Should I remove old P2E programs - 7.5.6 will not load

[dbolt]

Control Panel says I have 7 versions of P2E installed, starting with 6.0. Should I remove all but 7.5.6?

The reason I asks is that 7.5.5, for unknown reasons, recently started giving "not responding" errors while editing a 300 slide show. I downloaded and installed 7.5.6 and now I can't get the program to load at all. When I click on the icon, the security warning pops up immediately, hit run, wheel turns for a few seconds and then nothing happens. If I click on the p2e icon (p2e link to 7.5.6) again, I see another process listed by Taskmgr, but the program does not load.

I recall needing to click on the p2e icon twice when I was using 7.5.5, but the program loaded normally and I could use it, although the "not responding" error did occur occasionally as mentioned.

So, I guess I have two questions. One, if I add/remove the old versions of p2e, will that affect my registration? And two, how should I proceed to get 7.5.6 to load. I have a show tomorrow eve, so I'm starting to get a bit concerned. There are several small errors/typos etc I want to correct in the show as is.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

I wouldn't remove older versions, I think Ken has them going back to year dot. I don't use 7.5 yet, but I seem to remember someone mentioning an error when they tried to double click to open PTE. Have you tried a single click?

Yachtsman1.

[davegee]

What security warning??

My security is pretty tight, but I never get a security warning when opening PTE.

Is it only with the 300 slide show that you get the problem??

PTE is trying to open that show every time and if there is a problem with the show itself then it will never open.

Trying going to an earlier / smaller project folder and clicking on the PTE file for that project - if your file associations are OK then it should open that.

It's easy to be wise after the event but when starting out on a BIG project it is a good idea to save different versions of it along the way so that if you run into problems you can go back a couple of versions and find the problem.

Good luck,

DG

P.S. To open an earlier version go to C: Program Files (x86) > WnSoft PTE > 6.5 (or 7.0) > Main and Double Click on the PTE Application File.

[dbolt]

I wouldn't remove older versions, I think Ken has them going back to year dot. I don't use 7.5 yet, but I seem to remember someone mentioning an error when they tried to double click to open PTE. Have you tried a single click?

Yachtsman1.

I've tried clicking, Open from explorer and open as admin from explorer.

[dbolt]

What security warning??

My security is pretty tight, but I never get a security warning when opening PTE.

Is it only with the 300 slide show that you get the problem??

PTE is trying to open that show every time and if there is a problem with the show itself then it will never open.

Trying going to an earlier / smaller project folder and clicking on the PTE file for that project - if your file associations are OK then it should open that.

It's easy to be wise after the event but when starting out on a BIG project it is a good idea to save different versions of it along the way so that if you run into problems you can go back a couple of versions and find the problem.

Good luck,

DG

P.S. To open an earlier version go to C: Program Files (x86) > WnSoft PTE > 6.5 (or 7.0) > Main and Double Click on the PTE Application File.

I've attached a clip of the security popup. Not certain what it is associated with. I thought maybe Microsoft security essentials.

I've only been working on the 300 pic show.

Since my last post, I re-downloaded 756 and installed it in a different folder. I was able to open the program, but only after 4 attempts. Three of the p2e processes were about 31K and one was over 300K. I ended the 3 small processes and was able to work on the show.

But, as luck would have it, I didn't save-as with a new # (it is currently 8) and then discovered that I had edited an old version of #8 that did not have many of my recent text edits. Not sure where it found the old ver 8, but I'm going to go searching for a newer one.

[davegee]

Did you try closing your computer and re-opening??

It looks like you had multiple versions open at the same time.

DG

[dbolt]

If you mean reboot, yes.

[davegee]

Are you OK now???

DG

[dbolt]

Are you OK now???

DG

I am currently using p2e to re-do the changes I made yesterday. It has not given the "not responding" error yet, but I'm frequently doing a save-as.

I'm pretty sure I have not solved whatever caused it to require loading 3 or more copies of p2e until I got one that was 231K and then ending the 31k processes from Taskmgr.

[Ken Cox]

Doug

I have 2 pte shortcut icons on my desktop

One is for the present installed version

And the other is for various things re wnsoft

Before I install a new version I cut/paste the current version install to the various things folder

When install the new version, the program will install a fresh icon to the just vacated spot – I immediately rename it to the current version

Close the just installed version

and

then test the new shortcut that it opens the just installed version

using “help/about” I verify the version

I then open a recent show and do a “saveas” including the ver# in the title”756_name of show” and direct the pte to the folder where the show resides

The reason I have many shows installed is a habit from the old days when some of us tested many versions to help Igor get it right – by having different people, op systems, and hardware, he could soon narrow a problem down.

ken

[dbolt]

Thanks, Ken. Good idea.

