I am working on a pgm that will be used on a local LAN (approx 10 users).
It is VB6, and it uses an Access DB (97). (DB will be on the server.)
Copies of my pgm will be on each pc.
Currently the design is such that as any Form or grid loads, it connects, returns a read only recordset and disconnects.
If user changes data, and presses Save, then I reconnect, opening an updateable rs, and if TimeStamp matches, I do the update, and disconnect.
When testing on a single pc (it had the DB on that pc, during first tests), the pgm was fast enough.
Now that the DB is on the LAN, it is much slower.
Here are my thoughts and questions -

All my previous pgms have been single user on single pc.
I have always noted that the very first run of those (after starting the pc), was very slow.
But then subsequent connections were fast.
I concluded that Windows had a trick of keeping some 'stuff' in memory to facilitate future connections to that db.
Now that the DB is on a separate Server, does that mean Windows can no longer use that trick ?

Is there a setting on servers, that allow files or folders to be always 'loaded' ?

We are using Windows XP. I'm using VB6 Pro SP5. The DB is Access 97.
I'm using ADO pure code (no binding, no data controls).
Woukd I be better off(speed wise) maintaining permanent connections ?
What are the increased chances of DB corruption, if I do that ?
The person who installed the Server is a newbie, so LAN hiccups are likely.

It is only recently that the users have been testing with the DB on the Server.
They mentioned, even more 'slowness' when they had focus off in other pgms for a while. (I will call that 'comatose')
Should I build in a 'chirp connection', so that the pgm briefly connects say every 5 minutes, to avoid the comatose ?

Any advice, tips, suggestions would be appreciated.