Fatal error message, bricked.

PHILIPASCHECHTER
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Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby PHILIPASCHECHTER » Fri Jul 22, 2022 10:19 pm

Hello All,

I think I erred by downloading and installing the latest Thetis Beta release. I am referring to version 2.6.9.0. Whatever I did during the installation has backfired. I am locked out of the program (i.e., can't open Thetis) with the error message attached below. Any help getting in and functioning again would be greatly appreciated. I am not a very knowledgeable computer ham. I don't know if others feel as dumb as I do with a post like this. I confess I have so many things I want to learn and that I study. Being a computer specialist wasn't on the list. So it is always a process to post a self-induced problem. I am not sure if others have mentioned how hard it can be to ask for help and be so helpless. The Group has been gracious in the past but still. . . Anyway, the "fatal error" message is attached. I don't know what casting is in this context?
I don't seem to be able to find a prior version of Thetis to load. My original DLE 7000 MKII came fully loaded so I haven't had to use bootlegger or put in Thetis from scratch. I have installed prior upgrades without a hitch.
Thank for your help and suggestions.

73,

phil, NE0S
Attachments
Thetis fatal error message.png
Thetis fatal error message.png (57.78 KiB) Viewed 3988 times
cast not valid snipt 2022-07-22 005635.png
cast not valid snipt 2022-07-22 005635.png (18.79 KiB) Viewed 3988 times
PD3LK
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby PD3LK » Sat Jul 23, 2022 5:29 am

Completely fresh install:

1. uninstall Thetis from Windows Apps
2. delete this map: C:\Program Files\OpenHPSDR\Thetis
3. delete this map: C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\Roaming\OpenHPSDR\Thetis-x64 OR
C:\Users\leonk\AppData\Roaming\OpenHPSDR\Thetis (for 32bit version)

Install Thetis again (use 2.9.0.6)
73 PD3LK Leon
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby PHILIPASCHECHTER » Thu Jul 28, 2022 1:28 am

Leon,

Sorry for the delay in the response. I wanted to have time to follow your suggestions.Thank you for your reply. Since you are the only person that gave me a path I am doubly grateful.
I followed your directions and did the re-install. The attached file is the current error message. I saw a message like this a year and a half ago after making changes to the appearance of the program. I did a re-install then and it seemed to be a nonissue. Is it possible that there is a command string from that time that is causing this problem? I hope that you have another possible fix for me. This is getting frustrating. I really want to get back on the air. I am sorry to take more of your time.

73,

phil,NE0S
Attachments
Screenshot 2022-07-27 191930.png
Screenshot 2022-07-27 191930.png (107.29 KiB) Viewed 3764 times
PD3LK
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby PD3LK » Thu Jul 28, 2022 6:36 am

Hi Phil,

Do you have a 32bit or 64bit computer? (so are you installing the correct Thetis version?)
Please give me the link to the Thetis version that you downloaded and installed.

Does your rig have firmware protocol 1 or 2 installed?
Is your ANAN delivered before or after July 1ste this year?
After this date you can only use protocol 1 (don't try to install protocol 2!)

In what position is the switch at the bottom: is it slided towards the center of the Anan or to the outside?

73, Leon
73 PD3LK Leon
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby PHILIPASCHECHTER » Sat Jul 30, 2022 6:19 am

Leon,

I'll get back to you tomorrow.

73,

phil
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby PHILIPASCHECHTER » Tue Aug 02, 2022 5:59 am

Hi Leon,

I have a 64 bit operating system. I definitely loaded the 64 bit version of Thetis. I got the download here: https://github.com/ramdor/Thetis-2.9.0/ ... g/v2.9.0.6

I have ben operating Protocol 2 since I have had this computer as part of the package for an Anan 7000DLE MKII with an i7 processor.
I am operating Windows 10 and I believe that I am up to date with their routine updates.
I have had the radio over a year and a half.
I had to look at the switch. I have never done anything with it as Protocol 2 had been installed before I used it. It is dead center.

I am sure that you noticed that the error message is different than the original messages before I did the new install attempt.

