1

Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

I am having trouble installing add-ins to a Recorder 6.17 stand-alone system running on a computer which has Windows XP and have had the error message

‘The specified file is not a COM server and cannot be registered’

When I click on OK to clear the screen it comes up with the message

‘The following addin has been successfully installed: NBNExchange’

(A similar thing happens if I try the Phenology addin)

However when I try to use the NBN export format it does not work 

Can anyone advise what to do next please?

The installation is  in C:\Program Files\Recorder6; the back up is stored on a network drive

2

Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

THis has happened to a few people. Possible solution is at http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?id=2926 about 4 posts down

Gordon Barker
Biological Survey Data Manager
National Trust

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Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

I have tried this but without sucess.

If this add-in is giving a problem generally, is it possible to incorporate it in the next update of Recorder 6, so exporting in the format required by the NBN can be achieved without further ado?

4

Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

I am not sure about this and we will need to try a few things. Is it just this and the NBN and Phenology addins which are causing the problems. If so it could be permissions, because both these addins modify the database. Have you tried installing any other addins and if so did they work ? If not can you try removing one of the standard addins (say update last key) and reinstalling it.  You can remove an addin via tools/Install/addin Module/Remove. Close Recorder open it again and then try to reinstall the addin via tools/Install/addin Module/Install. You can find the addin file in the addin folder of R6 (eg LastkeyUpdate.ocx).  If this works then the problem is not in the registration of the addins, but in the addins themselves.  As a first step can you please try this and let me know how you get on.

 
We also know that some anti virus software will not let the addins in  – it may be sitting in quarantine


Mike

Mike Weideli

5

Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

I have looked at the add-ins supplied with our copy of Recorder. I tried removing and reinstalling the ‘ShowUnchecked’ add-in and this was removed and reinstalled with no problem.  I do not have the LastKeyUpdate, so I tried to download and install it but got the same error message.

I have contacted the central IT support to ask if the add-in file has been quarantined but have not yet had a reply.

6

Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

Thanks. The fact that at least one addin instlalled suggest that it is not in the .dll, which  is good news. Looks like it might be a permission problem in writing to the files.   If you look in the folder is the LastKeyUpdate.ocx file there ?   If it isn't can you see if you edit files in this folder. There should be one or two Readme text files in there which you could try opening in notepad and saving again.

Mike Weideli

7

Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

I can see .ocx files and I can also open the Read me files or other Text flies in notepad and save them under a different file name.

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Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

This looks to me to be a permissions problem. You can write to the files, so this suggests it is  something to do with writing to the registry or with registry entries. This would fit  with you being able to install an existing entry, but not a new one. Can you check with your IT dept to see if this might be the problem. 

Have yiu checked the registry as in John's post  http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?id=2926

One more thought - might you have used a different drive mapping or UNC path to get to the addin file to install, compared to the one in your registry? The registry setting is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Dorset Software\Recorder 6 - Addin Path. Ignore the Wow6432Node bit of the path if you are on a 32 bit Windows.

Mike Weideli

9

Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

Thanks. the problem is logged with our central IT support and hopefully they will be able to look at your advice and provide the appropriate fix. I will keep you informed

10

Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

We had this problem. It was an anti-virus thing. See my moment of revelation on this thread (post 9):

http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?id=1021

You probably need to get the ICT department stop the anti-virus quarantining the addins.

Graham Hawker
Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre

11

Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

Still having problems with the NBN add-in, even with assistance from the IT specialists

1) The council uses McAfee antivirus software and this has not blocked any part of the add-in (this has been checked by IT)

2) There has been no prompt to log in to the SQL server database as per the instruction below

When you have found the file, press "Open". You will be prompted to login to the SQL Server database as an administrator. This is necessary to allow this addin to install stored procedures and user defined functions it needs. You can use a "Trusted connection" associated with your Windows user account, or supply the username and password for an SQL Server account.

3) The original error message is still coming up

‘The specified file is not a COM server and cannot be registered’

4) This is not the first attempt at installation but we cannot find any way to install anything which might be there.

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Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

We now seem to have solved the problem; the addin needs to be saved to the add-ins folder in Recorder 6. This is contrary to the instructions in the ReadMe (with the Add in Unpack the files from the supplied .zip file to some convenient directory accessibleby the computer running Recorder 6 (but NOT to the Recorder\Addins directory!))

Howver this location does come up in one of the suggested solutions in the forum threads at http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?id=2926 post#4

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Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

Thanks for persevering with this. Previously, it has been difficult to identify the precise reason for this problem occuring. The tests you have carried out have pointed us to the cause and and it is intended to implement a fix in the next R6 release.

Mike
Recorder 6 JNCC Approved Expert

Mike Weideli

14

Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

Hi,

Bouncing this thread as I'm also having trouble installing AddIns on a 32-bit Windows 7 workstation.

Also getting the ‘The specified file is not a COM server and cannot be registered’ and ‘The following addin has been successfully installed: [name_of_addin]’.

I've checked as many threads on here as I can find, checked the Registry settings (paths and path formatting), ensured DLL files are registered, run RecorderSystemCheck.exe without any errors, put the OCX file in the Addins directory and I can't fix the problem.

I am an administrator on the workstation. Recorder fails to run at all if I Run As Administrator. I get an exception "The DTD Path setting is missing or incorrect. Recorder is not installed properly and cannot start."

Everything works happily on the W2003 Server.

Any ideas?

Les.

Les Evans-Hill
Senior Data Officer, National Moth Recording Scheme

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Re: Problem with installing Add-ins

Hi Les

Re "The DTD Path setting is missing or incorrect. Recorder is not installed properly and cannot start." part of your last post in this thread.  Did you manage to resolve this, as I am getting the same when running as administrator on a fresh installation.

Thanks

Alison

Alison Stewart
Dorset Environmental Records Centre