Disappearing printers?

[BadgerDog]

When I first installed SB4 on my Windows 10 2004.388 version, I'd be able to select PRINT from the drop-down box in the top left corner of the screen.  All of my network printers would appear and I could select and print from any of them.  I found it very useful to print off the briefings etc.

 

Sometime in the last while, the printer list has disappeared. (see pic) 😒

 

Since there's been know updates to SB4, the issue has to be between SB4 and Windows 10 on my end.  I know Windows 10 did an update to v2004.450, so I wonder if that had something to do with it?

 

Note:  ALL other Windows applications, except SB4, are still able to view my network printers and print to any of them.

 

I've been looking around in Windows 10 to see if there's a setting that needs to be re-enabled, or something that may be blocking SB4 from seeing them, but so far I'm stuck.

 

Anyone else experiencing this phenomenon?

 

Thanks for any feedback ....

 

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by BadgerDog

[Ssnake]

We're investigating...

[Gibsonm]

This may be related to you using Boot Camp or an vitalisation product (Virtual PC, Parallels, etc.).

 

I'm not writing it off as a "Mac issue" but you do have an additional layer to consider compared to someone running just a Windows OS machine.

 

Admittedly if its Boot Camp, then effectively the Mac is a Windows box for the duration of the session.

[BadgerDog]

Possibly, but that doesn't explain why it was working fine under the same environment, then suddenly disappeared.  Also, all other applications print fine.

 

The Windows 10 environment I have boots off a separate disk and doesn't share anything with the MacBook, except it's Intel hardware and architecture, so I'm not sure what would block printers being picked up like they were.

 

If I can do anything (logs etc) to help debug it, I'd be happy to help. 😉

 

[stormrider_sp]

11 hours ago, Gibsonm said:

This may be related to you using Boot Camp or an vitalisation product (Virtual PC, Parallels, etc.).

 

I'm not writing it off as a "Mac issue" but you do have an additional layer to consider compared to someone running just a Windows OS machine.

 

Admittedly if its Boot Camp, then effectively the Mac is a Windows box for the duration of the session.

That's not how it works. Bootcamp is not an emulation or a virtualization; it's a dual boot, this means that the only apple software running in the background are drivers for the apple's hardware, like any other driver windows run. I have one macbook pro mid-2010 still running it since 2010.

[Gibsonm]

1 hour ago, stormrider_sp said:

That's not how it works. Bootcamp is not an emulation or a virtualization; it's a dual boot.

Yes I know -  that's why I said Boot Camp or an vitalisation product (i.e. that they are different).

[stormrider_sp]

4 hours ago, Gibsonm said:

Yes I know -  that's why I said Boot Camp or an vitalisation product (i.e. that they are different).

Sorry I must have misread. Cheers

 

[BadgerDog]

On 8/18/2020 at 1:31 PM, Ssnake said:

We're investigating...

 

I moved my codemeter stick from a LAN based machine and plugged it USB right into the machine I'm using for SB4.

 

That didn't help or make the network printer list appear in the box, so I was wondering if there's any DEBUG mode I could run to help track it down?

 

... a thought... does SB run in safe mode?  I haven't tried that yet.

 

 

[Ssnake]

Safe mode overrides your preferences, so that should be used only if nothing else works.

Since there are no Printer settings within Steel Beasts' options - it simply queries what printers have been registered under Windows - I suspect that it has something to do with the way that Windows communicates the presence of printers rather than something with Steel Beasts itself. But, that's just a working hypothesis.

[BadgerDog]

Well, after several days of testing different ideas, I finally figured it out.  😉

 

Before I get to that, it appears that during the process of messing around trying to fix it, I ended up being unable to load and run the SB4 Tutorials.  I get the error message below.

 

Acutal scenarios run fine, but it's just fails on loading the tutorials.

 

Where is the config file that I can modify to point to their directory?  I can't seem to find one.

 

Note: I installed SB3 and also SB4.  I had run SB3 to see if its printers showed up, so perhaps that somehow caused SB4 to be referencing the wrong directory when I switched back to it?

 

Thanks... 

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by BadgerDog

[Gibsonm]

Right first question.

 

Are you trying to load the right Tutorial files?

 

I recall that for a limited number of files we made for example:

 

"C:\ProgramData\eSim Games\Steel Beasts\scenarios\z_Reseved\tut\M1A1\01 M1 Gunnery A.sce"

 

and

 

"C:\ProgramData\eSim Games\Steel Beasts\scenarios\z_Reseved\tut\M1A1\01 M1 Gunnery A_3.x.sce"

 

Or some other way to distinguish the files.

 

Effectively we had a ver 3.x and a ver 4.1x version of the small set of Tutorials (M1 Gunnery / Commanding if I recall).