Is there a way to get to the setup line that was transparent and modify it to one that the start would allow?
What next?
Again, thank you so much for helping.

73,

phil, NE0S
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby oe3ide » Tue Aug 02, 2022 6:49 am

Hi,

the error message has nothing to do with firmware version. There is something wrong in windows.
Setting transparent background is done for tons of controls during Thetis startup.

Either a missing update or some weird windows stuff is going on. I guess Richie could point in the right direction.

73 Ernst
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby w-u-2-o » Tue Aug 02, 2022 11:25 am

It looks like your installed version of DirectX, and/or your installed video driver, is incompatible with the DirectX code in Thetis 2.9.0.6.

How old is your PC? What video interface does it use? What version of DirectX are you running (use this link to find out).

You can try to update those things, or you can downgrade to an older version of Thetis.

Older versions are available here: https://github.com/TAPR/OpenHPSDR-Thetis
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby PHILIPASCHECHTER » Tue Aug 02, 2022 11:32 pm

Thank you Leon and Richie,

I am using an ANAN 7000 DLE MKII. It was new from Australia around Dec 2020. i7 model.
The Direct X is version 12. My video interface is Intel(R) Iris(RZ) Plus Graphics.
I did a window update and will try older versions since I get the same error message after the updates.

73,

phil, NE0S
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby ramdor » Wed Aug 03, 2022 1:48 pm

check in database.xml that the following is set, and that there is only one entry for clrbtnVFOBackground

<Options>
<Key>clrbtnVFOBackground</Key>
<Value>0.0.0.255</Value>
</Options>
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby PHILIPASCHECHTER » Thu Aug 04, 2022 5:02 am

I'm sorry, you are beyond my computer knowledge. I don't know how to get to database.xml.
Sorry.
phil
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby PHILIPASCHECHTER » Thu Aug 04, 2022 5:30 am

This is what I was able to find.

=
VFOBACKROUND 2022-08-03 232137.png
VFOBACKROUND 2022-08-03 232137.png (15.31 KiB) Viewed 3329 times
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DH1KLM
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby DH1KLM » Thu Aug 04, 2022 9:07 am

Have you tried to rename (not deleting it) your database file to something like notworking.xml?
If doing so, Thesis will generate a new one and is starting with setup like a fresh install.
All the changes you made in setup over the time working with Thesis are gone.
This would be my first choice, as this is the only way to ensure that the database contains the correct values.

Another option is this one.
If there is a subfolder called backup or so,
It clould be possible to find a working database backup in this folder. Just copy a prior database backup file to the original database.xml location, rename it to database.xml and maybe Thetis is working again.
73 de Sigi / DH1KLM
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby PHILIPASCHECHTER » Fri Aug 05, 2022 6:43 am

Hi Sigi,

Thank you for your suggestions. I would be too dangerous to try them on my own. I have been down for weeks now and as you could imagine I am getting very frustrated. I can't help but thinking that open source was not the way for me to go. I am to a point now where I am very close to putting my ANAN up for sale. I want to deal with CW, the solar weather, propagaton, DX and QTX. I obviously cant get her back on the air. I dont know who reads this so far into the post, but I would be happy to pay someone to come on to the computer and take care of this. I will watch and learn. I am not having fun with this. My expanded dream station is turning into nightmare mess. If anyone that is very competent wants to help for US dollars, I am happy to make a deal and get this done. Thanks Sigi and everyone that has tried.

73,

phil, NE0S
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DH1KLM
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby DH1KLM » Fri Aug 05, 2022 9:51 am

Hi Phil,

too bad you don't trust yourself with this simple operation.
It really isn't rocket science.

Since you were already able to locate the Database.xml, it is easy to check in the same directory whether a subdirectory called DB_Archive exists.
If there is a DB_Archive directory and you can find it, then half the battle is already paid.

Should look like this. Individual directory names can be different.