In my case, installing a new version did not cause the problem. I was having the problem of loading several copies of p2e for several days. I installed 756 in the hope it would solve, or at least reduce the frequency of the "program not responding" errors. When I did get such an error, the recovery feature would put me back to withing just a few min of my work. The problem I have now is that I started editing text where I thought I had left off. I didn't discover that none of the changes I had made yesterday (many hours) were present in the .pte file. Fortunately, I will not have to search again on the Internet for names of buildings etc, because I have the .exe that was saved last evening.

I'm going to try to make my necessary edits before returning to the issue that is preventing p2e to display until I've opened the program multiple times.

Thanks again.

Doug

I have 2 pte shortcut icons on my desktop

One is for the present installed version

And the other is for various things re wnsoft

Before I install a new version I cut/paste the current version install to the various things folder

When install the new version, the program will install a fresh icon to the just vacated spot – I immediately rename it to the current version

Close the just installed version

and

then test the new shortcut that it opens the just installed version

using “help/about” I verify the version

I then open a recent show and do a “saveas” including the ver# in the title”756_name of show” and direct the pte to the folder where the show resides

The reason I have many shows installed is a habit from the old days when some of us tested many versions to help Igor get it right – by having different people, op systems, and hardware, he could soon narrow a problem down.

ken

[dbolt]

Update: I finished (well, hopefully) editing the text and a few animations without a problem. Made .exe and .app files. Now, it's making a HD video. I'll make another test to see if I have to open p2e four times before p2e actually showed itself on the screen instead of just as a 31K process in Taskmgr.

Thanks, Ken. Good idea.

In my case, installing a new version did not cause the problem. I was having the problem of loading several copies of p2e for several days. I installed 756 in the hope it would solve, or at least reduce the frequency of the "program not responding" errors. When I did get such an error, the recovery feature would put me back to withing just a few min of my work. The problem I have now is that I started editing text where I thought I had left off. I didn't discover that none of the changes I had made yesterday (many hours) were present in the .pte file. Fortunately, I will not have to search again on the Internet for names of buildings etc, because I have the .exe that was saved last evening.

I'm going to try to make my necessary edits before returning to the issue that is preventing p2e to display until I've opened the program multiple times.

Thanks again.

[dbolt]

Update 2:

It still takes three open or clicks (either open from explorer or click from the icon) to activate a 30K p2e process before the fourth try actually caused p2e to start and display the most recent show. Since I started using "end process" in Taskmgr to terminate the 3 30K processes, p2e has not locked up with the "not responding" error message.

I suspect the problem has more to do with something about my PC (Win7P-64, i7-920@2.67GH, 12G ram, 6T HD storage) configuration than with P2E, but I don't see the "not responding" error very frequently with any other program. PSCS6 does seem to be slower than it should be lately. Maybe that's deadline related, but seems real to me.

Any suggestions to prevent p2e from partially loading the full program until the 4th try would be appreciated. I say 4 tries, but that number is based upon 5/5 tests. I'm betting the number of tries needed may vary. Anyway, the workaround described above is not much trouble.

doug

Update: I finished (well, hopefully) editing the text and a few animations without a problem. Made .exe and .app files. Now, it's making a HD video. I'll make another test to see if I have to open p2e four times before p2e actually showed itself on the screen instead of just as a 31K process in Taskmgr.

[davegee]

Douglas,

Try something along these lines:

After you have saved your current project, open a NEW PROJECT (Project1).

Save it as a Blank Project or with just one slide (Blank) with "Load last project on startup" in Preferences > Project ticked,

That way it is not trying to open a large project on startup.

Try closing you PC down and re-starting and then opening PTE from your START Menu.

If it still hangs I think you need to look at your System Setup. You don't need "User Account Control" to be coming up every time you open PTE or any other prog.

If you are the only user of the computer do you need it at all??

DG

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Any suggestions to prevent p2e from partially loading the full program until the 4th try would be appreciated. I say 4 tries, but that number is based upon 5/5 tests. I'm betting the number of tries needed may vary. Anyway, the workaround described above is not much trouble.

doug

[dbolt]

OK, sounds like a good approach. I save one file as test1.pte, exited p2e, clicked on the p2e link from the Start menu, opened a 31K process, repeated 3 more times, expecting p2e to load. Nope, but it did on the 5th attempt.

