Stephen,

>
>When 3 or more users try to open the same form at exactly the
>same time the following error is generated:
>Error 1709 - database object is being used by someone else.
>
>Microsoft, (MSKB #Q170917) say that this error is by design, Ha.
>
>I have done this but the RETRY does not attempt to open the database again being that it initial failure occured while it was automatically opening the dataenvironment ( as per Dataenvironment.AutoOpenTables = .T.).

What!!?

I can't believe this, I've never had this error and am not willing to accept this as "by design", as most of
us do MU-Design and this can't mean "multi-user up to three". Is there something special about the tables / Views?

....

OK, I've just read the article. They say: "...when the database container is being manipulated"

That leads to the philosophical question: "when is a database-container manipulated?"

I havn't tested but I guess that can't be just opening a table. Creating a table in the database, creating a view, OK that's definitively manipulating the DB-Container.

Are You creating temporary views or using parameterized ones?. Are You creating temp-tables that maybe accidentally become members of the DB-Container?

HTH