"Unable to create file with presentation"

[Igor]

Gary,

It's an unusual problem. This message comes from PicturesToExe and happens only when the program can't delete old EXE file of this project located at same file path.

1) If I understand rightly, after reboot and first successful creation of EXE file you can't delete this EXE file even manually in Windows Explorer? And you even do not run this EXE file?

2) Restarting of PicturesToExe doesn't solve the problem? Only rebooting of a PC?

3) Do you change icon for this EXE file?

4) Is it possible to use Create As output to assign another filename for EXE file. Will it work?

It is really strange, because even if a program mistakenly locks just created file, it should be automatically unlocked after closing of a program which has created this file. Probably the problem in RAM as you wrote. I don't remember similar reports on this issue during past 10 years.

[goddi]

Gary,

It's an unusual problem. This message comes from PicturesToExe and happens only when the program can't delete old EXE file of this project located at same file path.

1) If I understand rightly, after reboot and first successful creation of EXE file you can't delete this EXE file even manually in Windows Explorer? And you even do not run this EXE file?

2) Restarting of PicturesToExe doesn't solve the problem? Only rebooting of a PC?

3) Do you change icon for this EXE file?

4) Is it possible to use Create As output to assign another filename for EXE file. Will it work?

It is really strange, because even if a program mistakenly locks just created file, it should be automatically unlocked after closing of a program which has created this file. Probably the problem in RAM as you wrote. I don't remember similar reports on this issue during past 10 years.

====================

Igor...Yes, I seem to be the 'lucky' one with unusual problems... But thanks for the reply.

1) Not quite. I can do a Create only once where the resulting Exe will work. If I redo the Create a second time with the same filename, I get the error message. I cannot run or delete this file until I reboot. Then the file will run and I can delete it. If I get the error message when I do a Create with the original filename, I can change the filename and Create will then work and this file will play and can be deleted. However, if I do the Create on this newly named file a second time, it too will not run and can not be deleted until I reboot. It is as if the file has not been released by Windows.

2) Restarting PTE does NOT solve the problem. Only rebooting will do this.

3) No, I have not changed the icon for the Exe file.

4) As I stated in 1), yes, I can do a Create As with a new filename and it will work. But, if I do it again using the same filename, the file gets the error message.

It is very strange. I have tried to make the error occur with older PTE files, but the only one that will show the error is the previous show that I made a few months ago when the problem first showed up. But after a while, the problem disappeared with that show. Now the error did occur yesterday with that old show and this new show.

If you think it IS RAM, I can buy 2 1GB Kingston modules. I currently have 4 512K modules. Two are an unknown brand that came with the PC and 2 are Kingston that I added later. I would remove the original 2 modules and add the 2 1GB modules to bring the total up to 3GB of Kingston RAM. This would rule out any conflict that these two brands might be having, though I have been using them for many years.

Thanks... Gary

[davegee]

Gary,

Maybe someone else can give a more definitive answer BUT, I believe that all RAM modules in your computer MUST be the same value - you cannot mix 512Mb with 1Gb.

To increase the 2Gb that you have you need 4x 1Gb (of which only 3 - 3.5Gb will be useable).

Anyone confirm?

DaveG

[xahu34]

... I would remove the original 2 modules and add the 2 1GB modules to bring the total up to 3GB of Kingston RAM...

Gary,

This may be possible, but be careful. Try to find out which type of motherboard you have got. Download the board's manual, and look which kind of memory will suit well.

Regards,

Xaver

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Gary,

This may be possible, but be careful. Try to find out which type of motherboard you have got. Download the board's manual, and look which kind of memory will suit well.

Regards,

Xaver

This company suggested earlier does that for you. http://www.orcalogic.co.uk/asp/memoryscanner.asp

Yachtsman1

[mbskels]

====================

Igor...Yes, I seem to be the 'lucky' one with unusual problems... But thanks for the reply.

1) Not quite. I can do a Create only once where the resulting Exe will work. If I redo the Create a second time with the same filename, I get the error message. I cannot run or delete this file until I reboot. Then the file will run and I can delete it. If I get the error message when I do a Create with the original filename, I can change the filename and Create will then work and this file will play and can be deleted. However, if I do the Create on this newly named file a second time, it too will not run and can not be deleted until I reboot. It is as if the file has not been released by Windows.

