Encore Pro 2 Software Problem

[barry15]

I installed Encore Pro 2 last week, after overcoming various problems, and it worked fine for a week or so. Then, this morning, when i was logging in, it froze my computer, after I entered the username and password. I had to turn the power off to recover. It did that several times in a row, so I uninstalled it and tried to reinstall it. So far, every time I try to reinstall, the installation has failed, usually when it comes to the point where it is trying to configure the EncorePro2 database.

I have found that uninstalling the Encore Pro 2 program leaves the SQL Server program on my computer, so I have been uninstalling that separately. I also learned to delete all the folders and files that SQL server left in C:\Program files\Microsoft SQL Server. My idea was to try to return to the condition where I first installed it, with no remnants of Encore Pro 2 or SQL Server on my computer. I wanted to start over at Square One, in other words.

But, the new installation keeps hanging up, again freezing my computer completely, when it gets to where it is trying to configure the EncorePro2 database.

I realize that this is a CPAP forum, and not a software support forum, but I have noticed that several people here are using Encore Pro 2, and I just thought it was worth asking if anyone had any insights to offer about my problem. I don't know what else to try next, other than installing it on another computer.

Any ideas, anyone?

Barry

[Rebecca R]

Bump.

Since it was Barry15's thread that got high--jacked--somebody better help him!! If they try to high-jack you again I will do my very best not to participate in the shenanigans.

R

[GumbyCT]

Encore is always difficult to re-install. Luckily, I have never had to but will offer a couple of thoughts.

1. Is a restore point available?
2. Are you doing a reboot after removing ALL remnants of SQL?

[barry15]

Encore is always difficult to re-install. Luckily, I have never had to but will offer a couple of thoughts.

1. Is a restore point available?
2. Are you doing a reboot after removing ALL remnants of SQL?

Thanks for the ideas. Unfortunately, no Restore Point is available. I had to turn off System Restore last week, in order to get enough hard drive space to install Encore Pro 2 originally. Since then, I have resized partitions, so now there is plenty of room, but System Restore is still turned off.

And, yes, I have been re-booting after uninstalling SQL and getting rid of all the extra files it leaves behind. I must have rebooted my computer a couple of dozen times today.

I should have mentioned in the first place that I am operating Windows XP. I had done two things that might possibly have caused the original freeze with Encore Pro 2 - I had resized partitions, and I had installed a new version of ZoneAlarm Internet Security. I don't see why either of those things would have caused Encore Pro to freeze when trying to log in, and I don't see why either one would interfere with a clean re-install. I suppose I could try disconnecting from the internet and turning off ZoneAlarm, to see if that makes any difference, but I don't really see why it would.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Barry

[GumbyCT]

I would certainly try turning off ZoneAlarm but only after you have done the removal again. You might also want to run a check disk. You could have cross-linked files. I know spyware has caused Encore related problems.

Go slow. Then sleep on it. Finish up tomorrow.

Good Luck

[upforsleep]

barry,
Try a registry cleaner. You can download good ones for free, or free trial. Sometimes a cluttered registry will have too much running in the background and using up memory on startup. Check your computers performance tab for memory use before and after. It's a good idea to clean your registry after uninstalling a few programs, etc.
No guarantee but something else to try.

[josef]

You can manually edit your system registry, just back it up first and make a system restore point. Start, Run, type in regedit. Using the find function, type in Encore viewer pro or whatever and it will find the entry, highlight it and hit delete, use find next, same thing and so on until all entries are deleated. Also, Microsoft makes a little known program called Microsoft uninstaller Cleaner that's worth trying. I got mine from Microsoft Just Google it for instmsiw.exe and it will take you to the Microsoft download site. It will basically do everything your trying to do manually. I certainly hope this helps as I'm certainly not a Guru, just a Hacker and anytime I can contribute like the big kids do, well it just makes my day.

