This message typically appears when the file FORMLIST.LCK is present in your Data folder. This is a temporary file that locks the Formlist.dbf database file when a program or county forms update is in progress. Close all open instances of Essential Forms and re-open the program to see if this clears the message.
If the message is still present, and you have Essential Forms installed locally, first close Essential Forms, then click Start > File Explorer and navigate to your default data folder located at C:/Users/Public/Public Documents/CEB/Essential Forms Data. Delete the FORMLIST.LCK file and launch Essential Forms again.
If your Essential Forms Data folder is networked or has been moved to a different location, then you will need to find the location of the data folder. Click Start > File Explorer and type formlist.lck into the search box and click Enter. The results should list the location of the Essential Forms Data folder. Expand the folders, navigating down to the Essential Forms Data folder, then delete the FORMLIST.LCK file. Try to launch the program again and see if it opens without the message.
On rare occasion, your anti-virus software or firewall may cause this issue. Check and see if the installed anti-virus software is blocking the Essential Forms from loading, or contact your network administrator.