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Run two instances of FileMaker Pro on one Mac Apps
Often, I must run FileMaker Pro scripts that take a long time to run. During the time the script is running, I cannot use FileMaker, so I have to find something else to work on.

It turns out that you can actually run at least two instances of Filemaker on one host, thanks to fast user switching. Start your long FileMaker script running on an alternate user desktop, and then switch back to the desktop you normally use. You will be able to open a distinct instance of FileMaker, and go about continuing to be productive.

[robg adds: FileMaker Pro (standard version) supports up to five simultaneous users, so I expect there wouldn't be any issues with this trick, but I haven't tested it myself.]
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Run two instances of FileMaker Pro on one Mac | 5 comments | Create New Account
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Run two instances of FileMaker Pro on one Mac
Authored by: rhowell on Jan 09, '06 07:56:13AM
I wonder if you can run a second instance of FileMaker without switching users, much like you can with other applications. For example, to run a second instance of Safari, I'd enter its unix executable command into a Terminal window:

/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/MacOS/Safari

I don't have FileMaker, so I can't check.

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Run two instances of FileMaker Pro on one Mac
Authored by: elmimmo on Jan 09, '06 08:21:48AM
More a detailed description on how to do this right at macosxhints:
Launch multiple instances of any given application

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The non-Fast-User method may not work
Authored by: Krioni on Jan 09, '06 11:08:22AM

The actual Hint should work without a problem. Using a trick to execute the same copy of FileMaker twice for the same user will probably cause problems - both will use the same preference file, and you may run into trouble with the temporary files FileMaker creates, since they may overwrite each other. You could thus cause corruption to the files you are working on. I'd advise against trying to do this without switching to another user, as the hint itself recommends.



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Run two instances of FileMaker Pro on one Mac
Authored by: officer_rudi on Jan 09, '06 01:28:13PM

Why don't you guys just duplicate FileMaker Pro and call the copy(ies) FileMaker 1, 2,3 - remember OS 7,8,9?



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Run two instances of FileMaker Pro on one Mac
Authored by: cmb on Jan 09, '06 07:53:49PM

Because the standard license agreement says you can only install one copy.



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