I don't have styles, real tracks, when I try to generate it tells me stuff is missing..... Do I need to copy stuff from the old BIAB or BB directories? I installed it new yet when I tried to do a real track with piano I had exactly 11 choices. Should I not have had like 150?

I am now going to have spend my Sunday removing all things PG and reinstalling it all. When I had 2009 and installed the next version, I did nothing but install. The same from 2011 to 2012, to 2013 and now to 2016 and suddenly things are totally screwed up. I have directories everywhere. Why doesn't the new version replace the old one? I also do not have Real Band 2016 in registry, so I can't associate .seq files to Real Band. It used to be that way, but now it defaults to Samplitude, so I have to launch Real Band and then load the files.

I know, that sounds like nothing, but as I have said many times, that's not the point. It's supposed to just work without any tap dancing. What did I do wrong here? I ran the Real Band 2016 install and the accompanying real tracks compressed files which expanded to what I think is not anywhere close to the number of tracks I should have.

Also, why is the default the root of C rather than C:\Program Files like all other software?

I have this awful feeling that I am going to end up reformatting and reloading an OS onto this hard drive just to get Real Band to work correctly.

The recommendation that BiaB and RealBand are placed in the root directory has been around for many, many years.

Microsoft made recommendations to no longer use "Program Files" or "Program Files (x86)" around the time of Windows 7. This was mainly related to security and access issues to the new protection systems in Windows 7 onwards.

The recommendation is definitely to use the root of the selected drive. Has been for a long time.

I may be wrong, but I don't think that RealBand has a single association with .SEQ files, the way BiaB does for SGU, MGU etc. The list, which may contain one of more associations, is defined in the registry in:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.seq\OpenWithList

I always use acronis to make an image of my OS, usually a doddle to restore.

I have Macrium reflect free on another computer (has tried EASEus backup but free version is so slow) Macrium seems very good.

I have 2 backups of the biab on two separate PG drives come to think of it, I must update them to 2016 version.

I thought that as someone who is a techie Eddie you would least have a backup of the OS.

Before the tedious job of a format,

1 just run the 16 install again over the top of what you have or even the latet update.

2 There are a few files in RB to restore to factory settings,

as someone esplained on me on forum (either Noel or Rharv I believe)


"To try to fix it, rename RB.CFG and Realband.ini
This will cause them to rebuild and start over. However it also causes RB to reset to factory settings"

Musiclover

Is it looking to the correct folder for the Realtracks?
Even if they are on the USB drive you should be able to point to them.

Prefs - Song Generation tab (I think)

Factory settings changes personal prefs, not pointers to file location.

Can somebody tell me if I have to copy the old folders from RB 20xx to rb2016 where I installed? Because the old folder has a ton of stuff that is not in the new folder.

The part that has me concerned most is that it didn't register. That's why Real Band is not a program option for me to set the "open with" to Real Band.

Also note that the Real Band (rb2016) folder is 6.7gb. The BIAB (bb2016) is 47.2gb. The styles are in bb and not rb. Do I need to copy them?

Here's what I have.

Prefs as to song generation:



Error when using Generate All



And here is the file RB says does not exist



Sorry for the white padding but MS Paint on XP kind of stinks. And I am not going to wipe my drive out and put 7 on unless I really have to. This PC has run well with XP for years. Until this software snafu....

That key is correct, Track, and it didn't change anything. the .seq files still want to associate with BIAB, not RB.

Idea;
Rename the bb2016 folder to bb
Reset the paths.

The above suggestion is the default .. you appear to have installed to a custom folder.
You said you installed over the previous, yet your root BB folder is labeled bb2016. I doubt the previous version was installed to a folder called bb2016. Something is off.

Or point it to your old bb folder for the RealTracks and see if the list grows.

After doing that I can't run the program. You have to zoom to see it but the middle box says that the expiration date has reached quitting.

Looks like there is a Tickets_Activated folder in the wrong BiaB folder now ..
Or have you not activated, and this is from the 30 day limit being hit?

