Zugg Software :: View topic

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2004 2:37 pm

Greetings, I've been using zMud for about 8 years now, I love it. I recently was playing at work but after I installed something (I've no recollection what) I can't use zMud anymore. When I try and open zMud I get the following error: "Error initalizing database engine" this happens when zMud attempts to load the very first module. I have uninstalled and reinstalled zMud, eLicense, even parsed my registry for all applicable entries, nothing seems to help. It's telling me I need to install MDAC and Jet but both are installed and up to date, always have been. It's run before, but for some reason it's not now, please help, I NEED my zMud!

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2004 6:37 pm

That's an error from your MDAC software, so it's likely that some other software you installed messed up your MDAC installation. Go to the page http://www.zuggsoft.com/data and follow the instructions there to update your MDAC/Jet, or run the Windows Updater and apply all of the required Microsoft patches and updates.

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2004 6:54 pm

I appreciate your quick response, but I've already gone through the install process 6 ways from sunday. I've already been on the phone with Microsoft, they claim that MDAC/Jet is running fine since any other applications I run that use it are fine. I'm not sure what else to try. I'm sorry if this isn't a zMud problem it's just nice that I can atleast vent here and people can relate to my addiction to zMud :)

Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2004 9:07 pm

I read in another post that zMud version 6.30 and earlier ran without the MDAC stuff, any ideas where I can get ahold of an earlier version? I've looked online but can't seem to find anything earlier than 7.04, I'd prefer not to resort to the 3.x version that's free, but if I must I must, telnet and I don't get along together.

Enchanter Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 698

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 12:15 pm

It means I have indeed attempted the fix Zugg recomended. I have tried various combinations of reinstallation of MDAC/Jet, including getting microsoft on the phone, which is not an easy task in its self. But yes, I have tried step by step exactly as Zugg states to reinstall MDAC/Jet to no availe.

Wizard Joined: 14 Aug 2004 Posts: 1269

Microsoft's claim that MDAC is fine because other applications that use it are working is ridiculous - these other programs may be using different parts of MDAC.

Use the MDAC Component Checker to check that your MDAC installation has no errors or inconsistencies between different versions. It can be dowloaded from the page Zugg posted. If there are errors, try and figure out why, since there shouldn't be any after reinstalling MDAC.

What O/S are you using? What (if any) version of Office do you have installed? What version of MDAC did you install last? Are you logged on as an Administrator? What version of MDAC does the Component Checker say you are nearest to. Does it report any errors or warnings? What version of zMUD is that happening on? I'm guessing 7.05 from what you said, but you didn't actually state this. You have tried a reboot? Depending on your O/S this may not have been required - not sure.

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 4:04 pm

Windows XP Professional
Office 2003 Small Business
zMud 7.05
MDAC (original 2.7, windows upgraded to 2.8 via website)
Logged on as Admin
Component Checker:
File Details -> Mismatch
File:----------Expected:-------Actual:
ODBCBCP.DLL----2000.85.1022.0--2000.85.1025.0
OLEDB32.DLL----2.80.1022.0-----2.71.9031.4
SQLSRV32.DLL---2000.85.1022.0--2000.85.1025.0
dbnetlib.dll---2000.85.1022.0--2000.81.9042.0
msdart.dll-----2.80.1022.0-----2.71.9031.4

COM Details No Mismatches

Registry Details -> Mismatch
Values:----------------Expected
ADODB.Command.2.7------2.8
ADODB.Connection.2.7---2.8
ADODB.Error.2.7--------2.8
ADODB.ErrorLookup.2.7--2.8
ADODB.Parameter.2.7----2.8
ADODB.Recordset.2.7----2.8
ADOR.Recordset.2.7-----2.8

So that is what I am looking at, but I'm not really sure how to go about investigating why they're off or what program uses them or anything.... any tips?

Enchanter Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 698

XP shouldn't have this problem, but some files (or settings or widgets) were included with MDAC 2.5 (and IE 5.0, I think... might have been IE 5.5) that never got changed or checked in later versions of MDAC.

This was a problem on WIN95 machines that updated MDAC files to the-then-current version without first installing ver. 2.5. Basically the MDAC version was current, but some bits added in 2.5 were missing and zMud belched when it couldn't find them.

MDAC problems have virtually disappeared since XP became popular, but yes, the version numbers you posted so seem a bit off. This is most likely the cause of your problems.

If nobody else had a better solution and I had to use your machine, I might try starting over with the MDAC installation at version 2.5 if I could even find it, and then upgrade by steps to 2.8. Or, I might try to re-install IE since it (at least used to) includes MDAC.

Since this could really mess things up, I'm not suggesting you try this especially with XP, but it might be a solution.

