Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[fje]

As I told in a previous thread (not yet solved), ref: http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=19077.0 , I found an small bad behaviour of AH in Windows 7, not big problem.

But today I discovered something much more concerning: I have in my X-10 network several appareil modules and 3 shutter. All the appareil work OK, but the shutter ones don't. If I try to control them using an RF control, they work, but if I use the ActiveHome software I have (last version of the program) installed in Windows 7, they don't work.
 
I feel it can be related to the extended codes and command management (time ago there was also a problem with this kind of control, solved in a later release of the software).

Any idea of solution ?

Rgds.

[fje]

A light switched on  in my brain and I did a simple test and it worked, all that has to be done is to run AH in Windows 7 "as administrator" all the issues in my previous thread and in this one are solved... everything works. 

Hope this will help any other one with similar problem.
 
Regards.

[Charles Sullivan]

As I told in a previous thread (not yet solved), ref: http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=19077.0 , I found an small bad behaviour of AH in Windows 7, not big problem.

But today I discovered something much more concerning: I have in my X-10 network several appareil modules and 3 shutter. All the appareil work OK, but the shutter ones don't. If I try to control them using an RF control, they work, but if I use the ActiveHome software I have (last version of the program) installed in Windows 7, they don't work.
 
I feel it can be related to the extended codes and command management (time ago there was also a problem with this kind of control, solved in a later release of the software).

Any idea of solution ?

Rgds.

Are you using the Marmitek SW10 Shutter modules?

Does your (Spanish?) version of AHP software have an icon for selecting this shutter?  If so and if you attempt to control the shutter with it, does it send dim/bright commands or extended code commands?  (Check the AHP Activity Monitor.)

 

[fje]

Charles, please, have a look to my post I just put.... everything seems to be solved. And the answer to your wuestions is yes, they are SW10, I have the icon and it sends extended code commands... The important thing to do is to execute AH in "administrator mode", what can also be marked in the desktop icon.

Thanks for your answer anyway and regards.

[Charles Sullivan]

Charles, please, have a look to my post I just put.... everything seems to be solved. And the answer to your wuestions is yes, they are SW10, I have the icon and it sends extended code commands... The important thing to do is to execute AH in "administrator mode", what can also be marked in the desktop icon.

Thanks for your answer anyway and regards.

Thanks for _your_ response.  Did AHP work properly under "user mode" in an earlier version of Windows, or is your experience with it limited to Windows 7 ?   I.e., do we blame X-10 or Microsoft for forcing you to use AHP in administrator mode?    

[bitman]

You can also unhide the hidden real live administrator account in both Vista and Win7 thusly:
Open a command prompt and type:

net user administrator /active:yes

Log off and you will see that you can now log in as a full blown administrator.

Feel the power!

 

[Charles Sullivan]

You can also unhide the hidden real live administrator account in both Vista and Win7 thusly:
Open a command prompt and type:

net user administrator /active:yes

Log off and you will see that you can now log in as a full blown administrator.

Feel the power!

 

Yeah, the power to muck up your system.

The idea is that you shouldn't run as administrator except for purely administrative tasks, else you open yourself up to inadvertent installation of malware.  Ignoring this advice is one reason for the estimated tens of thousands of PCs which have been subverted as zombies, awaiting only commands from the puppet masters to surreptitiously spew scam and spam messages.

Installing AHP is an administrative task but running it should not require administrative privileges.

[fje]

Charles, please, have a look to my post I just put.... everything seems to be solved. And the answer to your wuestions is yes, they are SW10, I have the icon and it sends extended code commands... The important thing to do is to execute AH in "administrator mode", what can also be marked in the desktop icon.

Thanks for your answer anyway and regards.

Thanks for _your_ response.  Did AHP work properly under "user mode" in an earlier version of Windows, or is your experience with it limited to Windows 7 ?   I.e., do we blame X-10 or Microsoft for forcing you to use AHP in administrator mode?    

