Possible bug in Band-in-a-Box 2016 Build 431 update

I just installed update #431 and the install/download manager will not open.

When I click "Run download/install manager now" (in help/utilities) Windows7 (x64 home premium) instead opens my smartphone-manager software !!? (I have a Sony android, so the software that opens is called "Sony PC companion")

Very odd I think

Jel
When you install the 431 upgrade patch, it may be simpler than the method you are currently using.

Download the self extracting upgrade from the PG Music Website

After you download, just double-click on the file to run it. It should perform the upgrade for you, without the need for the download manager.

That's how I installed patch 431
(manual download and manual installation)

It was after I had installed the patch that I tried to run the built-in download manager and got this strange behavior.

OK. Are you running BiaB as Administrator (2)?

What happens if you run it directly from disk:

C:\bb\Data\DownloadManager\

I have just tried that, and the result is the same (download-manager does not open, but Sony's PC-companion opens instead)
So no change between running as admin or the normal way.



I can run download-manager when going via the folder you show.
Here I also tried running it both as admin and the normal way, and it behaves the same way in both situations.

So running it directly works.

However, I now discovered another odd issue:

In the download-manager it says "Realtracks Sets 228-232" is NOT installed.

I then tried to re-install it from my previous download, the install-procedure completes with no error-messages, but when I re-open download-manager it still says it is not installed.

I then ran download-manager as admin, let it download and install "Realtracks Sets 228-232" (I did that because I thought perhaps it had been updated or changed from the version I originally downloaded in december), which seems to complete without error and ends with download-manager saying the "Realtracks Sets 228-232" is installed.

When I close and then re-open download-manager it once again says the realtracks 228-232 is not installed.

So I'm definitely having some weird issues here.

In BIAB-about it says:
Band-in-a-Box® for Windows
Version 2016 (431)
Activated.

And when I click "check for updates" it says it's up to date.

(I usually love a good mystery, just not BIAB-related ones )

This is really odd, because I presume the BiaB Menu item calls the Download Manager through a ShellExecute, callback function or similar.

So how does this get confused and launch an entirely different application?

huh?
Kill it with fire, it's the only way
(do at your own risk)

/* I have not trusted Sony for years; why would PG ownload manager open a Sony app? */

Rharv's just joking of course. He does that sometimes.

On a serious note, did you consider taking you computer to an exorcist?

It may be unfounded speculation, but I do speculate that Microsoft are trying to cripple windows7 to 'force' users to update to win10.

Basically, since win10 was launched late 2015, win7 has begun to behave less stable for every update they've sent out.

I don't know if Microsoft may in fact be that sinister a company, or if this is an unlikely coincidence that just happened anyway.

At any rate, I'm no closer to a solution regarding this BIAB issue I have.

PLUS 1 on that!
Ian

Try this
Cold start the computer (to make sure there are no legacy applications running)
Start Task Manager
Check and make a note of everything that is running under the Applications tab
Start BiaB
Check that Band-in-a-Box is showing as an application, and no other new applications have appeared (1)
Select the Processes Tab, check that BBW.exe is in the list.
Check that Sony PC companion is not running as an Application or any "sony" type processes are shown in the Processes list.

From the BiaB Help drop-down menu, select Help > Utilities > Run Download/Install Manager Now

Use the default folder value that is recommended and press OK (2)

Check that the PG Music Download Manager is running under Applications, and that no other new Applications have started (3)

Check that downloadManager.exe and bbw.exe show up under processes. (4)

Please advise your results for each step.

Ok, I've tried that and here are the results:

When Sony PC-companion is NOT running, BIAB launches the download-manager correctly.

When Sony PC-companion IS running (in 'Processes', but not in 'Applications'), BIAB opens Sony PC-companion instead of the download-manager.

So the problem only exists when the Sony PC-companion is running in the background, but not when it's closed down completely. As soon as the PC-companion icon is visible in the task-bar, indicating it's running as a background-process, it somehow intercepts the request from BIAB and opens when it should have been the download-manager that opens.



The problem with the realtracks, that I can't get to indicate in download-manager as having been installed (it keeps saying it's not installed), persists. Download-manager installs it without indicating any error, and says it is installed until I close it and re-open it again.

Is there a way I can test if the realtracks are seen inside BIAB? If BIAB sees it, then it's not a major issue if download-manager does not.


Thanks for your time and suggestions, "Videotrack"

JEL, I think you should report this to PG Music support. I'm not suggesting that they can or will be able to fix it, because Sony is obviously running as a background process or service, and it might be intercepting Windows Messages. But they should know about it anyway.

The workaround is to launch the download manager manually as shown in an earlier post.

Good Luck!

Thank you
Luckily it's a minor issue that doesn't really affect the music-side of BIAB But strange nonetheless

This is why most musicians who use computers recommend you use a clean install of Windows and not use the corporate "bloat" that the PC manufacturers like to install.

I can't say this is definitely your problem but I've always either built my PC's myself or had a third party do it so I wind up with Windows direct from Microsoft. No Sony, HP, Acer, Lenovo, whatever bloat.

Bob

Bob's right. In the industry there are several types of 'wares'

- Hardware

- Firmware

- Software

- Vaporware (hasn't been developed yet, although they would have you believe otherwise)

- Bloatware (things you didn't ask for and don't want, but you get anyway)

Indeed
Somebody made a coding-error somewhere, since there's an obvious error happening.
Unfortunately I can't afford running more than one windows-machine, so I'm stuck with this one for now.

I've always used PC Decrapifier on a new PC to remove all the bloatware. You don't always get clean install disks with new computers, so this is the next best thing.

Indeed I don't have win7 disks, as the pc came pre-installed with it (a typical run-of-the-mill store-bought package-deal )

It does work well though. Except of course for this strange mix-up with BIAB and Sony PC-companion.

Thanks for all suggestions in this thread It's a puzzle, but I'll just live with it as it is for now.

JEL,

The pc should have a utility program to create back up, recovery or both. If you pc has a cd burner then you can likely choose the media to be either cd disks or usb memory stick. However, while you can make as many back ups as you desire you most likely are limited to one set of recovery media.

Wouldn't that just re-install the OEM windows version that came with the PC? (so basically the same version, with all the added bloat, and not a true vanilla version)

I've never tried that option, so I have no idea how it would work or what it can do.

JEL,

Back up typically make an image of the operating system and your files present at the moment in time the back up is performed. Recovery is typically an image of the hard drive taken when the computer left the factory. Another option is restore. Restore is mainly used to move the hard drive to an earlier time when everything worked correctly.

IF (other than the small issue you've decided you can live with) the computer works like you want it to and you've removed all the programs you no longer want, the computer should walk you through making one set of recovery CDs or DVDs. Microsoft allows that in case your hard drive fails. You can make as many back ups as you desire.

Well, there's so many options and features in windows one can spend a life-time trying to learn how it all works

When I had a harddrive crash recently (it started throwing SMART-errors but still worked) I managed to save things by using a drive-imager program I downloaded. It just copied everything and made a direct copy 1-to-1 (including all the bloat as well)

Life's too short to learn all the nooks and crannies of windows