 

 

IF you have tried to open the Bradley Tutorials (4.1x) in 3.x while doing your search for the printers you'll hit the same issue.

 

I seem to remember strong advice at the time to only have the installed (ver 4.1x) versions of the Tutorials as converting all of them would require a lot of work (22 vehicle types, each with 20 or so files).

 

I think you need to make a decision:

 

Either:

 

1. Invest the time and convert all the files (including Instant Action and the Range Practice too) so you can run 3.x and 4.1x concurrently.

 

or

 

2. Only use the 4.1x Tutorials (less work but you can only use the 4.1x files).

 

or

 

3. Invest the money to bring all your copies up to 4.x, removing the need to retain 3.x on the computer (this costs money but no need to maintain two sets of files).

 

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by Gibsonm

[BadgerDog]

This is what my SB3 and SB4 file structure looks like. 

 

I think SB3 still being installed and then adding SB4 messed up something.  I'd really like to get rid of SB3 altogether.

 

Steel Beasts = SB3 install and Steel Beasts 4 = SB4 install when the simultaneous installs got finished.

 

If I copy scenarios folder from Steel Beasts to Steel Beasts 4 directory, the tutorials seem to work again.  

 

I think the same problem caused my loading the scenario from last week.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by BadgerDog

[Sean]

I think that you will fight a never ending battle trying to install both those versions.  I'm guessing you are trying to run the unconverted SB3 tutorials, because you installed SB4 first, then SB3 overwrote the tutorials folder with its own tutorials.  They both will want to install their tutorial files in common appdata.  Because the maps data is stored in different folders, you might get away with it if all you are running are downloaded scenarios that you have kept separate.  Its simply not going to work with the tutorials without a bunch of hoop jumping.

[Gibsonm]

Just now, Sean said:

I think that you will fight a never ending battle trying to install both those versions.  I'm guessing you are trying to run the unconverted SB3 tutorials, because you installed SB4 first, then SB3 overwrote the tutorials folder with its own tutorials.  They both will want to install their tutorial files in common appdata.  Because the maps data is stored in different folders, you might get away with it if all you are running are downloaded scenarios that you have kept separate.  Its simply not going to work with the tutorials without a bunch of hoop jumping.

Agreed, which was the story of the post I linked to.

[BadgerDog]

7 minutes ago, Sean said:

I think that you will fight a never ending battle trying to install both those versions.  I'm guessing you are trying to run the unconverted SB3 tutorials, because you installed SB4 first, then SB3 overwrote the tutorials folder with its own tutorials.  They both will want to install their tutorial files in common appdata.  Because the maps data is stored in different folders, you might get away with it if all you are running are downloaded scenarios that you have kept separate.  Its simply not going to work with the tutorials without a bunch of hoop jumping.

 

Thanks for the feedback ...

 

I actually installed SB3 first, immediately followed by the SB 4 complete install.

 

I would like to kill SB3 altogether and just leave SB4 installed!!!!

Edited August 22, 2020 by BadgerDog

[Gibsonm]

8 minutes ago, BadgerDog said:

This is what my SB3 and SB4 file structure looks like. 

 

I think SB3 still being installed and then adding SB4 messed up something.  I'd really like to get rid of SB3 altogether.

 

Doug,

 

Screenshots of the paths don't help too much - its the files that you are trying to load that will tell the story.

 

If you added SB4 after SB3 the easiest option (but not neatest) is to just delete the folder with SB3 in it and any related desktop shortcuts, etc. since the SB4 install would have overwritten the earlier SB4 content.

 

The best option is to uninstall both (the user made files will stay behind) and then re-install just SB 4.1x.

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by Gibsonm

[Ssnake]

Simply uninstall SB3.

Then install SB 4.1 over the existing installation to bring back shared files that the SB3 uninstaller may have removed.

[BadgerDog]

7 hours ago, Ssnake said:

Simply uninstall SB3.

Then install SB 4.1 over the existing installation to bring back shared files that the SB3 uninstaller may have removed.

Good morning here. 😀

 

I completely uninstalled EVERYTHING that's related to SB 3&4 using eSim's uninstaller.

 

I then installed SB4 from scratch.  I still get the "error loading" on all tutorials, unless I copy the "scenarios" folder from a folder created by SB4 installer called "Steel Beasts" to another folder created by the SB4 installer called "Steel Beasts 4". I have no idea why the first folder was created anyway?

 

I've uninstalled SB4 again and re-installed it with the same result.

 

I'm going to work on it today and see if I can figure it out.

 

I have "Anydesk" and "Teamviewer" if someone wants to login to my desktop and have a look.

