What "thing" is it doing when you grab all records? Nothing it does normally should be taking so long.

Again, nothing Sesame does in ordinary operation takes that long. There may be some programming that could use some optimization or something like that.

Sesame shows "Working" in many circumstances. In order to help, we need more specific information about what you do to cause this. Does it happen when you press F10 from the retrieve spec? When you run a particular report? When you try to open Table View? What do you do or press that kicks off this 30 minute process?

How much RAM do you have on the server? What are the file sizes of the db and dat files?

At this point, a client-server configuration issue would be the first thing I'd look for. A long load time for the first client followed by everyone else able to get in right away is correct , since the first person loads the app onto the server, but the 20 minutes is pretty long, even for an app of that size. Is the application on the same computer as Sesame server? Or is there a mapped drive involved?

As to the sorting, how many records do you have with an open date of 3/10/04? If you type 3/10/2004 in the correct field and press F10, is shouldn't be getting and sorting the whole 160,000. How many fields are you sorting by? We can sort over 100,000 records here in only a few seconds.

This explains the speed issues. 

It sounds like your client-server configuration isn't. This means that you are probably dragging everything across the net, possibly several times. It also means that you may not actually be using your 2GB of RAM. However, this does not make sense based on your description of how the first person takes a while to load, but then the next users are able to get in immediately.

This needs sorted out. Get in touch with Support about your client-server setup and they can help you get straightened out.

I believe I mis-spoke...   I thought I needed an actual Microsoft seat license.  According to Jon Mc, I am client- server.. even though I have mapped each computer to the Sesame Server... jon just explained that no mapping is necessary.. I deleted the mapping on my computer and tried Sesame and it does work fine.. I dont need Microsoft CAL's. I have a 19 user license from Lantica... so now I am back at square 1..  So far 15 people at a time are on Sesame.. and it does crawl along when searching thru all the records...

There is no programmed retrieve Spec... we just use the basic commands (such as in Q&A).  Actually it is SORTING that is taking the most time... I asked my assistant specifics.. she was looking for All records in which a particular field contained a specific piece of info, then the system flashed and the bar with the block moving back and forth came on and said sorting, this is what took 30 minutes...  she did this again about an hour later for a different field and it took 40 minutes...