SGP 3.2 and 4.0 wont install properly

Sequence Generator
1

Hello @Ken, @Jared

I have been making a clean install of windows 10 on a new machine. The first installation of SGP 4.0 worked well, but then I had the bad idea of replacing the settings.json file in Appdata with a previous 3.2 version, hoping SGP 4.0 would succeed in migrating it. This went bad, and SGP 4.0 failed to launch ever again. I then uninstalled 4.0 and installed 3.2, but it never even launched after first installation, with the settings file generated at install.

Since then I have made multiple uninstalls and fresh installs of both 3.2 and 4.0. Before each install I have done the ā€œnuclearā€ option of manually deleting the ā€œSequenceGeneratorā€ folder in Appdata/Local. I have also tested the ā€œ/resetā€ command at startup. Each time I have re-started the PC multiple times. But neither SGP version launches, Iā€™m at a loss!! Please note that I have not attempted to replace the settings file, SPG wont launch with whatever the installer puts into the Appdata folder. Could this be a registry corruption that survives uninstalls?

The short log file is appended below.

One thing strucks me. Shouldnt there also be a ā€œMain Sequence Folderā€ somewhere in Appdata, in either Local or Roaming, that is what I recall. But I only have the ā€œSequenceGeneratorā€ folder in Local, dont know if that is pertinent.

Hope you have ideas for a solution, cause re-installing windows 10 again is a pain.

Thanks, Mikael

LOGFILE:

[04/28/22 20:15:06.007][DEBUG][Unknown][NONE] .NET Framework Version: 4.8
[04/28/22 20:15:06.023][INFO][Unknown][NONE] ASCOM Platform version: 6.6.0.3444
[04/28/22 20:15:06.617][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] No settings data found, initializing new settingsā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:12.710][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] SGPro trial licenseā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:16.523][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] API successfully started on port 59590ā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:16.523][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] Starting settings migrationā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:16.538][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] Legacy settings prepā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:17.569][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] Legacy settings saveā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:17.569][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] Begin migrationā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:17.710][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] Error migrating settings! : Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at ServiceStack.Common.Extensions.EnumerableExtensions.ToList[To](IEnumerable items)
at qx.a()
[04/28/22 20:15:17.710][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] Attempt to migrate failedā€¦ some settings may have transferred okā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:21.675][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] Error loading notification settings! Could not find a part of the path ā€˜C:\Program Files (x86)\Sequence Generator Pro 32bit\Sequence Generator Pro\notifications.sgdā€™.
[04/28/22 20:15:21.698][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] ===== S E Q U E N C E G E N E R A T O R (v4.0.0.700) =====
[04/28/22 20:15:22.058][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home
[04/28/22 20:15:23.344][DEBUG][Auto Guider Error Thread][NONE] Entering Auto Guider message dispatch loopā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:23.352][DEBUG][Focuser Thread][NONE] Entering Fouser message dispatch loopā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:23.353][DEBUG][TEC Thread][NONE] Entering TEC message dispatch loopā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:23.362][DEBUG][Filter Wheel Thread][NONE] Entering Filter Wheel message dispatch loopā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:23.364][DEBUG][Rotator Thread][NONE] Entering Rotator message dispatch loopā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:23.365][DEBUG][Camera Thread][NONE] Entering camera message dispatch loopā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:23.367][DEBUG][Auto Guider Thread][NONE] Entering Auto Guider message dispatch loopā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:23.368][DEBUG][Safety Thread][NONE] Starting safety monitorā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:23.368][DEBUG][Dome Thread][NONE] Entering Dome message dispatch loopā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:23.371][DEBUG][Environment Device Thread][NONE] Starting environment device monitorā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:23.379][DEBUG][Telescope Thread][NONE] Entering Telescope message dispatch loopā€¦
[04/28/22 20:15:23.457][DEBUG][Main Thread][NONE] Application level exception! : Path cannot be the empty string or all whitespace.
at System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(String path)
at tp.qs(rt A_0, Boolean A_1)
at tpā€¦ctor(rt A_0, Boolean A_1)
at t0.a(String[] A_0)

2

It does seem as though there is something wrong with the registry. When SGPro starts up, it asks .NET for the path to the local appdata folder. In your case, that value is missing or empty. Unfortunately, Im not really certain where in the registry this value is kept. In this case, SGPro fails because it reads and saves user data to that folder. When itā€™s missing, .NET will default to the current directory of the exe file and, in almost all cases, it is forbidden that apps can write data to Program Files.

The location of mine is at:

C:\Users\Ken Pendlebury\AppData\Local\SequenceGenerator

3

Thanks for the quick feedback Ken.

What I dont understand is how SGP can write a logfile into the same folder in Appdata, and then fail to find the same folder from the .NET environment? I also checked in Visual Studio that I could get the LocalAppdataFolder from the .NET environment, and it worked. Strange.

Anyway, following your idea of a NET registry corruption I ran the NET Framework Repair Tool. SGP properly loaded on the 2nd launch attempt (!), so now all looks good!

Mikael

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