Zugg Software :: View topic

Beginner Joined: 14 Aug 2003 Posts: 10 Location: USA

I've never had this problem with any other zmud before.

At first Zmud would freeze after agreeing to the liscense agreement, before it ever reached the Char module. I found deleting "Getting Started" would get me to the Char Module.

While in the char module, I can do anything except create a new char, or connect to muds I currently play on. The whole program Freezes up, as soon as I hit "New" either by the button, or by the file menu.

alt+ctrl+delete just brings it up as Not Respondng

I've been told to download the MDAC and Jet Sp s I have done that... I've deleted and reinstalled Zmud MDAC Jet 4.0 SP1 nd Jet 4.0 SP6

so how would someone suggest fix this problem, without settling for the v 3.x version of zmud? If that will run.

Beginner Joined: 14 Aug 2003 Posts: 10 Location: USA

thanks for all the help, but it's obvious to me that zmud 6.62 is simply a poorly built program in desperate need of decompilition.

when 3.62 preforms better than 6.62 don't try to tell me it's anyone's fault but the programmers.

GURU Joined: 28 Sep 2000 Posts: 434 Location: USA

I believe you stated in another post that Zugg suggested to you that your problem may be "a corrupt database."

Why don't you try deleting chardb.mdb? You will have to recreate any characters you had, but their settings files will still be there. No loss.

You could also try downloading Microsoft's Jet Compact and Repair Utility. It may repair any curruption and save you from having to recreate the characters.

A link to this utility is available here.

To my knowledge, no one else is having this problem. So I am telling you: "It is not the programmer's fault."

Troubleshooting Rule #1
"Check the nut behind the keyboard."

Beginner Joined: 14 Aug 2003 Posts: 10 Location: USA

Hmmmm Nut Behind the Keyboard??? Do know you from somewhere else?

Serously though.... I've done all that. I've downloaded the Utility program, I've wiped my system, and re downloaded everything and have the same problem..... SO... If it's a corrupt database.... where was it corrupted? files do not corrupt themselves.

So following linear logic.....
the Databases were corrupted as upon the first access.... so one of three things stands to reason.
Either A) The zconverter required to process the databases for zmud corrupted the exsisting databases.... or B) they were corrupted before they were downloaded. or C) the Databases were constructed wrong.

As for the Char.mdl I tried that with no change. I'm not worried about recreating characters, as this version has never worked sence I downloaded it..... hence no char's on it to lose.

Fact is I've tried deleting and reinstalling just about every program in the zmud folder.... the only one that gives any change is deleting
"Gettingstarted" which gets me past the lisence agreement and onto the character module.

Apprentice Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 132 Location: USA

Well I find it laughable that you think because you are having a problem that it is automatically a zMud problem.

Consider the hundreds/thousands of other people not having problems with 6.62.

I have zMud installed on an XP, 2000, 98, and ME machine and they all work just fine. I've never had a problem that made zMud totally unusable unless it was a beta version. Those problems that did happen in a beta version were fixed very quickly.

Thanks

Jaerin

Beginner Joined: 14 Aug 2003 Posts: 10 Location: USA

quote:
Originally posted by Jaerin

Well I find it laughable that you think because you are having a problem that it is automatically a zMud problem.

Consider the hundreds/thousands of other people not having problems with 6.62.

I have zMud installed on an XP, 2000, 98, and ME machine and they all work just fine. I've never had a problem that made zMud totally unusable unless it was a beta version. Those problems that did happen in a beta version were fixed very quickly.

Thanks

Jaerin

you assume too much grasshopper.

first I wanted to know what I was doing wrong... I followed all instructions I was given via e-mail. those steps failed to do anything to the problem, either for the better or worse.

I checked another version of Zmud on my comp as is, and it worked fine.

So tell me this.... if the people who designed it can't figure out why it won't work.... what does that say for both them and the program itself?

GURU Joined: 28 Sep 2000 Posts: 434 Location: USA

Firstly, my "nut behind the keyboard" comment was not meant as a personal insult. I sincerely apologize, if it offended you.

Secondly, we do not want a flame war here. It is difficult for us to help you with something that we cannot reproduce.

It is my understanding that if there is an existing character database when zMUD launches for the first time, it is converted to the new Microsoft Jet format. If a character database does not exist, a new, fresh one is created for you. There character database is not downloaded with the setup program.

Our argument is that those two processes have been successful thousands of times on every 32bit version of Microsoft Windows out there. If your character database is indeed currupted, then how can you say it is the fault of the program and/or the programmer?

With that being said, I ask you to calm down and stop publically bashing zMUD (it makes people around here a little uptight), so we can try to help each other.

quote:
While in the char module, I can do anything except create a new char, or connect to muds I currently play on. The whole program Freezes up, as soon as I hit "New" either by the button, or by the file menu.