Hopefully someone else will know how to straighten it out for you.

Posted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 6:03 pm

Ok, stumbled across a solution that seems to have worked! I can't in any way gaurentee this for anyone else, but this is what I did....
ran regedit and navigated to
My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\ExceptionComponents
from there I browsed through the entries looking for anything related to SQL or MDAC and deleted the registry entry and the matching file in C:\WINDOWS\RegisteredPackages\ then I rebooted. Then I installed the MDAC, then I rebooted, then I opened zMud and bam! it worked :) Yeah!!!!!!

To give credit to where it is due. http://www.examnotes.net/archive79-2002-7-51494.html is where I happened to find this tip, found it by googling ADODB.Command.2.7 and guessed after that. I really hope this helps anyone else facing the same situation as I know it is frustrating.

P.S. Thanks all who tried to help, and to espically Mr. Kent, your advice pointed me in the right direction.

Wizard Joined: 14 Aug 2004 Posts: 1269

I thought it would show up in the MDAC Component Checker. Smile

Why Microsoft can't write an MDAC Installer that is capable of updating all components and registry settings (from previous versions of MDAC) is beyond me! You would think that right after installing MDAC 2.8, the component checker would not detect any errors, but obviously it does! I particularly like this bit from the Microsoft Support Engineer in the link you attached:

"The first thing now is to make sure that we remove the corrupted MDAC installation and install a clean MDAC 2.7. In order to get rid of the corrupted MDAC installation, please delete the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\ExceptionComponents."

I find this particularly ironic as MS warns in all its Knowledge Base articles that editing the registry is at your own risk and could permanently damage your computer! But it turns out you have to edit the registry to get your computer working in the first place under countless situations!

Why, MS can't make an uninstaller for MDAC that most people can easily use is also boggling.

Oh, well. Glad you got it working!

SubAdmin Joined: 18 Nov 2001 Posts: 5182

I would appreciate it if you could run the Component Checker again and post the results for comparison. I am glad you got it working and Zugg was right about the problem. From your first post of Checker results I noted the likely culprits..
File:----------Expected:-------Actual:
ODBCBCP.DLL----2000.85.1022.0--2000.85.1025.0
OLEDB32.DLL----2.80.1022.0-----2.71.9031.4
SQLSRV32.DLL---2000.85.1022.0--2000.85.1025.0
dbnetlib.dll---2000.85.1022.0--2000.81.9042.0
msdart.dll-----2.80.1022.0-----2.71.9031.4

It is just curiousity that causes me to make this request.

Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2004 12:13 pm

Actually everything matches now. Not a single entry is marked mismatched.

Posted: Thu Aug 26, 2004 5:17 pm

Not only do I wish that the Component Checker worked, I just wish that Microsoft's own INSTALLERS actually worked. This business of refusing to update files because it *thinks* the files are OK just from checking some stupid registry entries drives me crazy. There should ALWAYS be a way to reinstall software to fix files that might be corrupted by viruses, etc.

I'm glad you found a way to make this work by clearing the registry entries. Unfortunately, that's not for the faint-hearted, nor for the novice. People attempting this solution should be aware that messing up your system registry can cause Windows to become corrupted or unusable. So, registry changes should always be made with extreme care.

However, with that said, this might be a good post to send other people to when they are using Windows XP and can't get MDAC to install itself properly. The details in this post show just how complex this problem can be on some systems. And the solution is a good one for people who don't want to reinstall Windows.

Thanks to everyone who helped with this issue.

Wizard Joined: 14 Aug 2004 Posts: 1269

I don't know that much about MDAC, other than I know the Component Checker can detect problems, but not fix them, but I suspect people using versions of Windows other than XP could potentially have exactly the same problem. The problem, as Zugg says, is that the MDAC installer checks to see what the registry says is installed, rather than what versions of the files are actually available. This affects all versions of Windows (since there is only one MDAC installer for each version of MDAC - not one for each version of Windows - so everyone gets the same rubbish installer), and so I expect all versions of Windows could have the same (or similar) problems with MDAC.

Maybe something should be added to http://www.zuggsoft.com/data/ regarding MDAC problems, because I don't think they are as rare as you say, Zugg. I have certainly come across MDAC problems before (although not with regards to zMUD).

Seb

Wanderer Joined: 29 Jan 2002 Posts: 99 Location: UK

I just ran the checker amd it seems that XP service pack 2 updates all MDAC files beyond those of 2.8.. this could be ggod news for all those having trouble with MDAC

Arcane

Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2004 12:53 pm

I'd be careful with SP2 still. I installed it on a fresh Dell with XP on it, right out of the box and got blue screen of death untill I uninstalled it, then everything worked fine. Go figure.