1C Is Slow: Causes in the Computer, Network and Server That Can Be Fixed Without a Programmer

The accounts department complains: 1C takes several minutes to open, documents post slowly, reports take half an hour, and when three people work in the database at once, everything simply freezes. The first thought is "we need a 1C programmer". Sometimes that's true, but in many cases the cause of the slowness isn't the configuration but the computers, the network and where the database is stored. Let's look at which problems can be fixed at the level of hardware and network, without touching the program itself.

How 1C works

1C can run in two main modes. In file mode, the database is a file on a computer or in a shared folder, and every user reads and writes it directly. In client-server mode, the database is held in a DBMS on a separate server, and users connect to the 1C server. Small accounts departments more often use file mode — and that's where performance depends most on the drive and the network.

The main causes of slowness on the computer side

A hard drive instead of an SSD

1C constantly performs many small read and write operations. On an ordinary hard drive that's slow, and on a worn one very slow. Moving the database and system to an SSD often makes things several times faster — it's the most effective and inexpensive improvement.

Not enough RAM

Modern 1C configurations, together with a browser, email and Office, need at least 8 GB of memory, and 16 GB for comfortable work. When memory runs short, the system leans heavily on the page file and everything slows down.

A weak processor

Many 1C operations run in a single thread, so the processor's clock speed matters. Old office processors are noticeably slower at generating reports and posting documents.

Antivirus scanning the database

Antivirus software that scans the 1C database files and temporary files on every access can slow work down several times over. Setting up exclusions properly — with security in mind — makes a noticeable difference.

A full system drive

1C makes heavy use of temporary files and cache. If the drive has almost no free space, the program starts running slowly and with errors.

Causes on the network side

A file database over the network

When the database sits in a shared folder on one computer and the others work with it over the network, every operation sends data across the network. A slow or unstable network makes work painful, and dropped connections can damage the database.

Wi-Fi instead of cable

Working with a 1C file database over Wi-Fi is one of the most common causes of slowness and even database damage. Wireless links introduce delays and drop-outs. A wired connection is recommended for the accounts department.

Old network equipment

100 Mbit/s switches, damaged cables and an overloaded router limit the speed of exchange with the database.

The "server" is an ordinary computer

Often one employee's computer plays the role of server. When it's busy, restarting or goes to sleep, everything freezes for everyone else.

Signs that the hardware or network is to blame

• 1C runs normally on one computer but slowly on another.
• The slowness gets worse when several people work at once.
• The computer holding the database is slow in itself, with the drive constantly busy.
• There are locking errors, "database busy" messages or dropped connections.
• The problem appeared after switching to Wi-Fi or moving office.

When you need a 1C programmer

If the hardware and network are fine but a specific report or operation is slow, the database is very large, or a move to client-server mode is needed, then a 1C specialist is required. We work together: we provide a reliable technical foundation, and your programmer or 1C partner makes the configuration changes.

Database backups

Whatever the speed, the 1C database is the most valuable thing an accounts department has. An automatic daily backup to another drive and outside the office is essential. Damage to the database from a network or drive failure without a backup can cost months of work.

It's worth testing a backup now and then, too — actually restoring it to a spare folder and opening it. A backup that has never been checked may turn out to be incomplete or corrupted at exactly the moment it's needed, and a ten-minute test once a quarter removes that risk.

What our technician does

1. Measures the performance of the computers, drive and network and finds the bottleneck.
2. Fits SSDs and memory and moves the system and database without reinstalling.
3. Runs cable instead of Wi-Fi and upgrades the network equipment.
4. Sets up a dedicated computer or server to hold the database, plus antivirus exclusions.
5. Configures automatic database backups.

A real example

At a construction company in Didi Digomi, four accountants worked with a 1C file database stored on the chief accountant's computer, and two laptops connected over Wi-Fi. Posting a document took up to a minute, and the database was damaged twice in a month. Our technician moved the database to a dedicated mini-server with an SSD, ran cables to every workstation, replaced the old switch, added memory to two computers and set up antivirus exclusions. Documents now post in a couple of seconds, and the database is backed up daily to an external drive and the cloud.

Call a technician

If 1C or another accounting program is running slowly, we'll come to any district of Tbilisi around the clock. Learn more on our local network installation, component upgrades and computer diagnostics pages.