Under Help - Activate

Actually, your screen shot shows you are launching a beta version, build 2.
Try updating to the current version, or correcting the shortcut being used.

I activated the day I installed. When I click activate it tells me it is already activated. That file is in C:\RealBand2016.

Actually, your screen shot shows you are launching a beta version, build 2.
Try updating to the current version, or correcting the shortcut being used.

Deeper and deeper we go. I loaded a song from 3 years ago and it can't find the style. How can that even be? I would never erase ONE specific style out of a list of many. It's just really so weird. I tried to generate a piano and had 15 options. I should have hundreds. Same for guitar. Not one strummed rhythm guitar. I have no idea where to move files from or where to move them to. Just in the weeds here. I don't want to risk erasing anything or I would just remove everything called rb or biab and start fresh, because I have my doubts as to my version of 2016 being complete or I wouldn't be having these problems. Now I have to wait for PG to contact me and do a remote access to look at my drive to see what the heck is going on.

Are we having fun yet Eddie?

Again
your screen shot shows you are launching a beta version, build 2
It should show RB 2016 build 3

.. and your paths don't match the referenced folder
see images below

Do I HAVE to have it in a folder called BB? It says "BB for example"? I should be able to call the folder donkey, chair, or horsehockey if I choose to. Why BB?

And I reinstalled and have 2016 (3) now. Still, everything is scattered over 3 different folders and I don't know what I should copy, what to call folders, if copying old will overwrite new with older versions and crap out when I need them, etc..... There are all these files with an _ as the first character, which in my world was always a file that was what amounts to a temp file that installs and writes itself without that underscore. And a bunch with a tilde at the front. Same situation. I never saw valid files with a tilde as the first character.

I expected that installing software, and any software, not just this, would go out and find the old files from previous installs and copy them to the new folder so it was ready to run when that installation finished. Apparently that is not the case here. Styles are still in old folders and I have to copy them, as my test case using a 3 year old seq showed me. I had to go to an old folder and move the style by hand to get that song to load without incident.

I think I need PG involved here. I am at a point with so many redundancies and repetitions that if I start moving or deleting I can do more harm than good and HAVE to start from square zero again, maybe screwing up some of my songs in the process.

This is why you should install it over top of an existing version.

If the previous install was in C:\donkey and you install the new version in C:\bb2016, the old (previously owned) realtracks are still in C:\donkey, but the program is looking at C:\bb2016 to find your realtracks. It'll probably find the new ones but not the old.

Upgrades are accumulative with BB/RB, so you need to install it over the old in order to keep things working in the new version like it did before. I have many things in my accumulated installs that are not included (or even available) in the recent install files.

If you installed it to a different directory, it'll likely not be able to locate the RT's as easily, and if it did find the old ones it'll likely be missing the new ones. Like I said, its accumulative.

You said
"There are all these files with an _ as the first character, which in my world was always a file that was what amounts to a temp file that installs and writes itself without that underscore. And a bunch with a tilde at the front. Same situation. I never saw valid files with a tilde as the first character."

The underscore and tilde characters mean something to BB, so don't discard these just because of the naming convention..
BB file naming conventions may mean it is an 'all realtracks' style (or something else). Point is they have a purpose.

The image below shows how RB keeps backups of important files from previous versions, as long as you install over existing. Notice RBBackup folders for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 .. (yeah I already have 2017 and am busy warming up leftovers from tomorrow night)

Realband finds and uses Styles and other files from the BB folder. They are essentially shared with RB. You should not need to copy them.

I did a minimal install..... just the essentials on the machine and run it from the HD.

It knows where everything is located and runs smoothly and fast enough for me.

What do people do that are installing it new for the first time? Should my 2016 not have given me every file needed? I have the Plus Pak as well. Seems like it should write every file to wherever I tell it to. There is no disclaimer that says "You must have last year's version to install this year's version." Very confusing.

Like you said, if I install it into c:\donkey, the installer should at the very minimum reach out into the hard drive and find old files and move them rather than setup pointers to c:\bb which may or may note exist.