What about the "Edit" button?
Does using the context menu (right-clicking) render the same results?
Can you open the character without connecting (Offline)?
What happens when you press ESC?

You say that you installed MDAC 2.7 SP1, Jet SP3/6. Did you try using the component checker to make sure that all of the files were properly updated/installed?

If any of these questions seem stupid/redundant, I am sorry. They are mostly necessary to be able to come to any conclusions.

Wanderer Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 64

Another possible solution to this, is try it on a different computer, if it works, then you likely have some bad RAM. and before you go download some RAM checker, remember that software cannot, nor ever will accurately test hardware. ESPECIALLY Ram. granted, most hardware has built in diagnostics that the software can access, but RAM is much too simple for that.

Zex0s

GURU Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 4379 Location: USA

Veldrane, if you want, you can also send me the chardb.mdb file that is causing problems. I'll try to reproduce the problem in my computer.

My e-mail address is [url="mailto:gambedotti@hotmail.com"]gambedotti@hotmail.com[/url]

Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2003 6:18 pm

Guys, something needs to be clarified here:

Veldrane is getting the freeze when he clicked the New button on the character screen. The database zMUD is trying to load at this time is the MUD List, NOT the CHARDB.MDB character database. So, the database that is potentially messed up is the MUDLIST.MDB database. This database is created from the text-based MUDLIST.TXT file if zMUD cannot find the MDB database (by running zsConvert).

Now, the MUDLIST.MDB database is probably significantly larger than his CHARDB.MDB character database (which must be loading ok if he is able to click the New button or use existing characters). Since he is on Windows 98, I wonder about his System Resource usage.

On Windows 98, you are limited to 128 k bytes of system resources, no matter how much RAM you have installed. Only on Win2000 and WinXP was this resource limit removed. I don't know how much system resource is used by the MDAC software when loading a database. But you can monitor the resource usage using the Start/Programs/Accessories/SystemTools/ResourceMonitor program to see if this is what is causing the problem. In Win98 you should always be sure to close down other applications, especially large ones like MS Office, Internet Explorer, etc, in order to maximize the amount of system resources available to zMUD.

Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2003 6:20 pm

As a followup, Veldrane, try deleting the MUDLIST.MDB file and let zMUD create a new one from the text file. It's possible that when you first ran zMUD 6.62 and had the old MDAC, zMUD created a corrupted MUDLIST.MDB file using the old MDAC. Now that you have the current MDAC, deleting the MUDLIST.MDB file will cause zMUD to recreate the database using the correct drivers. Just an idea that might help.

GURU Joined: 28 Sep 2000 Posts: 434 Location: USA

Now it all makes a little more sense. Thanks for the clarification Zugg.

Beginner Joined: 14 Aug 2003 Posts: 10 Location: USA

Actually.

first symptom is a Freeze while initializing the character module.
(I finaly managed to get Zmud 6.16 on ths comp, however it is having the same problems... so I DO retract what I said about 6.62)

can remedy this problem by deleting the "gettngstarted" text file from the zmud folder.

Doing ths gets me to the char module, where Then it freezes when I click on Edit or New.

I Can however log into Gemstone ect. But I don't play those muds. and can't edit them to the muds I do play.

Mudlist.mdb I can't fnd on my comp, even with the find program.

Another Interestng thing, is that after I've downloaded and Installed the MDAC programs, when I redownloaded zmud6.62 and tried it again, it tells me to download MDAC... which I've already done and already have.

the MDAC checker, Seems to be saying that my MDAC programs are having errors, but unless 'm reading it wrong and I may be, I have windows XP MDAC on win98SE

*As for the length between my posts, I apologize, Personal RL problems.*

Veldrane

Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2003 7:05 pm

If 6.16 is having the same problem, then it is *NOT* an MDAC problem. v6.16 doesn't use MDAC anywhere in zMUD. MDAC support was first added in version 6.2x for the MUDlist and Character files, and then in v6.3x for the mapper.

I can't think of any reason deleting the gettingstarted text file would fix anything.

What zMUD is trying to do when the character module first starts it to display the getting started file in a rich text window.

On Windows 98, there was a problem a long time ago with the RICHEDT.DLL (Rich Text control) in Windows. But this has long been fixed by various Win98 service packs.

Given all of the very wierd troubles you are having, at this point I'd suggest reinstalling Windows 98. This is actually a fairly painless process if you just tell it to update your current Windows directory. It will keep all of your other installed programs and just update the Windows system files themselves in case you have a bad file somewhere. Of course, after doing that you *will* have to reinstall all of the MDAC/Jet patches again as well, along with any other Win98 system patches. But at least it shouldn't touch any of your non-Windows software you might have installed.

Beginner Joined: 14 Aug 2003 Posts: 10 Location: USA

This I've already done...
though it ws to reinstall my Cable connecton.

I am really at a loss..... I don't suppose there is a way for me to get an even older version of zmud, that isn't quite as old as 3.x?