[barry15]

Thanks very much for the ideas. I didn't know there were free registry cleaners available and I didn't know about that Microsoft Uninstaller tool. I'll see if I can run Check Disk, clean the registry, and use that Microsoft tool, then I'll try once more to install Encore Pro 2.

If all that fails, then I have another string to my bow, too. My computer is a dual boot one, with both Windows XP and Windows Vista. I have always used XP on it, because I couldn't see any reason to learn where they hid everything in Vista, but I could boot to Vista and try installing Encore Pro 2 in the Vista partition. I don't see why what I have done on C:\ in XP should interfere with installing it in the Vista partition. It would be a nuisance to have to boot to Vista every time i wanted to look at or download my data, but it would only be a minor nuisance. If that also fails, then I will try installing it to my older laptop, assuming I have enough hard drive space there (needs about 5 GB).

I'll post here again to report my results.

Barry

[josef]

Thanks very much for the ideas. I didn't know there were free registry cleaners available and I didn't know about that Microsoft Uninstaller tool. I'll see if I can run Check Disk, clean the registry, and use that Microsoft tool, then I'll try once more to install Encore Pro 2.

If I was going to try a registry cleaner, I would certainly go with Glary's http://www.glaryutilities.com/ or pc health optimizer (they have a free edition) http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/f ... ption.html both highly rated by PC World Magazine. A Registry Cleaner won't help with a failed installation though which is what it sounds like you have. Where did you get your copy of Encore 2.0??

[GumbyCT]

Oh yea, many many registry tools. Just make sure you set a restore point before you start experimenting. I'm sure the above are very good tho I haven't tried them.

I have used Windows very own regedit and this Easy Cleaner from Toni Arts.
http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm

The Easy Cleaner registry thingy just cleans up left over stuff from when things got uninstalled or whatever and left remnants. I have used it on XP Pro and Vista Home with good results. But what I like even more are the other features it comes with - Esp. Startup. So I can quickly and easily tell what things are "Starting" all by themsleves. Esp. spyware. But I keep mine locked down pretty good and use ONLY Firefox.

So yea, get busty... err I mean busy. You will be the Encore Expert lmao.

ps. Yea, I have heard that stinger tool may be needed to clean up the SQL stuff tho I have never used that either. Mainly cuz I read here and avoided trying to uninstall Encore

No reason why you shouldn't be able to install on both partitions. Once I got over the shock of Vista and got familiar with it - I think it is more stable than XP. I reboot Vista Home maybe once a week on this laptop.

You WILL be the Encore EXPERT.

You go Barry!!

[barry15]

ps. Yea, I have heard that stinger tool may be needed to clean up the SQL stuff tho I have never used that either.

Sorry, I don't know what you are referring to when you mention "that stinger tool". Clarification, please?

I ran chkdsk and am now having problems trying to install a registry cleaner (the free one I downloaded wouldn't install) and the Microsoft Windows Installer CleanUp Utility. I guess I tried an older version of the Microsoft utility, and it wouldn't install. I have what I think is the latest one now, and I will try that next. In the meantime, I was having enough problems trying to install things that I am running a virus scan now, and after that, I will continue. With these other problems with installations, I am suspicious of the new version of ZoneAlarm, and I wonder if some setting in it is interferring. All of these problems started after I installed the new ZA. Fortunately, I like messing with computer stuff, so it isn't too frustrating for me. I am learning things, too, which I always like. I am eager to see my last two nights of data from my System One, though, so I want to get through all of this.

PS, System Restore is now on again, and I am making Restore Points as I go along. The mystery to me is how it got turned back on. I am positive that I didn't turn it back on, but when I went to do so this morning, it was already on. However, I couldn't Restore to a Restore Point that it made last night or one it made yesterday afternoon, which is completely in keeping with my past experiences with System Restore. It has never done me one bit of good.

What a life!

Barry

[Gerryk]

An install in XP should go fairly easy. I seem to remember something in the documentation about spyware software and also some antivirus software causing problems with the install and it was recommended that they be turned off for the install.

