>What is the datatype of Client.Name? What are your indexes on client? Have you looked at the query plan? Is it doing index seeks and index scans vs table scans?

Client.Name is Char(20). Client.Name is indexed.

>Update: Also SQLServer, like VFP, can not optimize a LIKE query if it starts with non-static text: %x can not be optimized with an index. x% can be optimized if you have a proper index on the column.

The value entered starts with a character. But, one thing for sure, SQL Server is going non optimized. That is why it brings the server down at every SQL searches of this type.