Even though I do not need any of the 'many new features' of 3.9 I had to buy this 'update' program because 3.5 won't run on Vista. I received my v3.9 CD yesterday, but am still not able to run the program:

1. On my desktop (Vista business 64-bit, intel core duo, 4GB) the program installs but when trying to run it I get and 'unknown license error' and the program won't start (I will have to post the additional information from the message when I get back to that machine).

2. On my laptop (Vista ultimate, 32-bit, 2GB) the program installs but:

a. When checking for updates the program shows an update is available, acts like it downloads the update and installs it, but stays the same version and when checking again it shows again that there is an update available. Is there an update or not?

b. When running a quiz (the only reason I have this program) containing more than just a few questions the program crashes when preparing the quiz entries (which takes much longer than in previous versions by the way) when it reaches 80% (setting alternate answers).

Rob

************** Exception Text **************
System.InvalidCastException: Specified cast is not valid.
   at System.Data.OleDb.ColumnBinding.ValueString()
   at System.Data.OleDb.OleDbDataReader.GetString(Int32 ordinal)
   at Thayer.Birding.Data.SimilarThingsDM.GetSimilarSpecies(Int32 thingID, Int32 collectionID)
   at Thayer.Birding.Organism.GetSimilarSpecies(Int32 thingID, Int32 collectionID)
   at Thayer.Birding.QuizEntry.SetAlternateAnswers(List`1 quizEntries, List`1 taxonomyList, QuizTypes quizType, DifficultyLevels difficultyLevel, Int32 collectionID)
   at Thayer.Birding.QuizEntry.GenerateQuizEntries(QuizSettings quizSettings, Int32 collectionID)
   at Thayer.Birding.UI.Windows.Quiz.QuizWizardForm.finishButton_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
eViewer
    Assembly Version: 3.9.0.23268
    Win32 Version: 3.9.0.23268
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Thayer%20Birding%20Software/eViewer%203.9/eViewer.exe
----------------------------------------
Thayer.Birding
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.23263
    Win32 Version: 1.0.0.23263
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Thayer%20Birding%20Software/eViewer%203.9/Thayer.Birding.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll
----------------------------------------
Thayer.Birding.DataUpdates
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Thayer%20Birding%20Software/eViewer%203.9/Thayer.Birding.DataUpdates.DLL
----------------------------------------
Thayer.Birding.UI
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.23263
    Win32 Version: 1.0.0.23263
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Thayer%20Birding%20Software/eViewer%203.9/Thayer.Birding.UI.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Xml
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Configuration
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Data
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_32/System.Data/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Data.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Security
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Security/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Security.dll
----------------------------------------
loicw-yn
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.23263
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
Infragistics2.Win.UltraWinTabbedMdi.v7.1
    Assembly Version: 7.1.20071.40
    Win32 Version: 7.1.20071.40
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Thayer%20Birding%20Software/eViewer%203.9/Infragistics2.Win.UltraWinTabbedMdi.v7.1.DLL
----------------------------------------
Infragistics2.Win.v7.1
    Assembly Version: 7.1.20071.40
    Win32 Version: 7.1.20071.40
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Thayer%20Birding%20Software/eViewer%203.9/Infragistics2.Win.v7.1.DLL
----------------------------------------
Infragistics2.Shared.v7.1
    Assembly Version: 7.1.20071.40
    Win32 Version: 7.1.20071.40
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Thayer%20Birding%20Software/eViewer%203.9/Infragistics2.Shared.v7.1.DLL
----------------------------------------
uz_2g62j
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.23263
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
jcab9asx
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.23263
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Transactions
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_32/System.Transactions/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Transactions.dll
----------------------------------------
System.EnterpriseServices
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.312 (rtmLHS.050727-3100)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_32/System.EnterpriseServices/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.EnterpriseServices.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.DirectX.AudioVideoPlayback
    Assembly Version: 1.0.2902.0
    Win32 Version: 5.04.00.2904
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC/Microsoft.DirectX.AudioVideoPlayback/1.0.2902.0__31bf3856ad364e35/Microsoft.DirectX.AudioVideoPlayback.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.mshtml
    Assembly Version: 7.0.3300.0
    Win32 Version: 7.0.3300.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC/Microsoft.mshtml/7.0.3300.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.mshtml.dll
----------------------------------------

This is the type of technical question where you should fill out a Help Desk Ticket.
I noticed that you have already done that, so I will post our personal responses to you here, in case others have the same issues.

1. The software will run on 32-bit computers. It will not run on 64-bit computers (very, very few folks have this type of computer).

2. Updates are available now for version 3.9.1. To get this, click Help when running the program and then click Check for updates. It is likely that you will need to go throught the check for update process TWICE. The first time the update process application itself is updated. The second time through you are actually downloading the v3.9.1 update. The Help - About will show v3.9.1, as will the splash screen when you start the program. This was released on October 4th, 2007.

3. We have not had any other reports of quizzes crashing or taking that much longer to prepare. The program was completely rewritten so the code that creates the quizzes is different and there may be a slight difference in speed. If you are still experiencing this problem on a 32-bit computer, please submit another help Desk ticket and we will try to see what is happening on your computer that is not happening on other computers. Please let us know exactly which quiz you are taking. If we can duplicate the problem here, we can fix it very quickly. If we are not able to duplicate it by clicking the same things you click, then we have a much harder time resolving the issue.

Pete,

Thanks for your reply.

1. Thank you for confirming this, I had the feeling running the 64 bit version of Vista was the problem, but never got this confirmed from the helpdesk.

You should probably change your advertising to show that the program only runs on the 32 bit version of Vista.

Many of the new computers being sold these days have 64 bit capable processors, but most people indeed won't run the 64 bit version of Vista yet.

This will change quickly in the coming years, so it would probably be a good idea to make the program work on 64 bit Vista also. You don't need a special 64 bit version of the program to accomplish this. A properly programmed 32 bit windows application will normally run without any problems in 32 bit mode on 64 bit Vista.

2. Thanks. After you released 3.9.1 the update works as expected.

3. I described exactly all steps to create the problem in the help desk ticket (could reproduce the crash on both 32 bit Vista and on XP). Your support person confirmed that the issue with the quizzes crashing was a known problem in earlier versions of 3.9, but thought it should have been fixed in the released version. I just did some quick testing and the 3.9.1 version seems to have fixed the crashes. Maybe the slowness of the program is just a matter of perception and can be explained by the fact that I have to run it on my slower laptop computer now because it won't run on my main computer.

Rob