Zionworx on Windows Vista (release version)

[brainier]

I got my hands on Windows Vista last week and thought I would install the Home Basic edition to try Zionworxs (version 2.5.06) on it before I reinstall to a more featured version. I choose this one as it will retail at the cheapest price, so likely to be a good candidate for installations in churches.

Most of the bugs with Zionworxs were present in my Vista RC2 test post done earlier, but as that post is now out of date I will deleted it if I can and repost issues here.

[brainier]

Installation

You need to be an administrator to install the software, but once installed as the admin it cannot be run as a user as you would expect Windows XP to run Zionworxs.

The problem is the ini files and database. If you make changes to these items when logged in as an admin they are saved to a virtual "program files" folder that is only available to that user. Login as a different user and you get a different copy of the database (the installed default) and the installed default ini files. So you need to run the program as a single user and not login as different people. This can be changed, but its a programming change and not a user change.

[brainier]

PowerPoint 2007

Zionworxs cannot create the thumbnail images in the \program files\zionworx\temp directory during execution of the program. So it cannot show the thumbnails when opening a presentation. This causes an on screen error but this can be mitigated by the creation of the "temp" folder in the Zionworxs installation folder and by giving full control to everyone in this folder.

Zionworxs cannot show presentations on the second monitor. This is because (to support PowerPoint 97 I believe) Zionworx starts presentations in a window, before starting them fullscreen, and the code to start the slideshow in a window bugs out PowerPoint 2007 - maybe its not supported anymore, or maybe the code has changed.

Final issue found so far is that Office 2007 file formats are different, so they have different file extensions. A presentation called file.ppt in PowerPoint 2003 and earlier is now called file.pptx, but .PPTX is not one of the choices when opening PowerPoint files in ZionWorx.

[brainier]

Interaction with Vista

You cannot restore a minimised copy of Zionworxs by clicking the icon on the taskbar. You need to right-click and choose Restore. Therefore do not minimise this product.

[webmaster]

The issue with settings stored in program files stems from a NT / Windows XP issue.

For those of us that have used users you have to give permissions so these directory's can be used by others...such as program files...Zionworx.

I actually installed my zionworx on a 2nd hard drive install so this would then be away from the program files directory.

I do have a small issue with vista but its to do with when a Yes/No box comes up if you navigate away from Zionworx and then back the focus is lost on the box.

Minimze'astion of the Zionworx program works fime as we do this loads so I can use the open office ppt replacement..

Regards
Edd Stonham

[brainier]

The program files issue is not what you describe. In Vista, applications that save their settings in Program Files get redirected (invisibly to the application) to a subfolder of "C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\" named after the application.

See http://www.microsoft.com/technet/techne ... FirstLook/ and scroll down to Data Redirection.

Therefore default installations do not work, becuase the ini files and the database are all inside Program Files. They appear to work in the application as long as you do not change user. Once you change user you get the original installed settings and database - it appears as if all your data has been reset.

Also problematic in this is attempts to backup and restore the database/settings files - what do you copy etc.

Recommendation is that settings files and data are not stored in Program Files during installation, but in All Users instead.

[webmaster]

We use zionworx on a spare usb drive fully installed to that and....this is the place all the ini files are.

This works....as the issue is the same as the NT file problems encountered before.

All to do with user managment and rights.

if you connect a usb key...or drive big enough to hold zionworx then this will work no matter what the users rights are to the program files or any hidden directory as the files are being stored on the drive local to the zionworx.exe file.

is all about user rights with vista and xp as it was designed around a NT stuctures as these had been more robust than the win 95, 98 and ME developments of MS OS systems.

You have to remember the reason you can convert home into business and ultimate is because they are the same program just with the key to make it do the thing for which you have purchase.... Business can be converted to ultimate for free with very little knowledge.....so I was shown the other day.

try an install in a directory away from program files....try C:\zionworx and then give all users rights to access the files.

It should work...

Regards
Edd

Regards
Edd

[brainier]

You cannot convert home to business etc. You can upgrade! Conversion between versions is limited to within the Home product line or the Business product line, but not across them. IE Home Basic can be upgraded to Business by reinstalling.

The minimise option is an issue if your second monitor is not to the right-hand side of the management screen.

And it not to do with permissions - even if I allow users Full Control to the Program Files directory (as I have done in XP and that works), in Vista a Redirection Driver catches requests for modifications to the folder and places them in the virtual store. Therefore at the very least, Zionworx that is tested on Vista should ask the user for an installation location that is not inside Program Files, or place the data/ini files in a different location. Users might install the program on Vista without reading here first and wonder why its not working if they change the installation user.

[webmaster]

I have it working for 6 users that log in and it all works.

All I did was manipulate the users security and permission.....

Regards
Edd Stonham

[Christian]

Hi brainier,

Just wanted to first of all say thank you for taking the time to share your findings with everyone on using Windows Vista.

You've detailed the existing issues well and I'm sorry that I haven't responded before now with our current plans for a Vista-compatible maintenance release of v2.5.

We have been working over the past few weeks to get things ready and we aim to make a formal maintenance release as our top priority.

I realise that it gets frustrating when you hear nothing from the developers, and I'm sorry for the recent long period of quietness. We are actively working on ZionWorx and getting this Vista-compatible release ready. I will update this thread with our progress.

Thanks again for your enthusiasm and support.

Christian.

[brainier]

Thanks. I hope what I posted was of use

[Christian]

As promised - an update on progress:

We are now close to making a formal release of ZionWorx (v2.6) which will support Vista better, although we are still trying to understand and fix the intermittent problems with PowerPoint 2007 control which have been reported. Why do Microsoft always break things?!

The other issues about security settings and folder access have been resolved by ZionWorx now saving all its working files in the 'All Users' area - if you upgrade, then on the first run of v2.6 you will be able to allow the program to move your files automatically for you.

Watch this space...

Cheers,
Christian.

[peter60]

That's good news, but from the advice given on the Forum I've been able to shift my database onto the Public Folders area and enable full functionality for both Admin and limited users.

Some functionality with Open Office Impress would be great from us skin-flint non-Microsoft users!

[Christian]

OK - we now have a copy of PowerPoint 2007 and a Windows Vista (Home Premium) development machine to do some testing on...

Getting there!

Cheers,
Christian.

[Christian]

A further update on v2.6:

We now believe we have outstanding PowerPoint issues resolved (fingers crossed) and we're improving the installer to cope with recent Vista problems people have been reporting.

We've also delayed the release to finish of an exciting feature which we didn't expect to get in, but it's come together well...

Thanks for your patience - hang in there!
Christian