Charles, I have been using AHP in Windows XP for more than a year with some problems that were solved in the different releases of the product. In fact I still have AHP and Windows XP 32bits in my laptop and in Windows 7 Ultimate 64bits in my desktop.

The user I usually use is defined as "administrator", and AHP worked OK in Windows XP without problems, using also a user defined in the group of "Administrators" - I'm the only one using my laptop and my home desktop. I understand your concerns about using admin users for everything, but I do prefer it than to have to switch users from time to time.

And in Windows 7 the user I'm logged-in is also defined in the Administrators group, but Microsoft decided to put some additional security in Windows 7 and even you are running as admin, for doing some tasks you have to specifically run the program you need to run "as Administrator" and you have to do it clicking with the right hand button of the mouse and selecting "run as administrator" in the menu.

That feature of Windows 7 is sometimes an issue, but as it gives additional safety, we can deal with it.

What I don't understand is why AHP needs to run "as administrator" to work as it usually works and as it should work "as an application". The way the developpers have programmed some functions (as the ones I referred to in my two threads) should be using a way to do the things that should now require to be run "from an admin user AND run as administrator".

So, maybe we have to "blame" the way AHP decides to do some things it does or maybe we have to "blame" Microsoft for having changed the requirements for executing some of the functions and to require now "to be run as administrator". To be honest, I cannot come to a possition of either of those.

You can also unhide the hidden real live administrator account in both Vista and Win7 thusly:
Open a command prompt and type:

net user administrator /active:yes

Bitman: I fully agree with Charles statement. One (even myself don't do it) should in theory run the system as an "user" not as "admin" permanently. BUT even so, I experienced some times in Windows 7 running with the Administrator user to need to specifically select "run as administrator" some program to be able to do some particular function.

Rgds.

[fje]

I have to update this thread with a correction, related to the extended codes and the shutter control.

I did additional tests and it happened that some times the shutter reacted and worked when I used the AHP icon to control them.

So I suspected that windows 7 was not 100% responsable of the malfunction. What I did then was to change the power plug where the CM15 was plugged..... and it worked.

Then, having the CM15 plugged in the "good" power plug, I tried AHP without marking the "run as administrator", and it again worked.

So, my conclusions in Windows 7:

1.- The shutter control works even if AHP is not run "as administrator"
2.- CM15/X10 signals are too much sensibles/exposed to the power plug where they are connected or maybe to the other things that are connected and or switched-on or not to the power line. Is there any "signal amplifier" we can use to avoid such behaviour? I feel to have read something some time about it, but I'm not sure.
3.- For having AHP not starting all the times with the wizard, and reminding the house code we marked in the hardware configuration, we have to run it, at least once, "as administrator".
4.- For having AHP "remembering" last session, for instance, not only the initial wizard, but also the room we worked with in the last session, AHP has to be run "as an administrator". It seems that all the times AHP has to record anything in any config file, it has to be run as an administrator.

So, 1 OK, 1 KO

Rgds.

[fje]

2.- ..... CM15/X10 signals are too much sensibles/exposed to the power plug where they are connected or maybe to the other things that are connected and or switched-on or not to the power line. Is there any "signal amplifier" we can use to avoid such behaviour? I feel to have read something some time about it, but I'm not sure.

I answer myself. I have been doing some "Googling" and found at least three of them:

1.- SVX10 micromodule, it is a Xanura module, but it says that it also amplifies the general X10 signals. BTW it seems the most suitable for European houses installations (1 phase) and also very easy to install.
2.- http://www.smarthome.com/4820X/X10-Signal-Amplifier-Repeater-XPCR/p.aspx - also easily found in eBay and internet shops.
3.- http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/New-Products/X10-Transmit-Buffer-XTB.html or http://jvde.us/xtb_index.htm

2 and 3 seems to be more US installations oriented, even the XTB seems to have also designs for European installations.

Hope this can be of help for other people dealing with similar problems.