine to your client is an approach you could take, here's something that I was just now looking at: http://www.zoho.com/crm/demo/ and http://www.zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html.  Since the pricing structure offers monthly based on number of users, the cost of getting started with it would be very little compared to paying a $12K license fee to Goldmine.  This product is called Zoho CRM.  They even offer a free edition with, of course, some limitations in features.   

[hartbeatmr]

Thanks a bunch to everyone

    I will look into zoho and give him the info and then the ball will be in his court. I do understand his point I would not want to pay the 12k and I too think the Company is out of there mind. I know companies have to make money but considering there is so few pc's and users that price is way out of line. Hopefully if the zoho crm works for him I will have some way to export all the info (contacts / files etc) into a package that zoho can import.

Once again, Thank you Mike

   

[hartbeatmr]

HI all

I am going to consider this closed BUT please if someone reads this in the future and may have some input please let me know.

Many thanks to soybean, patio.

Maybe if I hijack his laptop  and not give it back until he takes my suggestion on getting away from Goldmine.

[patio]

Won't work...

He's stubborn from what you have stated...