errormessage: there is a problem with initialization - please contact support

[awak]

I am using the developer edition as trial, visual studio 2005 and windows xp professional with servicepack 2.

Right after creating a project there is a errormessage: 'there is a problem with initialization - please contact support'.

[Huw Collingbourne]

Initialization of the trial may fail if you or a colleague has installed the trial before on your PC of if the trial period is more than 30 days since the date of the first download (bear in mind that's the date of download, not of installation) of the trial software. Is this likely to be the case?

If not, we'll need a bit more information.

best wishes
Huw

[awak]

If not, we'll need a bit more information.

No problem, just ask what you need to know.

Initialization of the trial may fail if you or a colleague has installed the trial before on your PC of if the trial period is more than 30 days since the date of the first download (bear in mind that's the date of download, not of installation) of the trial software. Is this likely to be the case?

No, I downloaded everything yesterday from your website and my computer is not a shared computer. It`s a home desktop and I am the only one using it.

[Huw Collingbourne]

We've just donwloaded the Trial and key and tried to reproduce this problem but haven't been able to. Can you give us the exact version of Visual Studio which you are using (as shown in Help->About). You should be able to click Copy Info to copy all the details. You may want to send the info directo to us at support [at] sapphiresteel [dot] com.

Can you also verify that you ran Setup.exe (and not an msi file).

I'd be grateful if you would also generate a log file and send that to us. To do that, follow these steps:

Open a command prompt (Start menu->Run - enter "cmd"). Then run Visual Studio with its full path and the log option. Set the log directory (e.g. to c:\x.log") like this:

Code:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe" /log c:\x.log

The above assumes that VS is installed into the default directory. Change the path in the above if it is installed elsewhere.

Now try to create a Ruby project. After all error messages have appeared. Close Visual Studio, find x.log and send that file to us.

best wishes
Huw

[awak]

Yes, I did run setup.exe. To be really sure I unstinalled and reinstalled it, tested again with same result.

I think I found now out how I can successfully use ruby in steel. It wouldn`t it sound unreliable if I say that I did not have this 'there is a problem with initialization' error as I started visual studio from command line with /log parameter? But it`s the truth. Not only with /log parameter, every time I start it from command line without parameters it works. I am not sure if other things now are bugged but I am looking into it.

Each time I start it from desktop shortcut there is this error. So I think it has to do something with it.

I did created one log named working_x.log (started from command line) and one log named notworking_x.log. Also done the help->about step.

Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
Version 8.0.50727.42  (RTM.050727-4200)
Microsoft .NET Framework
Version 2.0.50727
Installed Edition: Professional
Microsoft Visual Basic 2005
Microsoft Visual Basic 2005
Microsoft Visual C# 2005
Microsoft Visual C# 2005
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005
Microsoft Visual J# 2005
Microsoft Visual J# 2005
Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2005
Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2005
Crystal Reports
Crystal Reports for Visual Studio 2005
Visual Assist X   
For more information about Visual Assist, see the Whole Tomato Software website at http://www.WholeTomato.com. Copyright (c) 1997-2007 Whole Tomato Software,  Inc.
Visual Lint
For more information about Visual Lint, please visit the Riverblade website at http://www.riverblade.co.uk/projects/visual_lint. Copyright (c) 2004-2007 Riverblade Limited. All rights reserved.

Well. I did quick look inside the logs. It seams them contain a lot of private data like serial numbers. I hope you don`t need the full log. However, inside the notworking.log I looked out for errors and ruby in steel words and tryed to copy only the relevant part here.

    <record>88</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:40.734</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Entering initialize</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>89</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:40.796</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Initialising library</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>90</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:40.812</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>UserName: TrialEdition; SerialNumber: 0000000000</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>91</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:43.500</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Initialising engine</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>92</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:43.500</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Creating package service</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>93</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:43.500</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Creating commands and menus</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>94</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:43.500</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Creating symbol table service</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>95</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:43.500</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Registering project factory</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>96</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:43.562</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Creating language objects</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>97</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:43.625</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Creating editor factories</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>98</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:43.625</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Creating Ruby Console and Engine</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>99</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:43.781</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Initialising symbol table</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>100</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:43.781</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Initialization error</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>101</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:43.781</time>
    <type>Error</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Cannot start process because a file name has not been provided.</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>102</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:44.890</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>RML.Steel.SteelPackage</source>
    <description>Leaving initialize</description>
  </entry>
  <entry>
    <record>103</record>
    <time>2007/09/07 23:35:44.890</time>
    <type>Information</type>
    <source>Microsoft Visual Studio</source>
    <description>End package load [RML.Steel.SteelPackage, Steel, Version=8.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null]</description>
    <guid>{325B8569-0C7C-4A6A-8AF8-89C3B6BC9E74}</guid>
  </entry>

[Dermot]

The reason that this problem is occuuring is that the initialization routine can't find a standard systemwide environment variable called 'ComSpec'. This sets the command processer to use (normally cmd.exe). When you run from the short cut, it looks like something is not setting this up or is screwing with it in some way. I don't know why this is the case, but I'd look carefully at the properties of the shortcut and see what's going on - probably a whole load of other environment variables are not being set up as well.

Since you are running ok from a command window, I would guess that the System Environment variables are set up ok (you can check via the Control Panel, System, Advances and click "Environment Variables", look for "ComSpec".

I've never come across this before, so I'll put a bug report in to check for ComSpec and produce a sensible error message in case it can't be found.

I'd be interested to know whats going on in that shortcut.

Dermot

[awak]

It`s true. I messed arround with some global variables before. Agreed a more detailed error message is needed.

From cmd line:

>set ComSpec
COMSPEC=C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe

Seams to be correct. Seams like for some reason this variable is active when started from command line, but not from shortcut. It`s also not up to a shortcut. Same problem is also when started from vs/ide directory.

If you to make your software really robust I suggest to delete all environment variables and to create errormessages/workarrounds if something is missing. I feel it`s still something wrong. Even without this 'there is a problem with initialization' error.

If I start a ruby project and click inside the text editor all time the rake window pops up. If you chose auto hide or close this won`t work. It goes away, but click into editor it comes again.

Also quite annoying that the ruby in steel controls are also active inside my c++ projects. (this is maybe more a feedback then a bug)

[Huw Collingbourne]

You may want to try the latest Trial edition, (0194) which we uploaded yesterday. Please let us know if any of these issues remain in that release.
http://www.sapphiresteel.com/Steel-Download-and-Change-Log

best wishes
Huw

[awak]

I uninstalled, installed new version and did try it again starting without cmd line. Same error message.

However, I planed to clean reinstall my hole windows so or so. I will do so soon and tell you the result after clean reinstall. Guess it`s working then, normally my comp doesn`t act any special.

[awak]

After hole system reinstall it works.