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[david j. weiner]

I have been running AHP for years. The present incarnation has been running well up till now on a Quad-core under Vista (up to date). I updated the AHP version in December and as far as I could tell all was well. I edited my .ahx file, downloaded it to the controller and found that the changes ran OK. I started AHP several times to check on some other things, then closed it and shut down the system for three weeks (trip). The controller ran fine during my absence. Upon my return, I booted the system and installed all the "fixes" from MS. Now I can't get AHP to start. It hangs with an empty black rectangle on screen. I tried a reinstall after a removal. I downloaded a new copy from X10 and installed it. Still no success. I don't really know what version I have of AHP since I can't get the "about screen". I'm out of ideas. Can anyone help?

[originalevil]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I can help you get more information to the guys who can.

If you are running Vista (any flavor), 32-bit, go to C:\Program Files\Active Home Pro

Right-click ActiveHm.exe
Select Properties
Click the Details tab
"File version" will give you the version of AHP you are running.

If you are running Vista (any flavor), 64-bit, go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Active Home Pro

Right-click ActiveHm.exe
Select Properties
Click the Details tab
"File version" will give you the version of AHP you are running.

[david j. weiner]

Thanks for the help. I should have thought of this myself! The version given is 3.0.0.236.
I suppose that the app. is hanging while attempting to contact the controller, but I'm afraid to reset the controller because then I  won't have any program running my house lights if that fails to work. Does anyone know when in the start-up the program contacts the controller?
Here's hoping that somebody can help me solve this.
djw

[Dan Lawrence]

3.236 seems to be a buggy release.  Go to http://software.x10.com/pub/applications/activehome/ and save AHP 3.204 and install to over what you have, then update that to 3.228 (through the update in AHP.  That should solve any problem.

[david j. weiner]

Success! Thanks Dan, I now have a working version. I now remember that I couldn't update from 3.204 to 3.228 last year. When I request the update, Vista asks for permission, then nothing happens. Unfortunately, this is still true. Any suggestions on that?
Thanks again. djw

[originalevil]

Uninstall Active Home and then reinstall it in your "User" folder.

For example, let's say that you log into Vista as "Fred" for your user name. Install it in this location:

C:\Users\Fred\AppData\Local\ActiveHome Pro

Update AHP.

You don't have to worry about turning UAC on/off, running as Admin, or anything like that.

[Dan Lawrence]

You didn't read what david j. weiner posted.  He was able to do what I posted.

[PajamaGuy]

I guess we all have trouble reading, 'cause

Unfortunately, this is still true. Any suggestions on that?

to me means he wasn't able to get to 3.228.

No matter - if that should be the case, and If you haven't moved the install to a folder where you have the permissions, give yourself admin permissions to the Program Files and Program Data folders. then try (1) running AHP as Administrator, and or in XP emulation mode.  If all that fails, turn OFF your Anti-virus and FIREWALL.  (but remember to turn them on again)

Let us know!

[david j. weiner]

I want to thank everybody for the help on this. I'm afraid that I have to add this thing to the long list of weird stuff having to do with Vista.
I normally run with my user account enabled as an Admin account since I use several programs that don't like even the poweruser privileges.
Running AHP "as admin" in an admin enabled account solved the problem! This I don't understand. Well I now have v. 3.228 and it's working.
Thanks again,
djw

[Brian H]

Thanks for giving us your findings. It will be a help for others to follow with a similar problem.

[Dan Lawrence]

XP has none of the various Vista problems, hopefully Windows 7 will not have all this "permissions" and "Run as Administrator" stuff present in Vista.

[originalevil]

The install folder tip is so that you don't HAVE to run the application as admin. This is especially effective for apps that don't like elevated privileges, as David mentions. This also bypasses virtualization, which can cause problems where you modify and save settings, only to log on again later, run your app and find that your changes were lost.

Also, UAC is still present in Windows 7.

[HA Dave]

XP has none of the various Vista problems, hopefully Windows 7 will not have all this "permissions" and "Run as Administrator" stuff present in Vista.

I was a network admin on a large [very secure] XP network. All my XP users had restricted permissions. I bought two Vista computers [for home use] nearly two years ago (right after the March Vista release). I got a laptop for myself and a desktop for my wife.

I haven't seen any problems reportedly found by Vista users.

7 [or any other new OS] will have exactly the same problems as Vista... they aren't XP [or 95, or NT]. People get used to an OS and have difficulty with change. Somehow that must be Bill Gates fault? I have used every Windows OS that was commerically available (even ME)... and I must admit that XP seems to have been the most fool-proof and user friendly. But it is more likely that we just had many years of use to get use to it.

[Dan Lawrence]

What I'm reading in several computing mags is Windows 7 (available in Beta only at this point) is supposed to be able to turn off at install or later all the permission stuff that bugs users in Vista.

[HA Dave]

What I'm reading in several computing mags is Windows 7 (available in Beta only at this point) is supposed to be able to turn off at install or later all the permission stuff that bugs users in Vista.

Well I am sure that's correct... as it was in XP and Vista. But it is unlikely anyone who has never seen a new system... is going to know their way around the system they have never seen before. I setup my Vista completely differently from the setup my wife uses. But then again... I had done that with XP also.

XP defaulted to the least secure setup... and the world complained at how vulnerable windows was. Vista defaults to the more secure setup... and users complain at how user unfriendly it is. In a way...Windows is much like X10 products.. much easier to use after you read the instructions.