First Notation software run stalls on file load

[NotationUser]

I am willing to do some further debugging.

Maybe Mark can tell me which tools to use - for instance to monitor file access of Composer during initial start phase.

[Mark W]

Hello NotationUser,

Originally Posted by NotationUser

I am willing to do some further debugging.

Maybe Mark can tell me which tools to use - for instance to monitor file access of Composer during initial start phase.

As a first step, it would help a lot if you might consolidate this somewhat long conversation into a concise bug report, since it is somewhat difficult for me to pull it altogether.

The concise bug report would go something like this:
1. I installed Notation Compser in Vista (or Windows 7 64-bits).
2. I tried using File/Open but it could find the (name of) directory.
3. So I worked-around this problem by doing...

There might be more than one bug report here.

Thanks!

Cheers
-- Mark

[NotationUser]

Hi Mark.
I understand your problem. The findings with file access problems interfered and finally covered the original problem.

Here is the basic issue summed up once again:

1. I installed Notation Composer in Vista 64-bits

2. I rebooted Vista.

3. I started Composer and tried using File/Open or dragging a file into Composer or choosing one from the recent files in the open page.

4. Composer prompts "Engraving the score..." and hangs up. Only way to terminate Composer is via Windows process termination.

5. I repeat at step 3 and from now on now all works fine - with the same file chosen with any method - step 4. does not occur any more.

6. Going back to step 2 and same story again.

So far the original bug or issue I had and still have.


In the meantime I uninstalled Composer demo via Windows software removal and installed the regular Composer 2.6.1 version (as administrator). Still the same behavior.


Hope this is clear enough.

[Mark W]

Originally Posted by NotationUser

Hi Mark.
Here is the basic issue summed up once again:

1. I installed Notation Composer in Vista 64-bits

2. I rebooted Vista.

3. I started Composer and tried using File/Open or dragging a file into Composer or choosing one from the recent files in the open page.

4. Composer prompts "Engraving the score..." and hangs up. Only way to terminate Composer is via Windows process termination.

5. I repeat at step 3 and from now on now all works fine - with the same file chosen with any method - step 4. does not occur any more.

6. Going back to step 2 and same story again.

That's a good, clear bug report. Thanks!

I'll probably be able to reproduce that here on a Vista machine. Once I can reproduce the problem, then I'm halfway there to fix it.

Thanks!

Cheers
-- Mark

[NotationUser]

If possible test on Vista 64 please.

Win 64bit has some more protection mechanisms than the 32bit versions so maybe the secret is hidden with 64bit only.

[NotationUser]

Hi Mark.

It seems that I found the issue today!

For short, the problem is not Vista but Vista OEM installations.

I guess a clean Vista installation may not show up the problem I struggled with.

I use an Acer PC with pre-installed Vista 64 home premium OEM - which adds a lot of useless stuff I try to eliminate since I have that...

Accidentally I stumbled across a process called "pcmmediasharing" which annoyed me for long as it is also knocking on my firewall all the time.

When I terminated that process in task-manager prior to starting Composer the first time opening files worked!

To deactivate this process permanently I did the following:

1. run "msconfig" (simply type this in the Vista search in the start menu)
2. confirm security request
3. a system dialog opens
4. click tab "systemstart"
5. remove check at entry "pcmmediasharing".
6. confirm dialog (click OK button)
7. reboot Vista


I still don't know how this process is related to Notation Software but removing it seems to fix the issue!

Hope this did it and I do not find something else...

[Mark W]

Hello NotationUser,

Wow, your digging into nasty technical problems is quite impressive!

You research into Composer's File / Open problem very strongly suggests that the problem arises only in very unusual circumstances. That is consistent with the fact that, as far as I know, this problem has not been reported by the many of 1000s of users who have purchased Composer in the recent past.

Your research also saved me probably several hours trying to further pin down the problem, because I would not have been able to reduce the problem at all, given the very specific conditions on your Windows setup.

Thanks!!

Cheers
-- Mark