I have found that if an error does occur and WE shuts down (this has done this a few times last week with WE1.99R and I didnt know if it was my pc at the time as I was doing various operation at the same time) then the IMS Backup does not pick up any images. I had a shut down with WE1.99s (and I must keep an eye on when this happens)and again the IMS Backup didnit pick up the images.

This probably has something to do with the backup file not knowing the file paths.

OK, we'll look into it.


- Derry

It's happened to me too.

What is happening is that when the program starts it automatically creates a back-up of the file you are working on. It places the file in a separate directory. So, if the program crashes and you open the back-up file it won't find your referenced objects. What you need to do is move the back up file to the same directory that the original was in.

A couple of things to note:
The back up file is going to be the original file as it was when you first opened it. Now, I hit the 'save' button quite often. If I experience a crash I would rather reopen the file than go to the back-up. Which leads to the question, is this worthwhile feature?


- Derry

On your first point. This never use to happen, the backup would pick-up from thelast time a save was made. Would I be right in saying that in future, if there is a crash, then I would have to locate the backup file( wherever that is) each time and place it in the same directory as the original. This would seem a backward step at to what we had before.

Your second point:

As mentioned above,previously the back-up file would pick-up from the last time you made a save and not from when the last first time that it was opened.

Of course I also make a point of saving all the time as I go along but you never know when you are going to get a crash, due to outside sources etc

I have found the Back Up facility (that picks up from the last save)to be a life saver at times especially if I am in full flow and have mistakenly forgotten to save for a while (dont forget that there will be a lot of novice users of Spinner/Engine) so to me the Back up is a very usefull facility...

Any other users got any comments on this?

Hi Derry,

In spite of my request for a a more prominent "Save" Button, I too save frequently and have actually lost data with the back-up file for unknown reasons. Hence I never use it as I am never quite certain what I am going to get.

I am serious about needing a more visible and larger save button though. The present one is obscure enough that to be certain, I use File/Save.

Muzz

Muzz.

Robert C. Smith

Okay, I looked into this and here is the deal:

The backup file (webackup.ims) is updated when you load your file and then each time you save the file.

It is not stored in the same location as your file (unless you happened to save to the program folder) so if you save with relative links, the links to images will not be found because they are relative to your file's location which is different from the backup file's location.

The functionality of the backup file has not changed but previously (as you know) there was a problem with relative links and files were incorrectly being saved with absolute file paths much of the time. The above scenario is not a problem when absolute links are used.

So... back to Derry's point: The backup file and the file that you have just saved are identical. The question is if they are identical is there any point in the backup? That is, if the program shuts down, loading the backup files is the same as loading the last saved version of your file (except for the problem described above).

We can certainly correct the problem but is the backup useful?

And speaking of unexpected shutdowns: If you ever have one that is caused by one of our programs, please don't hesitate to tell us about it. The single most important piece of information you can give us is the address of the crash. With that we can often pinpoint and fix the problem without any description of the circumstances. The address is the number often listed under 'details' in the error dialog. Usually it says something like:

"IMSEngine has caused an invalid page fault in module Kernel.dll at 0157:bff78382"

If everyone sent us that information, or a screen shot of the dialog (showing the details), whenever they had a crash we would have a crash free program very soon.

regards,
Harpo

quote:

---

Originally posted by Harpo:


The functionality of the backup file has not changed but previously (as you know) there was a problem with relative links and files were incorrectly being saved with absolute file paths much of the time. The above scenario is not a problem when absolute links are used.

---

I always used the Absolute file up to recently ( I changed as I was advised at one point on the forum to save under Gather as I had recently change to XP and reformatted etc and couldnt get the correct paths)
However, I do not envisage doing that again for a while so I will now go back to Absolute and I presume that the Back Up will work as before ?

quote:

---

So... back to Derry's point: The backup file and the file that you have just saved are identical. The question is if they are identical is there any point in the backup? That is, if the program shuts down, loading the backup files is the same as loading the last saved version of your file (except for the problem described above).

We can certainly correct the problem but is the backup useful?

Harpo

---

Are you absolutely sure that the Back Up only saved from the last save??

Although I mentioned this on Jan 16th:
On your first point. This never use to happen, the backup would pick-up from the last time a save was made.

.....I was incorrct to state that.

I think I am going a bit mad here.... I am sure that I remember the Back Up saving a project just prior before a crash and NOT at the last time it was saved..... can you just confirm that for me please

[This message was edited by AndyP on January 17, 2003 at 12:54 AM.]

