The database open thing bites me sometimes too. I run with a collapsed PM and a torn off All tab. If the Database is expanded when you tear off the tab it gets opened automatically.
>Thanks.....yup, even though the database was closed, I had the project open. Once I closed the project, the database opened just fine. And thanks again, I had to remember that this was going to be a separate instance of VFP and that the environment was going to be the default settings.