Rename your old non working database.xml to something else. (database.xml.old in my case)

thetis1.JPG
thetis1.JPG (73.18 KiB) Viewed 3210 times


Change to DB_Archive and copy a older Thetis_database_xxxx file to your overlying Thetis directory. (this is where database.xml sits)

thetis2.JPG
thetis2.JPG (46.61 KiB) Viewed 3210 times


Rename your just copied Thetis_database_xxxx file to database.xml

Now you are done, and your Thetis should be fine. Hopefully ;)
73 de Sigi / DH1KLM
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby Trucker » Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:35 pm

I noticed in the error messages posted earlier that it appears Phillip is having a similar problem to one I experienced after first installing v2.9.6 . I had not downloaded and installed the latest skins and button packs. Several of the controls would not render at all and gave me similar pop up error messages. Once I downloaded the packs Ritchie provided links to, the error messages went away.
I don't know if this will help or not. But, I thought it couldn't hurt to mention it.
James
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby PHILIPASCHECHTER » Sat Aug 06, 2022 1:17 am

Dear Sigi, James, and everyone that has stepped in,

Using your instructions I was able to get into and open Thetis v2.9.0. Sigi, thank you for the additional information to accomplish this. You were right, very easy. Easy after one (me) understands where to make the changes. I envisioned going into the subdirectories again and making changes there which actually is way beyond my comfort zone. I appreciated the challenge in your message.
If I tried to install the upgrade to the current version would the same thing happen? I am in no rush to do that, trust me! However, sometime in the future, I will want to upgrade and I'd like to know that I am less likely to have a similar problem since whatever caused the problem is now deactivated. Is that correct?
James, I wondered about that, i.e. the idea of installing the skins and thinking that it might adjust the database to permit the installation of 2.0.9.2. Sigi or anyone, do you have any thoughts about the post above from James? Did you go back and install the buttons and skins first and after that were you able to do a routine install of the latest Thetis, with no error messages?
James, I don't know if you felt as I did when you were dealing with your problem. Possibly you are more familiar with computers than I am. Your note felt sympathetic and I appreciated that much. I was not kidding that this was the last straw for me. So for now the ANAN 7000 DLE MKII lives in at NEOS.

Again many thanks. I will dread needing to post for a problem in the future, maybe that is something that I should try to overcome.

73,

Phil NE0S
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby Trucker » Sat Aug 06, 2022 3:31 am

Phil,
I am glad to hear you got things sorted. I find setting up and using my 8000DLE challenging and at times, frustrating. I had thought having experience with other SDR radios would help ease the challenge of setting up my new to me, 8000DLE. I thought my Flex 5000A was a pain to get going reliably. I did manage to get it going in spite of it all. (Firewire and Latency were the biggest problems) But, the Anan radios are quite different in many respects.
But, I have not found any problems that I haven't found an answer to so far. Some did, and probably will in the future, require giving in and asking for help here on this forum. There are other places with people that are willing to help. There's a groups.io Apache Labs group. And a Facebook group as well. I look at it this way , every tool you can add to the toolbox improves your chances of getting the job done right.
I have, and continue to, compare my 8000DLE to my Flex 6600M and the older Flex 5000A. Plus, I compare it to other non-SDR radios I have. So far, nothing equals it or works better.
James
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby DH1KLM » Sat Aug 06, 2022 8:28 am

Hello Phil,

I'm so happy for you that it's working again. Thetis and also PowerSDR sometimes react very sensitively to incorrect entries in the database. For such cases (in which Thetis was not started) I would wish for a kind of "automatic fallback" to a selectable earlier database backup.

Regarding the skins, I made an installer with many skins.
Check out this thread viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4166&p=20048&hilit=big+skin#p19986

All these skins should contain all the necessary buttons and sliders up to the latest Thetis version. I haven't tried all the skins.

Installing the skins is unlikely to cause any errors.
73 de Sigi / DH1KLM
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby Trucker » Sat Aug 06, 2022 1:59 pm

Sigi,
Thank you for posting the link to your skins installer. That is a big help.
James
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Re: Fatal error message, bricked.

Postby PHILIPASCHECHTER » Wed Aug 10, 2022 6:30 am

This is to the folks that helped out with my problem. Great thanks to you all and now after a few days on again, all is good. Sigi I appreciate the support and James, your comments and encouraging email.
73,

Phil, NE0S

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