[This message was edited by AndyP on January 17, 2003 at 12:57 AM.]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Harpo:

And speaking of unexpected shutdowns: If you ever have one that is caused by one of our programs, please don't hesitate to tell us about it. The single most important piece of information you can give us is the address of the crash. Harpo

---

This is a bit difficult on my recent shutdowns as I do not know if it is my pc...xp..the internet...running too many applications .. has been doing it.

What I am getting is just a lock-up with no error messages unike I use to have before with the other betas.... I am running XP now so I do not know if XP is having any effect on it but I have to use Ctrl/Alt + Delete to shut WE down.

I will certainly keep an eye on this but I can tell you that it has happened more when Publishing.

Oh yes... the other thing you ask is the address of the crash.... that would be at my house in the UK

Well I had another Lock-Up just as I finished writing the above.

I was on the net with WE running in the background. I signed off the net and thought I would Publish to see what happens and it locked up. I have made a Screen Shot and sent it to you to your support..

Well back again. The same situation as above happened and WE locked up.... one point that I have confirmed is that having changed to Absoulute this did no make any difference to the back up in saving the images.

However chaps...I CAN confirm that it did indeed save the last change that I made without me making any prior save.

Before it locked up I moved a text object and then published... I got a lock up again in Publishing (if that where the problem is). I then I chose to open the IMS back up and then I saw it had indeed saved that last move...and I had not Saved myself..

Unless, of course, the IMS file for my project had just about been saved in Publishing itself just before Publishing had finished and locked up.

It always locks up around about 10 or so files beofore it finishes publishing.

And... I have noticed that...even when it publishes successfully it tends to stop for a few moment near the end.... and then continues with the last 10 or so files...


Now the trouble is... is it my pc or is it WE1.99S.. Do I have a memory leakage problem.. I am working with 384 Ram and I dont get any other problems with any other program. I use Photo shop 5.5 which can be very demanding at times but works fine... Must go to be now its 6:35 am zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[This message was edited by AndyP on January 17, 2003 at 01:35 AM.]

Hi AndyP

I'll let Harpo address the freeze up problem.

To answer your question on the Back-up file, yes, whenever you Publish your file is automatically saved (actually it is an option that is checked by default - go to the Publisher and on the Profile tab at the bottom there is the option to Auto backup project when publishing).


- Derry

Thanks Derry, but the main question was :

".... I am sure that I remember the Back Up saving a project just prior before a crash and NOT at the last time it was saved..... can you just confirm that for me please"

Thanks

More on the Lock Up.

I decided to run a test. I saved an existing project to another name & created a new Upload folder. I made no changes at all to the project.

I went to Publish and whilst publishing in the Export Progress window... and about 10 files towards the end... it locked up.

It is important to note that I am not using the inbuilt FTP and this lock up occurs in the Export Progress window.

The only way to come out of WE is to use CTRL/Alt + Delete and this of course utilises the Win XP Task Manager which in turn wants to send its own Error report to microsoft. I have already sent one screen shot to you and I have managed to get further info from the report which has now been sent to you.

One other point to consider is that whilst testing for this lock up I can Publish in the Export Manager five or six times in a row (just repeat the procedure again & again) successfully and then suddenly it will lock up. May I suggest that you also do this, just continiously Publish over and over again & perhaps you may re-created the lock up.

I had no other applications running at the time.

Thanks Andy,

That is very useful information. Would it be possible to zip up and send us the entire project that caused this problem? If not can you give a brief description of the project: how many pages? how many objects? was it mostly images, geometric objects or text?

Also, can you say which file was being transferred just before and during the lockup?

When you say you can publish several times without a lockup, do you mean if you publish several times in a row you get a lockup or just publishing several times over a longer period with work in between. Do you ever get a lockup the first time you publish?

Can I assume that you were not doing anything else on the PC when you were exporting, just waiting for it to finish?

Thanks for the screenshots. The further info should prove to be useful. I will let you know what we find.

Thanks again for all this help.

Cheers,
Harpo

quote:

---

Originally posted by Muzzy:
...
I am serious about needing a more visible and larger save button though. The present one is obscure enough that to be certain, I use File/Save.

---

Top left corner, next to new and open is pretty much industry standard. You might try the larger buttons (See 'View'/'Toolbar Option Dialog' - 'Use Large File Bar') or just pressing the CTRL+S keys

Hi AndyP

We actualy dug around in the code just to be sure that the code was not evolving on its own

The difinitive answer is that the back-up function only saves to the back-up file when you do a save, or when you publish.


- Derry

Ok Derry... I give in... I believe you now

Regarding Harpo's reply I shall contact him direct as this subject is taking up a lot of space here.