 

[Ssnake]

Since you created the old folder by hand, it will not be removed by the uninstaller, so you need to delete it manually. Uninstallers are rather careful about file removal. If the data aren't "theirs" they will leave them alone, even if you want them gone.

[BadgerDog]

9 hours ago, Ssnake said:

Since you created the old folder by hand, it will not be removed by the uninstaller, so you need to delete it manually. Uninstallers are rather careful about file removal. If the data aren't "theirs" they will leave them alone, even if you want them gone.

1.  Once again, I completely uninstalled EVERYTHING that's related to SB 3&4 using eSim's uninstaller.

 

2.  I then cleaned my entire system of any remnants of SB3 or SB4.  All directories, Files and Registry data.

 

I then installed SB4 and the Maps Installer Package from scratch successfully ... 4 times now, repeating steps 1 and 2 each time.

 

I need a simple favor?

 

With SB4 installed, look in your Windows 10 under "Program Data/eSim/Steel Beasts" and  "Program Data/eSim/Steel Beasts 4" and just list for me the sub-directory name structure that appears under each of those directories.

 

I'd really appreciate it if someone could post that here.

 

Thank you ... 😉

 

Regards,

Doug

 

ps: I'd also like to know from people where their Directories called "My Scenarios" and "My Operations" are installed on their systems.  Mine end up in My username/Documents/eSim folder.

 

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by BadgerDog

[Gibsonm]

28 minutes ago, BadgerDog said:

With SB4 installed, look in your Windows 10 under "Program Data/eSim/Steel Beasts" and  "Program Data/eSim/Steel Beasts 4" and just list for me the sub-directory name structure that appears under each of those directories.

 

ps: I'd also like to know from people where their Directories called "My Scenarios" and "My Operations" are installed on their systems.  Mine end up in My username/Documents/eSim folder.

 

 

1. I think this is the problem, you should not have two.

 

I have this and only this: C:\ProgramData\eSim Games\Steel Beasts.

 

I think Ssnake's point is that at some point you manually created \Steel Beasts 4and therefore the uninstaller wont remove it - you need to manually delete "C:\ProgramData\eSim Games\Steel Beasts4" .

 

In terms of content / structure:

 

 

inside this I have:

 

 

2. As for "My Scenarios" and "My Operations", mine are in that locations as well: C:\Users\mark\Documents\eSim Games\Steel Beasts.

 

Edited August 23, 2020 by Gibsonm

[BadgerDog]

I did that boss.... 4 times ... 😏

 

... and every time I run a fresh install of SB4, it recreates the directory structure I've been trying to tell people about.

 

It creates ON ITS OWN a directory called Steel Beasts 4 and puts the maps/package in it, plus in the SB4 Program it refers to the path /SteelBeasts 4/maps/package, with no way I can see to change that path?

 

I'm not making this stuff up and I welcome anyone who wants to login with TeamViewer of Anydesk to watch SB4 do this exercise on its own, as I've described.

 

I'm willing to go around again for a 5th install if there's any takers.  🤣

 

Regards,

Doug

Edited August 23, 2020 by BadgerDog

[Gibsonm]

7 minutes ago, BadgerDog said:

I did that boss.... 4 times ... 😏

 

 

So you right clicked on those folders and selected "delete" and watched them disappear or did you rely on the uninstaller to remove them?

 

[BadgerDog]

58 minutes ago, Gibsonm said:

 

So you right clicked on those folders and selected "delete" and watched them disappear or did you rely on the uninstaller to remove them?

 

Right clicked and they went to the garbage and I even deleted (emptied) the garbage. 😉

 

... plus in the SB4 Program it refers to the path /SteelBeasts 4/maps/package which it created , with no way I can see to change that path to just Steelbeasts not Steelbeasts 4., which the installer created.  It says I don't have the privileges to do that. 🤣

 

Edit:  Also, it appears that the SB4 installer, as it's currently bring delivered, wants the Map Package in its own SB4 directory,  I think is causing me some other issues?

 

Installer Summary Output

Destination location:
      C:\Program Files\eSim Games\SB Pro PE
Map Package Folder:
      C:\ProgramData\eSim Games\Steel Beasts 4\maps\packages
Setup type:
      Full installation
Selected components:
      Program Files
      Extra Documents
      Scenarios
      Slide show
Start Menu folder:
      eSim Games\Steel Beasts Pro PE
Additional tasks:
      Additional shortcuts:
         Create a desktop shortcut
         Create a Quick Launch shortcut

Edited August 23, 2020 by BadgerDog

[Gibsonm]

1 hour ago, BadgerDog said:

I'm willing to go around again for a 5th install if there's any takers.  🤣

 

 

I wont be available until approx 1600 my time (0600 GMT) 8.5 hours from now.