Gary

Surely your investigation confirms that a lock is being left on the executable after it is first created. Further attempts to recreate the executable fail because the original file cannot be deleted because it is locked. There is a utility available to identify who is causing the lock at http://www.dr-hoiby.com/WhoLockMe/

Perhaps that may be useful in confirming the cause.

Windows task manager also can be set up to identify if a program has used a large amount of RAM retrospectively. You need to add an extra column to the default settings by opening the task manager and under view>select columns tick the column "peak memory usage". This column records the peak usage for each program. You could use this to examine usage after you have successfully created the executable for the first time.

HTH

Malcolm

[Ken Cox]

another unlocker with more features

http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

ken

[xahu34]

another unlocker with more features http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

This is a very useful tool, as it allows to copy files which have been locked by a running process and which disappear when the locking process ends.

Regards,

Xaver

[goddi]

Gary

Surely your investigation confirms that a lock is being left on the executable after it is first created. Further attempts to recreate the executable fail because the original file cannot be deleted because it is locked. There is a utility available to identify who is causing the lock at http://www.dr-hoiby.com/WhoLockMe/

Perhaps that may be useful in confirming the cause....

HTH

Malcolm

===============

Greetings,

MUCH THANKS TO ALL!!!!!

I think I have solved this mystery, thanks to all of you.

Ok... I ran the 'WhoLockMe' program. It was a bit difficult to figure it out but I got it to give me results at least once. I had trouble getting it to do it again. So I then ran the 'Unlock' program. It was easier for me to run and re-run this program to double check results.

I have attached a Word file with screen-shots so you can understand better what I saw. In both cases, the programs showed me a file called SBAMsvc.exe that appeared to be locking my PTE's Austria 2009.exe file.

I did some Googling for the 'SBAMsvc' to see what that was all about. I noticed that it has to do with Antivirus programs. It was not clear to me what it was all about, but in one comment, someone mentioned SystemSuite by Avanquist. That is a program I am using for Firewall, Virus Protection and utililties.

I went into my SystemSuite and found an AV/AS 'Active Protection' tab. I unticked the "Check the file when they are opened or copied." You can see this screen-shot in the attached file. After this was unchecked, I tested the Create Exe and the problem did not occur. I tried it a couple dozen times. No error occured.

This has been a long journey to find this out. I thank you very much for leading me down the path of discovery!!!

My fingers are crossed that this is, in fact, the final answer.

Gary

Locked.doc

[Igor]

Gary,

Thanks for good news! I thought about this possible reason, but really didn't expect that because it happened only with particular projects.

Could you perform one more test, please? Turn on this protection option again and just try to copy this EXE file in Windows Explorer. Will the antivirus software lock the copied file in this case? I think it should do that and in this case we can send this EXE file developers of this antivirus.

[goddi]

Gary,

Thanks for good news! I thought about this possible reason, but really didn't expect that because it happened only with particular projects.

Could you perform one more test, please? Turn on this protection option again and just try to copy this EXE file in Windows Explorer. Will the antivirus software lock the copied file in this case? I think it should do that and in this case we can send this EXE file developers of this antivirus.

================

Igor,

I turned the protection option on again and tried to recreate the error. Hard to believe but now I can not make the error occur. Crazy but true. I will continue to use PTE with the protection option on just to see what will happen.

The exe file would only get locked after I ran the Create Exe. And then the exe file could not be deleted or moved or anything, until the PC was rebooted.

I hope this answers your questions. If not, let me know.

ADDED LATER: I just got the error message after trying a few more times, with the protection option on. I could not copy the exe file after I got the error message. I unlocked the files using Unlock (which dumped the exe file) but I was able then to sucessfully do a Create Exe again.

Gary

[fh1805]

Gary,

"Seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened."

Pleased to know that you've got to the bottom of this one.

regards,

Peter

[Ken Cox]

Gary

try to set up a check sheet as to what is enabled ,works, coments etc

how you resolved issue etc

when you have resolved all issues -- good and bad, please post in a new thread in sequence for future

Peter may want to make a FAQ and Igor will likely want it for reference

TIA

ken