I have not yet tinkered with the user account issue.

Thanks for your suggestion.

doug

Douglas,

Try something along these lines:

After you have saved your current project, open a NEW PROJECT (Project1).

Save it as a Blank Project or with just one slide (Blank) with "Load last project on startup" in Preferences > Project ticked,

That way it is not trying to open a large project on startup.

Try closing you PC down and re-starting and then opening PTE from your START Menu.

If it still hangs I think you need to look at your System Setup. You don't need "User Account Control" to be coming up every time you open PTE or any other prog.

If you are the only user of the computer do you need it at all??

DG

[dbolt]

I do have Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes running. Microsoft Firewall turned on, but they have always been on since the machine was new. All are up-to-date. MSE scans every night and so does Malwarebytes.

I gotta go now, but I'll try tomorrow turning off MSE and see if that changes anything.

Thanks again.

doug

This is out on a limb, but is your anti virus software running when you try to start PTE. If it is disable it reboot & try again with your AV software disabled. If it isn't running, no harm done.

Yachtsman1

[Guest Yachtsman1]

I do have Microsoft Security Essentials and Malwarebytes running. Microsoft Firewall turned on, but they have always been on since the machine was new. All are up-to-date. MSE scans every night and so does Malwarebytes.

I gotta go now, but I'll try tomorrow turning off MSE and see if that changes anything.

Thanks again.

doug

Doug

I use MSE, so that isn't the problem, so I wouldn't turn it off, just make sure it isn't running when you open PTE.

Yachtsman1.

[dbolt]

I'm happy to report that the show last evening went over very well - 278 images and a few videos in 32 min. But, I am still having issues loading p2e. Just now, I rebooted the PC and then clicked on P2e.exe in the Main folder and requested to "run as admin". I did that 4 times without successfully opening the program. Each time, Taskmgr showed a 30K working set memory and 13% cpu. With the 5th attempt, p2e loaded normally showing a 210M working set memory and 0-1% cpu utilization. The 4 earlier processes continued to each show 13% for cpu. I ended each of the 30K processes and p2e seems to be running fine.

Maybe I should be satisfied now because once I jump through the hoops, the program seems to run as expected. But, I don't trust it to continue working satisfactorily. Recall that there were only 2, not 4 extra processes showing when I first saw the error message that p2e was not responding.

I'm still wondering if I should remove all traces of p2e and then reinstall. However, I do not want to loose my registration keys.

Any further suggestions? And, if reinstalling is a good idea, how do I save my registration keys for p2e and the video module.

doug

Doug

I use MSE, so that isn't the problem, so I wouldn't turn it off, just make sure it isn't running when you open PTE.

Yachtsman1.

[Ken Cox]

Doug

uncheck the box that says open the last project

that way you will just be opening the program -- not the show

your reg keys are in your registry

ken

[dbolt]

OK, did that and observed the same sort of behavior, except the 5th process (the successful one) shows 44M memory being used and 0 cpu, while the other 4 show 34M mem and 13% cpu utilization. see attached clip from Taskmgr.

Doug

uncheck the box that says open the last project

that way you will just be opening the program -- not the show

your reg keys are in your registry

ken

[dbolt]

I just closed my browser and clicked on the p2e icon at the bottom of the screen that showed p2e was running and started to do something and the "Not responding" error came up. I had not ended the 4 "unwanted" processes.

OK, did that and observed the same sort of behavior, except the 5th process (the successful one) shows 44M memory being used and 0 cpu, while the other 4 show 34M mem and 13% cpu utilization. see attached clip from Taskmgr.

[dbolt]

One question and one observation:

Question for Ken, where in the registry do I find the registration key? I searched but did not find the info. However, I did find several entries for old P2e beta.

Observation, I used add/remove to uninstall the above mentioned p2e beta programs (3, as I recall) and then rebooted, used ccleaner to clean the registry. When I opened p2e (7.5.6), it again took 4 unsuccessful tries before it loaded normally on try 5.

I'm still looking for a solution to this problem.

I just closed my browser and clicked on the p2e icon at the bottom of the screen that showed p2e was running and started to do something and the "Not responding" error came up. I had not ended the 4 "unwanted" processes.

[Ken Cox]

Doug

see for starters

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums//index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=794

also Stu has a program at the cottage that has to do with the registry [think he has + 4 little treats there]

ken

[Ken Cox]

Doug

see

http://www.beechbrook.com/pte/index.asp?categoryid=2&view=View

for Stu's utilites

would suggest you do backup of registry before you get playing there B)/>

ken