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Re: Workstation Setup crashes on client install (6.14)

Hi all

I'm attempting to install Recorder 6.14 workstation having just completed the server configuration on a seperate machine.

The local copy of the recorder software has been mapped to the client using a UNC share and the software is now accessed from the client via the 'R:' drive.

The disc JNCC/Dorset Software provided seems a bit flakey and the executable can't source some DLLs in the directory above so these had to manually copied into the 'System' subdirectory.   With that small issue fixed, the 'WorkstationSetup.exe' is launched and it starts up fine.  Option 1 is selected for the workstation install, the installation path is chosen - and then the installer crashes.  The error log is very vague and just mentions a faulting module. 

Faulting application workstationsetup.exe, version 6.14.4.212, faulting module workstationsetup.exe, version 6.14.4.212, fault address 0x0012bdcf.

I'm also getting the following popup:

Exception EAccessViolation in module WorkstationSetup.exe at 0012BCDF.  Access violation at address 0052BCDF in module 'WorkstationSetup.exe'.  read of address 00000000


I've seen very similar posts on this forum which specifically mention the windows DEP functionality.

Here
http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?id=1977
and here
http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?id=1334

DEP was active for only windows programs and services but I've added DEP exceptions anyway on the client for workstationsetup.exe and other executables within the directory on the offchance that setup is pulling in multiple executables.   Unfortunately I'm still getting the same error when launching the workstationsetup.exe.

I have administrator privs on the clients and server.

I've also run the workstationsetup.exe directory on the client and hit the same problem. 


Any ideas?

Thanks,
Jake.

Database Administrator
CCW

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Re: Workstation Setup crashes on client install (6.14)

The latest version of the installation disks is v6.15.4d. They install version 6.15.4.238 of Recorder 6, dictionary version 0000000Q. Is there any reason why you are using a v6.14 disk? What versions of Windows and SQL Server are you using?

Various installation problems have come to light in recent times so I now include the following information when supplying copies of Recorder 6:

Windows XP SP1: Recorder 6 should not be installed with this as serious problems have arisen.
Windows XP SP2: The corruption caused by installing the latest version of Recorder 6 with XP SP1 also occurs with SP2 in its original state but once the first Windows updates are applied for SP2 then the problem goes away, but we don’t know which particular update does the fix.
Windows XP SP3: Problems have arisen when Recorder 6 is installed with the version of SQL Server 2005 Express that is on the Recorder 6 installation disks. Microsoft have issued another version of SQL Server 2005 Express – Service Pack 4. If Recorder 6 is installed with this instead of the version on the disk, it installs without problems – see http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=8317#p8317 for details.

Vista: No known problems installing Recorder 6, however, I would advocate using SQL Server 2005 Express – SP4, as specified for Windows XP SP3 in case earlier versions cause problems. The install kit has been modified to install the system in a manner appropriate for Vista.

Windows 7: No known problems if Recorder 6 is installed as proposed in my instructions, except for one with backups, however, I would advocate using SQL Server 2005 Express – SP4, as specified for Windows XP SP3 in case earlier versions cause problems. See http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=7586#p7586 for more information about the backup problem. If you are going to install Recorder 6 with Windows 7, please ask your supplier for instructions.

Further information is in http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=8271#p8271 although the problems with XP SP3 do not arise if SQL Server 2005 Express SP4 is used.

To my knowledge attempts to install Recorder 6 with Windows Server 2008 haven’t been successful although I noticed that Rob Large in Wiltshire says ‘Our remote access terminal (running windows server 2008) runs Recorder successfully now after a few false starts’ – see http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=8525#p8525 . However, he doesn’t say whether this was a new install. Installation disks that install routinely with Windows Server 2008 have been suggested as a priority for the next release but it isn’t clear yet exactly what will be included although new disks should be available by the end of the year.

SQL Server 2008 became available sometime ago and some Recorder users are running Recorder 6 with it, but JNCC have not yet tested the use of the system under SQL Server 2008 thoroughly enough for this option to be officially supported. If you wish to use SQL Server 2008 Express instead of SQL Server 2005 Express you must download and install the 32-bit version then select the SQL Server 2008 Express Instance when installing Recorder 6. SQL Server 2008 Express is available as a free download from Microsoft. If you plan to use SQL Server 2008, please take note of some of the information on the Recorder forum, e.g. http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?pid=9332#p9332 .

Sally Rankin, JNCC Recorder Approved Expert
E-mail: s.rankin@btinternet.com
Telephone: 01491 578633
Mobile: 07941 207687

3 (edited by jm1984 01-09-2011 09:55:46)

Re: Workstation Setup crashes on client install (6.14)

Many thanks for your reply Sally.

The installation disc we received is labelled as 6.15.4d but the error message shows the application workstationsetup.exe as version 6.14.4.212.

The server installation seems to have gone smoothly with no hiccups.  I'm not at all familiar with SQL server/express but had noticed there isn't a snapin console included for SQL server enterprise manager?  Is this a feature specific to SQL server or should it be included in SQL express too?

The server is Windows 2003 SE 64 bit running the SQL express version that came with the Recorder software.  The server itself is a VM but we do have another standalone installation running on a VM so I wouldn't have thought the fact that it being installed on a VM would cause issues.

The client/workstation application is being installed on a Windows XP Pro SP3 machine.  The workstation setup has been attempted on multiple clients (VM and physical) with the same results.

From your post I get the impression that the software isn't being installed in mixed envrironments (i.e. everything installed under Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP etc) rather than a server/client configuration with different OS versions - is this right?

Database Administrator
CCW

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Re: Workstation Setup crashes on client install (6.14)

Just to clarify Sally

Our Recorder 6 installation precedes the upgrade to Windows Server 2008. The transfer was fiddly and not entirely intuitive, but not related to Recorder 6 install. Nearly all of our workstations are installed on XP SP3, except for the most recent which runs on Windows 7 (after a few very minor difficulties).

Rob Large
Wildlife Sites Officer
Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre

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Re: Workstation Setup crashes on client install (6.14)

Hi Jake
I think the problems referred to with DEP relate specifically to the running of the Recorder application rather than the WorkstationSetup.exe which should run with or without DEP. The version of the WorkstationSetup you have is 6.14 simply because there were no changes between versions to the workstation install so the application was not recompiled. Also I would say that there should really be no problem running Recorder 6 in a mixed OS environment as long as each OS in itself is compatible.
I would hazard a guess that the problems with WorkstationSetup.exe relate to the difficulties you had during the installation and having to manually copy some dlls across. Please can you let us know more about this - which dlls you had to copy? Then I can check if they should have really been present already and are perhaps indicative of some problem during an earlier step.

Best wishes

John van Breda
Biodiverse IT