As far as system restore, I have used it two times. One time it worked like a charm on a system I was unable to boot up, I found a way to boot up into administrator and did a system restore, and created a new administrator and deleted the old one. All the files and programs then came back. Weird, but the someone had tried to wipe the hard drives and ruin the computer on an elderly woman. System restore did work the other time, but it also created some problems because it restored to an old restore that was over 6 months old. Any data files and about 5 thousand pictures my wife had on that computer disappeared when the restore was done.

I don't recall if xp has automatic system backup like windows 7 but I use it nightly now to backup data files and weekly to back up the complete system to network attached storage.

Good luck.

Gerry

[josef]

PS, System Restore is now on again, and I am making Restore Points as I go along. The mystery to me is how it got turned back on. I am positive that I didn't turn it back on, but when I went to do so this morning, it was already on. However, I couldn't Restore to a Restore Point that it made last night or one it made yesterday afternoon, which is completely in keeping with my past experiences with System Restore. It has never done me one bit of good.

What a life!

Barry

I never had much luck with system restore using the restore points that it made itself. About once a week when my machine is running fairly well, I'll make a restore point and name it running well. I've never had problems restoring to these restore points.

[GumbyCT]

Just install Encore on another machine for now to take the stress out of this...

ps. Yea, I have heard that stinger tool may be needed to clean up the SQL stuff tho I have never used that either.

Sorry, I don't know what you are referring to when you mention "that stinger tool". Clarification, please?
I ran chkdsk and am now having problems trying to install a registry cleaner (the free one I downloaded wouldn't install) and the Microsoft Windows Installer CleanUp Utility. I guess I tried an older version of the Microsoft utility, and it wouldn't install. I have what I think is the latest one now, and I will try that next.

It is that "Microsoft Windows Installer CleanUp Utility" I was referring to. Sorry about that.

Sounds like, to me, the chkdsk found some problems?

Yea, it does sound like you have something else going on. Like spyware which is more of a problem today than a virus.

Which Virus Scanner are you using?

How many votes we got for the Format & Reload? lol

Edit: Restore does work and when it does - it is a Life Saver. Thing is you have to make sure you try it BEFORE doing a bunch of other things

[barry15]

Just install Encore on another machine for now to take the stress out of this...

It is that "Microsoft Windows Installer CleanUp Utility" I was referring to. Sorry about that.

Sounds like, to me, the chkdsk found some problems?

Yea, it does sound like you have something else going on. Like spyware which is more of a problem today than a virus.

Which Virus Scanner are you using?

How many votes we got for the Format & Reload? lol

OK, thanks. I don't know if chkdsk found any problems or not, because I chose the option to fix any problems, and when it finished, it immediately rebooted, and I didn't have time to read the results.

I am using ZoneAlarm Internet Security for virus and spyware scanning. That is what I installed just before this all started, although I don't know that there is any connection with my problems. I am not quite ready to reformat and reload, but it is not off the table, because the plot is getting thicker.

I was not able to install the Microsoft Cleanup Utility, and upon further investigation, it appears that I can't install anything. On the Services page, in Administrative Tools, when I try to "Start" the Windows Installer service, it says it can't find the path and it won't start. On my other computers, it starts when I ask it to. Hmmm. If the Installer Service won't run, then it isn't really a mystery why I can't install anything, I guess. However, it seems like a catch 22, as I can't install anything to help me fix it. I was able to run a Hotfix from Microsoft that supposedly updates the Installer Service, but maybe that didn't run correctly either. I have found that various programs give various error messages or no message at all when they try to install and can't. I have some head scratching to do on this one, I'm afraid. By the way, I turned ZoneAlarm off, and that didn't help any.

I have some errands to run, and I will see if I get any brainstorms while driving around, then return to this later. Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions. I am learning a lot.

At some point, I will try installing to the Vista partition and/or onto my laptop, but right now, I am more interested in finding out why I can't install anything on this machine in XP.

Barry