Third and Wayne, IT Services (Twisted Networx)

Leading CNN's tech headlines today once again, the battle to save Microsoft Windows XP is still in full swing. Many users are just now finding out about the June 30 deadline for sales of Windows XP, after which the operating system will no longer be available on new PCs. I'm not affiliated with Microsoft, nor do I have a particular passion to see XP go away, but I DO hope by writing this article to gather some user response as to why people are so concerned to see the death of the old XP. I'm hoping for feedback here, so please comment if you have the time.

Personally, I run both operating systems. I run Windows Vista Ultimate on my home PC and my laptop and I run Vista on my other home desktop and my work desktop. When given the opportunity, I almost always prefer to use my Vista machines over the XP machines. I'm just curious to know why others aren't so keen on the upgrade.

As an IT retailer and consultant I deal with new customers seeking computers every day. Most often they are business owners or data-entry personnel who don't have the time to research their own computer needs. They come to me and say "I need a new PC. Get me a price." It's been my habit to always ask them which operating system they prefer. Most often it's always Windows XP... they fear Vista. I hear all the time how bad Vista is, how buggy is it, how it's not going to last. When I ask them to explain their experience with me they usually tell me, "Oh I've never used it but I know it's bad. My friend (insert geek's name here) had it and he/she told me how bad it was," etc. It's always some variety on that same theme, always fear of the unknown, but nothing grounded in an actual example of anything... just rumors of what they've been told and fear of something they have heard is harder to use.

Let me try to shed light on a few things some of you who might not readily understand the OS world might need to know. I've been using XP since before it hit the market. I wasn't an uber-geek, but I was one of those lucky enough to get a beta copy. I was there USING computers hard core when it was first released. I only say this to impart that I've been involved in the process since it's inception. I've seen XP grow from the bastard child of NT to what it is today. Microsoft Windows XP was Microsoft's attempts to throw away the Windows 98 core processes and build a new system. When it was created there were only two choices to build from. Microsoft could either continue with the flailing, impressively vulnerable Windows 98 kernel, or they could build from their more robust and stable NT kernel.

Back stepping a second.... the "kernel" of the operating system is basically the brain of the software, much like the CPU is the brain for your hardware. The system relies on the kernel to keep things smooth. The windows NT kernel (brain) was less "smart" than the Windows 98 kernel, but it was hampered in the things it could do. Windows 98 was easier to use for everyone, but had massive vulnerabilities and limitations in its growth potential. Basically NT was the ugly genius kid handicapped in a wheel chair. No one felt comfortable around it, but it was really smart. Windows 98 was the opposite, more akin to the beautiful dumb blonde analogy... pretty to look at, but you really didn't want it to think too much.

With these things to consider, Microsoft decided they could work with NT and make it better, but 98 was never going to be smart enough to open a peanut butter jar... thus XP was born. They basically took the NT kernel and put a nice new fancy shell around it, upgraded its features, and put it out to market. Thousands and thousands of bugs and six years later, we all enjoy our zippy, pleasant to look at, charming Windows XP. It's taken six years to do it, but they finally have an operating system the world loves to use.

Fast forwarding to 2008, we are once again back at the same dilemma as in 2002. Remember that computing architecture becomes obsolete once every 18 months. At this point we've been putting the brain of XP in newer and newer computers every year. Now, we have these nice new porsche computers and the world at large wants Microsoft to stick in the big-block V8 from their 1991 Chevrolet.... (yeah, I analogize a lot, but it seems to work for most people).

Just like Windows 98 did 8 years ago, Windows XP has now come to the place in its life-cycle where it will no longer serve the needs of the computing systems available. It can't handle the higher memory options, etc. Additionally XP has been the single most frequently hacked operating system in the history of computers. It's the aids-patient of the modern computing industry, possessing a very weak immune system, no inherent defense against anything whatsoever, vulnerable to everything that might attack it. Rather than continue to try to upgrade it and keep it on life-support, Microsoft has agreed to let it die and move on to something it can work with... introduce Windows Vista.

For once, Microsoft didnt go back to the old kernel and see what they could salvage. Instead they completely threw most of it out and re-coded a more modern operating system possessing built-in defenses against viruses, built-in defenses against worms, trojans, user hacks, etc. It's more stable, more robust, can do more with less cost, and is generally easy to use. The introduction of the UAC preventing access to the registry from unauthorized software that hasn't been proven safe, Windows Defender, and other upgrades make the system much less likely to be compromised.

I will agree, for those of you who like running your hacked windows software, hacked games, and downloading illegal programs and music, it's frustrating as hell. Well, do me a favor and stop crying in the soup... you're ruining it for the rest of us.

Six months ago I spent a total of $1100.00 to build a new PC. For a little over $1,000.00 I managed to build a computer that not only runs Vista well, but flat-out whips every other PC I've put it up against. It games faster, multi-tasks better, never crashes, is reliable as hell, and will still be a high-end computer for about two years to come. Will it need upgrades? Sure. In about two years it will be time for another processor and maybe some more drive space, though I can't see using up one terabyte of drive space on actual computing programs, but who knows.

Since I built mine and got the chance to actually USE Vista, I've loved it. There is nothing in the modern business world I can't run, no tasks XP can do that I can't do with better stability, and it never crashes. As I write this, I'm running on about three weeks uptime, something XP could rarely if ever do.

