Every ChiroTouch installation rests on one piece of hardware: the server computer. Whether you run three workstations in a small clinic or twelve across a multi-provider office, that single machine holds the SQL database, the CTData shared folder, and the application logic that keeps your front desk, clinical charting, and billing synchronized. The ChiroTouch documentation is explicit that a dedicated standalone computer is the recommended server, and that laptops, Macs, and all-in-one units are not acceptable in that role. This is not a suggestion buried in a footnote; it is a structural requirement, because the server must remain continuously powered, reliably connected to a wired 10/100/1000 Mbps network, and available to every workstation through a shared directory that each user can reach without interruption.

Sizing Your Server to the Number of Workstations

The baseline specs shift noticeably once you cross the seven-workstation threshold. For smaller practices running one to seven ChiroTouch workstations, the server needs a two-core processor with a benchmark score of at least 3,000 (examples include an Intel i5-3570 or an AMD Ryzen 3 2200G), 6 GB of available RAM, 20 GB of free hard-drive space on a SATA III drive, and Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Express or Standard Edition. For offices with eight or more workstations, the CPU benchmark requirement jumps to 8,000, RAM rises to 12 GB, free disk space doubles to 50 GB, and the SQL Server Standard Edition becomes the recommended choice—particularly if your EHR-enabled version of ChiroTouch is active. At that scale, at least two Client Access Licenses for SQL Server are also required, with the exact licensing determined by Microsoft. If you are in the market for a new server or planning an upgrade, these are the numbers to put in front of your IT vendor, and they are the numbers your ChiroTouch support team will check first when a performance issue is reported.

Workstations carry lighter requirements—1,500 benchmark score, 4 GB RAM, 10 GB free space—but they share a critical dependency: every workstation and every user on it must be able to access the shared CTData directory on the server. In practice, that means a properly mapped network drive (\SERVERNAME\CTData), a stable wired or 802.11ac wireless connection, and credentials that allow the user to authenticate against the server. Office managers who have experienced a workstation that suddenly cannot launch ChiroTouch are often dealing with a broken drive mapping or a permission change on the server side, not a software bug. Keeping a written record of the server name, the Windows user accounts with access, and the mapping steps makes troubleshooting a five-minute task rather than a half-day outage.

A few hardware choices that seem convenient will actually undermine the setup. RAID 5 arrays built from spinning hard drives are strongly discouraged for the SQL database because their write speed characteristics conflict with how SQL handles transactions. Four-K monitors can be attached, but ChiroTouch applications may display rendering errors at resolutions above 1920 × 1080, so a standard 1080p display remains the safest default. 32-bit operating systems, Windows Small Business Server, and virtual machines are all on the unsupported list, and the server cannot be a Mac under any configuration. If your practice currently relies on a VPN or terminal-workstation setup for remote access, note that ChiroTouch does not provide technical support for those architectures; any remote-access layer requires the work of your local IT vendor and falls outside the scope of standard ChiroTouch support.

Finally, keep the operating system and its dependencies current. The server and every workstation should be running Windows 11 (64-bit) with the latest Microsoft updates, including the newest .NET Framework and PowerShell builds. The 32-bit version of Microsoft Office—licensed for commercial use—is required on each workstation for opening, exporting, and printing forms and reports, and if you use Office 365 it must be installed locally rather than accessed purely through a browser. If your practice also uses CTSecure for off-site data protection, confirm that your internet connection delivers at least 25 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload, because the backup traffic competes with everyday clinical work on the same link. Getting these foundational pieces right before you add new workstations, integrate a signature pad, or roll out the iPad apps saves far more time than diagnosing a slow or unstable environment after the fact.

Sources and further reading