Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't find the answer to your question, or if you continue to have problems after following the instructions below, please contact us at support@actualtech.com.
General
ODBC Manager is installed with the Actual ODBC drivers, and we recommend using it. ODBC Manager addresses several issues that exist in ODBC Administrator. Also, Apple discontinued including ODBC Administrator in Mac OS X "Snow Leopard" (it is now a separate download), so everyone will be transitioning to ODBC Manager sooner or later. However, you can continue using ODBC Administrator if it is available to you and you prefer to use it.
If you are not able to save a System DSN, make sure you have read / write permissions on the /Library/ODBC folder.
Use the Finder to do the following:
1. Navigate to the /Library folder
2. select the ODBC folder
3. select the menu: File->Get Info
4. expand the "Sharing & Permissions" section and make sure your user account has "Read & Write" privilege (you may need to click on the lock icon in the lower right corner before you can change the privilege)
If you need to go back to version 2.9, you can download the installer here.
Before you run the 2.9 installer, you will need to delete (move to Trash) the 3.0 drivers:
/Library/ODBC/Actual Access.bundle
/Library/ODBC/Actual Open Source Databases.bundle
/Library/ODBC/Actual Oracle.bundle
/Library/ODBC/Actual SQL Server.bundle
You will also need to delete the associated "receipt" files used by the Apple Installer application:
/Library/Receipts/ataccess.pkg
/Library/Receipts/atopnsrc.pkg
/Library/Receipts/atoradb.pkg
/Library/Receipts/atsqlsrv.pkg
Yes - you can upgrade to a higher edition by visiting our Upgrade center.
In order to use MS Query on an Intel Mac, you will need to upgrade to MS Office 2011. MS Query 2008 is a PowerPC application, which means it needs Rosetta to run on an Intel Mac. Lion no longer includes Rosetta.
Once you have Office 2011, you will need to make sure you have the latest updates installed. MS Excel 2011 version 14.1.2 was the first update to include a native Intel version of MS Query. The latest update to MS Office 2011 is available here:
www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.
By default, the driver installs in a non-expiring "demo mode". The demo mode has full functionality, except that it only returns the first 3 records from any query. This should let you verify that the driver will work for you before spending any money on a license key.
However, FileMaker Server does not function correctly when fewer than the total number of records are returned. For that reason, you can get a 30-day evaluation key by visiting our registration page.
You should install the 30-day key on your server. The driver will return all records for 30 days, and will then revert to the default "demo mode" until a key is purchased.
SQL Server
In most cases, you should just use the IP address of the server. You can use the name of the server if you are connecting to a remotely hosted database (such as Windows Azure).
Version 1.1 and later of the driver allows you to set the port by pressing the Client Configuration button on the Connection panel (the panel where you specify if you are connecting to Microsoft SQL Server or Sybase). A dialog will be displayed that lets you set the port number.
If you get this message after waiting more than 60 seconds, then you either have the wrong IP address for the server or the server is not reachable from your Mac. Use the Ping and Trace Route tools of the Network Utility application in the /Applications/Utilities folder to verify you can reach your server's IP address.
If you get this message immediately, then you either have the wrong port or the port is being blocked by the network equipment (such as a router or firewall). Use the Port Scan tool of the Network Utility application to verify your server is listening on the port you have configured, and the port is reachable from your Mac.
When you use the Port Scan tool to scan the default port 1433, you should see a message that says:
Open Port: 1433 ms-sql-s
NOTE: if the only message you see is "Port Scan has completed", then the server is not listening on that port, or the port is not reachable from your Mac! Contact your database administrator or network support staff to determine the correct port or to have the port opened on your organization's network equipment.
Finally, the latest service packs from Microsoft should be applied to the SQL Server. Your database administrator should be able to tell you whether the latest service pack has been applied. This is particularly important if the server is also concurrently running an instance of the Microsoft Desktop Engine (MSDE).
Unlike the Windows ODBC driver, you should NOT enter the instance name in the server field in the form "server name\instance name". Instead, enter the IP address in the server field. Then enter the port used by the named instance using the Client Configuration button on the Connection panel of the driver DSN setup assistant.
You can determine the port used by the instance by using the Server Network Utility in the Microsoft SQL Server program group on the Windows server where your database resides. Select the instance name from the drop down list and select TCP/IP from the list of enabled protocols. Then press the Properties button and note the listed port number.
MySQL
If you are sure you are using the correct user ID and password, then its possible that your MySQL database account has not been configured for remote access. Please see these instructions which detail how to setup your account so it can be accessed remotely.
If your hosting provider supports it, you can connect to your database using an SSH tunnel. See these instructions for more information.
You should download and install the latest version of the Actual ODBC Driver for Open Source Databases. Earlier versions of the driver were not compatible with MySQL 4.1 or later. The latest version of the driver is compatible with the latest Generally Available version of MySQL.
Online Store
Besides Visa, MasterCard and American Express, we also accept PayPal, checks, wire transfers, and purchase orders. We are a PayPal Verified Merchant. Send us an e-mail at orders@actualtech.com for more information.
Our credit card processor can be a little picky with our international customers. Please try using our PayPal payment option (no PayPal account required), or send us an e-mail at orders@actualtech.com with all of your information EXCEPT your credit card number, and we will try to get your order accepted. NEVER send your credit card number unencrypted through e-mail!