I have a headache.

You're not alone...

You mentioned the pluspak. If you purchased the pluspak, Eddie, then yes you must install over the previous version to get up to date. The pluspak only contains the files that changed since the previous version. The pluspak is not a complete install and relies on existing files from the previous version to bring you up to date.

Which 2016 version did you purchase?

A few comments. Neither RealBand nor BIAB registers itself in the Windows registry, so that's why you don't see it there. When you delete RealBand (or BIAB), you just delete the folders and it's gone. The only thing that goes to the registry is the association of BIAB files with the application. Although, something gets saved somewhere else, because it seems to know (well, most of the time) where I last installed the program (since I don't use the default folders).

You should write down where you install BIAB and then consistently install it to the same place everytime you update/upgrade.

So, for example, everytime I install BIAB or RealBand, I specify the following folders.

BIAB -> D:\Apps\PGMusic\BIAB
RealBand -> D:\Apps\PGMusic\RealBand
RealTracks -> D:\AppsData\Sounds\PGMusic\RealSounds (the installer will create the "RealTracks" folder under "RealSounds")
RealDrums -> D:\AppsData\Sounds\PGMusic\RealSounds (The install will create the "Drums" folder under "RealSounds")

Everytime I install a new version or an update patch, those are the folders I specify and everything gets installed in the correct location.

The only thing that is a little different is that when you open up BIAB or RealBand and specify a custom location for RealTracks and RealDrums, you have to give it the full name. So while the installation program uses the parent folder (and creates the RealTracks or Drums folder), once you are in the program I have to specify "D:\AppsData\Sounds\PGMusic\RealSounds\RealTracks" and "D:\AppsData\Sounds\PGMusic\RealSounds\Drums" as the locations to find them.

Let us know specifically which versions you have and which pak you have. For example, if you only have BIAB/RB 2012 and the 2016 PlusPak, then it's not going to work well, because you'll be missing everything in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The PlusPak is designed to be used to upgrade only the most recent version (2015 in this case).

You may know all this, Eddie, but just wanted to put it out there. Lots of folks install it successfully once they figure out the correct folders to use.

And if you are running the beta version (as RHARV indicated based on your screenshot), then they do time out after awhile and you are not launching the latest and greatest. I suspect you are using a shortcut pointing to the beta version, not the installed version.

Let use know and we'll get it figured out and you can move along to making music.

I did not want to comingle the 2016 files with the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 that I had. Apparently I should have.

I am not clean on Plus Pak. Isn't Plus Pak "more stuff" that goes on top of 2016? I have all the self dissolving archive files for 2016 and Plus Pak on top of it. However, 2 of those archives that contain real tracks were corrupted. I email 6 days ago telling PG that and have yet to hear back. I need them resent.

This is really messed up. I know there are more than 15 pianos, right? Well, that's what I have. 15 pianos.

You do know you can login and download everything and anything of your files from your account at anytime. Or are you saying these are the corrupt ones?

Eddie, this is what you get for being gone so long from the Forum.

I know, right!!! The forum gods are angry with me!

Eddie, stop trying to beat the system. Just go with the flow.

The Force, Eddie. Use the Force....

Clarity!! I know what I did now. I was a beta tester, yes. However, I had just finished my CD and was away from the studio for a while and didn't install the beta version until after the beta period was over. Thus I did not report any bugs and did NOT get the complete version sent to me. I have now ordered it and when it gets here I can remove all those xx2016 folders I created and install the new stuff over the 2013 I have in the BB and RealBand folders. That should fix my problems and I can get started on the next CD.

Edit to add: Which I hope sells better here than the last one! LOL!!!

Funny you would mention that. When a local reviewer heard my CD he said "You're a farce, Eddie. A farce!!"

Oh, you said "Force?"

Now with the new stuff installed, I loaded an older song and it may be my ears just KNOWING the new software is 3 years mo' betta, but it seems to actually SOUND better than I remember it sounding with 2013. Same everything else, just RB circa 2016.