Open Dental Server Down? Help for Westerville Practices

When the Open Dental server is down, every workstation fails at once, usually with "Unable to connect to any of the specified MySQL hosts" or a program that will not open. The usual causes are a stopped database service, a server that lost power or is stuck in an update restart, or a full or failing drive. The first job is to find out which, without making it worse.

Last updated: November 2026

Is it the server, or just one computer?

Try the program on a second workstation. If it opens there, the server is up and the problem is local to the first machine; the not connecting page covers that case. If every computer fails the same way, the server is the place to look.

What should someone in the office check first?

• Is the server powered on and awake? Lights, fans, and a screen that responds to the mouse.
• Is it installing updates? A "Working on updates, don't turn off your computer" screen means wait.
• Does the program open on the server itself? If it does, the database is running and the problem is between the server and the workstations.
• Is there a ransom note? A text file on the desktop or in the data folders explaining how to pay is a different emergency, covered below.

Do not reinstall anything, delete files, or move the database folder. Every one of those can turn a recoverable outage into data loss.

What is checked remotely?

The vendor's own troubleshooting order for a server that will not answer is a good map.

1. The database service. MySQL or MariaDB has to be running for anything to connect. If it will not start, the vendor notes an antivirus or backup program may be interfering, and that it can be tested by temporarily disabling that program, always restoring antivirus protection afterwards.
2. The database files. The live folder is normally C:\mysql\data\opendental and holds roughly 1,200 files. If the folder or its files have moved, they are moved back with the service stopped. The vendor's rule is to rename, never delete.
3. A read-only database. If the program says the database is "present but not accepting commands", the opendental folder may have been marked read-only; clearing that flag and restarting usually fixes it.
4. The drive. A full system drive or a failing disk stops the database cold. Disk health and free space are read before anything else is changed.

What if the power was the cause?

Westerville offices get their power from the city's own electric division, so an outage is reported there. The server, though, is the practice's problem the moment the power comes back. The vendor lists a battery backup as optional but recommended for the computer running the database, because it can prevent data loss. A battery that shuts the server down cleanly before it runs flat matters more than one that keeps it up for an extra few minutes.

What if it is ransomware?

The vendor's guidance is direct: if the server shows a ransom "Read Me" file, or the database tables are missing or renamed oddly, shut the server down immediately and contact IT. Recovery comes from the most recent backup taken before the infection, ideally one held offsite.

The notification question comes next, and the state rule is not the one that applies. The state's breach-notice statute (Revised Code 1349.19) does not apply to a covered entity under the federal health-privacy rules, so a dental practice's notice duties come from the federal breach rule. Getting that straight on day one keeps the practice from working to the wrong deadline.

How do you stop it happening again?

• A battery backup that triggers a clean shutdown.
• Windows updates scheduled to restart the server after hours, not mid-morning.
• Antivirus exclusions set for the database and image folders, so the scanner does not lock them.
• Drive health and free space watched, so a failing disk is replaced before it fails.
• A tested backup, described on the backup page.

Questions practices ask

Is Open Dental down, or is it us?

For an office with its own server, almost always the office. If the program opens on the server but not elsewhere, it is the network; if it fails everywhere, it is the server.

Should we call the vendor first?

The vendor's manual suggests contacting their support for the connection error. Checking the server, power and network first means their technician starts with evidence.