Solution to #1551 Access Denied Database error or User File Locked

Why does TypingMaster 12 show "Access Denied" or error #1551 — cannot write to database folder?

This error means TypingMaster 12 is unable to write to its database folder. This typically happens on systems where the AppData folder path contains some special characters, or where folder permissions prevent the application from saving data.

Solution 1 — Update to the latest version (recommended)

We have identified and fixed this issue. Please download and install TypingMaster 12.0.1.979 or a later version, which resolves the problem.

Download from our support pages: https://www.typingmaster.com/typing-tutor/support.html

Solution 2 — Manually choose the database location if the error persists after updating

If the error continues after updating to latest version, you can force TypingMaster to use a different database folder by editing a configuration file:

1. Close TypingMaster completely.
2. Open File Explorer and navigate to the TypingMaster 12 installation folder (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\TypingMaster12).
3. Find the file TMNPATH.INI and right click it to open/edit it with Admin Rights in your Notepad.
4. Add or update the following lines under the [path] section to choose a folder where you want your data to be stored. Give folder name that you want, it can be e.g. USB-stick or your personal folder or the shared folder as in the example below:

[path] 
AppData=0 
database=c:\programdata\tmaster12

5. Save the file and restart TypingMaster.

This INI file change tells TypingMaster to store its database in a chosen customizable file location. 

NOTE: If you choose to store your study data in a shared folder (C:\ProgramData\tmaster12  is a folder that is accessible to all users on your device) we highly recommend that you do not enable TypingMeter to collect your tricky words.

Still having trouble?

If the issue is not resolved, you can download the attached tmdbtest.zip file and extract it, for example, to your desktop or home directory.

You can then run the extracted tmdbtest.bat file from the Command Prompt (Windows + R → type cmd and press Enter).

The tm_dbcheck.txt file will be created on your desktop. You can simply copy and paste the contents of this file directly into the support ticket, so there is no need to send the entire file to us.

This will help us investigate the issue further.

If neither solution resolves the issue, please contact our support team via the support pages linked above and include a screenshot of the error message.