OrchidWiz installation issue on Windows 7 64bit

[Discus]

Not sure if this will save anyone some head-scratching, but I finally got around to installing OrchidWiz on my home PC about a year after ordering it... and it didn't work.

Unlike my work machine, my home machine is a Windows 7 64 bit Ultimate Edition (and not venerable old 32 bit Windows XP!).

Essentially, I ran into horrible looking errors that complained about ADO.NET errors. Initially I thought "Hmm, must be a .net issue", but had I read the error more carefully, I would have seen it was actually a SQL Server Compact issue. Installing .net 3.5 again did nothing (not surprising, really...). *facepalm*

The errors (repeated several times) were along the lines of:

File version mismatch detected between ADO.NET Provide and native binaries of SQL Server Compact which could result in an incorrect functionality. This could be due to the presence of miltiple instances of SQL Server Compact of different versions. Please install SQL Server Compact binaries of matching version [ADO.NET Provider File Version = 3.5.5692.*, Native Binary File Version = 3.5.8080.*]

and

at System.Data.SqlServerCe.NativeMethods.CheckVersionMismatch(StringmodulePath)
at System.Data.SqlServerCe.NativeMethods.LoadNativeBinaries()
at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeConnection..ctor()
at System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeConnection..ctor(String connectionString)
at OrchidWiz8.PictureDBWrapper.ConnectToImages()

I clicked OK though them, and OrchidWiz appeared to install, but horror-of-horrors, the none of the (photo) pictures would show. Installing the 8.02 update didn't help.

Eventually, I did what I always tell people do :rolleyes: to and actually *read* the error message , did some googling and found what turned out to be a fix.

To fix this, grab the file from Microsoft's website here: FIX: You receive an error message when you run a SQL Server Compact 3.5-based application after you install the 32-bit version of SQL Server Compact Edition 3.5 Service Pack 2 on an x64 computer, install the 32 bit file and then the 64 bit file which that installer extracts, and OrchidWiz 8 then works perfectly.

[camille1585]

Installing Orchidwiz seems like it was a painful process for you! Do you think the problem will repeat each time you install an update (since you end up uninstalling the previous one), or is the fix permanent?

Alternatively, when you are someone technologically challenged (me), you can simply send out a desperate 'HELP!' email to the folks at Orchidwiz, and let them find the solution for you.... They were very helpful at fixing my issues.

[silken]

Info worth knowing. But I have Windows 7 64 bit and had no errors whatsoever doing the install! Thank goodness as I might have been stumped. I think I will keep this just in case I ever have trouble with the upgrades.

[Bud]

When doing disk install: get off the internet and disable the anti virusand firewall...
after the installation: turn on the internet and tuen on the anti virus and firewall...
then get the upgrades

---------- Post added at 07:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:43 PM ----------

it might also have something to do with US disk making and the European pal/secam disk making...some DVD's in Europe cant be played on US made DVD's...
unless you have a universal disk reader

[Discus]

Bud -
If I couldn't read the disk, then I wouldn't be able to even start the install.
Also PAL/SECAM/NTSC etc. are only ways of encoding analogue video data streams, not putting data on a DVD-R/CD-R. It's the TVs that are fussy about these, not the players.
Neither the internet nor the firewall nor the antivirus was the problem; it was some incompatibility between the version of the SQL software that was on my PC at the time, and the one OrchidWiz was developed on. Aside from the photographs, the software still worked (albeit with errors on startup). This was simply fixed by installing the right version of this incompatible software, the link to which is in my first post. Problems that result in needing to turn those things (AV/FW/Internet) off are generally complete failures to install at all; in general, I would not recommend installing anything with those turned off unless it is specifically required (the manufacturer will normally note this in the install instructions) - and only do it if you trust that manufacturer!

Camille - I spend a large amount of my time fixing computer issues, so although I fired off an email to OrchidWiz, I found the solution before they replied to my emails, and then sent them a "don't worry, I fixed it, and here's how". It's the kind of thing I'll kick the tyres on until I find a solution, particularly if the helpdesk is in another time zone. I had the problem in my lunchbreak, but fixed it in the evening. And no, this problem will not recurr (unless they jump to another version of the SQL thing and my computer doesn't autoupdate to the latest version at some stage). In any case, I'll be wise to it!

In general, googling an error message (the whole thing first, then less and less specific parts of it) will generally lead to some helpful suggestions, and almost inevitably, a fix. It also really really really helps to actually read the whole message. It told me how to fix it at the end, but I stopped reading at ADO.NET, and initially foolishly assumed a .net issue.

Like I always tell people "What do you mean you just clicked OK without reading it? What if it said 'Can I delete MyThesisDataVeryImportant'? How can I help if I don't know what the problem is. Randomly, A Thing Happens is not going to get you closer to fixing it." *facepalm*.

[camille1585]

Reading the error messages is one thing, but understanding it (even with the help of google) is quite another! Like I said, me and technology don't get along! I can use computers easily, but troubleshooting is an entirely different matter....

So now I know who to turn to if I ever need help!

[Discus]

Oh dear, what have I unleashed?

But yes, you can of course raise a hand when the trouble gets beyond page one of the google results.

Of course, half the battle is knowing what to ask google.

[goodgollymissmolly]

"Oh dear, what have I unleashed? "

Life in the dark lane.

[Ray]

I am running Win 7/64, and I had no issue whatsoever.