I have another story for you, one which can better relate to some of you. I had a 60 year old lady come to my shop last week and tell me she needed a new laptop. I went on Best-Buy.com with her and picked out a PC I felt would serve her needs and would only cost her $749.00, which isn't bad for a modern day laptop running Vista. She called me from home and told me she was a little confused and wanted to know if I could help her understand her new PC a little better. Windows Vista was new to her and she didn't feel comfortable running it yet so she was still using her old XP laptop until someone could show her how to use Vista.

I told her to come to my shop any time she had the free time and I would spend some time walking her through the differences and help her get acquainted with her new PC. She came by this week and we spent a little over an hour playing, testing, showing her bells and whistles, and generally getting her to where she felt good using the operating system. Once I showed her how to do thing, most every comment she made about the performance of Vista was "Oh, that's easy!" or "Oh, that's nice. I really like that!" This woman is 60 years old and loves it. My suggestion to all of you out there who "think" Vista is the spawn of satan is to take your lesson from the 60 year old lady I helped this week. Spend one hour really learning how it works and I think you'll be surprised to find out that it very much makes your computer easier to use.

Now, to address the OTHER end of the spectrum, briefly. I have a few customers who are running business that required (notice the past tense) them to have custom-coded software created for their company years ago. Most of these platforms are hand-coded by programmers ten or eleven years ago. Naturally these customers are reluctant to make the move to Vista due to incompatibility issues with their custom programs, which I completely understand. However, being mad at ford because their new trucks wont play your 40 year old 8-track tapes seems a little ridiculous. Many companies chose to have a custom application written in order to save money purchasing a much more expensive platform to handle their needs, usually because some programmer told them "Oh yeah, this will last you for 20 years!"

Let me impart a little knowledge here. NO PROGRAM written by and "guy off the street" can be warranted to last more than the life cycle of the operating system he's writing it for, which is usually 5 years. Yes, it really sucks that you have to upgrade to something newer, but its part of life. You have to upgrade everything your company uses eventually. Buildings need renovation, vehicles need repair and replacement once repair becomes too costly, consumables get consumed (hence the name), copiers pass their lifecycle and need replacement, the finish wears off your desk after ten years, the leather in your chair cracks after too much usage, the stapler stops working well after banging out 100,000 staples. Even your staff gets older and less productive, eventually leading to retirement and replacement with a younger model better suited to modern business (read that as possessing a degree or equivalent). It's part of life. You're just going to have to accept it as part of doing business and pay the costs for upgrade. It's just part of the way the world works.

Ok... stepping down from my soap box to get a shower and head to work.... I have Vista users to rescue again today! Lol.

 

I can't tell you how many times I've told friends, family, and professionals in the last two years about the dangers of piracy. The days of borrowing your friend's copy of Window 98 are over. The days of installing a friend's computer game on your PC and playing online are over. And most importantly, the days of downloading illegal hacks of software because you can't afford the real program are over!

I've had friends recently who have called me with a triumphant note in their voice, saying to me "HA! I got a new working copy of Microsoft Vista!" (Or XP, or Office, or Photoshop, etc ad infinitum). I usually shake my head and warn them to be careful, only to be told "No man. It works fine. I got it to activate and everything!"

I'd like to take them all down to a local Greenville business and let them ask Ron Ayers how confident their IT staff felt about it when they got busted last week for running illegal copies of software and were forced to pay a  $72,000 fine and then were forced to purchase legitimate copies of the software on top of that already huge bill from the piracy police!

The BSA (Business Software Alliance) published an article a few days back about the bust. The highlights are as follows:

 The Business Software Alliance (BSA) today announced that Ron Ayers Motorsports (www.ronayers.com), a motor sports superstore and equipment supplier, headquartered in Greenville, NC, agreed to pay $72,053 to BSA to settle claims that it had unlicensed copies of Adobe and Microsoft software on its computers. In addition to the payment, the company agreed to delete all unlicensed copies of software installed on its computers, acquire any necessary replacement licenses and commit to implementing stronger software license management practices.

 Thirty-five percent of the software installed in 2006 on PCs worldwide was installed without legal licenses, amounting to nearly $40 billion in global losses because of software piracy.  An independent study shows that 21 percent of software in the United States is unlicensed.*    

(For the full article, click here)

Let me see if I can explain some of how the new world of software programming works, using a few clearly identified ground rules for a baseline:

1. YOU are not smarter than the entire engineering staff of Microsoft, Adobe, or whomever, regardless of what you think of your bittorrent skills.
2. The Internet is a requirement for most people and most software in today's digital world.
3. Your hacked software IS going to eventually rat you out, even if your "friends" don't,

Regardless of your love or disdain for Microsoft as a company, let's agree that they have collectively created one of the most advanced pieces of software in the history of the world (The Windows Operating System). In recent years companies like Microsoft have been losing hundreds of millions of dollars annually due to people who are downloading pirated copies of their software. Doesn't it follow that they would take every step they can in order to catch people who are installing illegal copies of their programs? It's not like it amounts to five thousand dollars a year, in which case they would just likely not even notice, but when you put a dent of a few hundred million in someone's pocket, they feel it!

 How is this accomplished?

First and foremost, software piracy is reported through the Internet by your own computer reporting on you.  Years back, Microsoft incorporated a program called WGA, which stands for Windows Genuine Validation. Microsoft got tired of getting screwed over by the general population of Internet users, so they instituted the WGA policy. Basically, before you can get any more updates beyond a certain date, you had to download the WGA application update first. This little program simply loads itself, checks to make sure the serial key you have on your computer matches the one you have registered on Microsoft's web site, and checks to be sure that your key hasn't been reported as stolen or pirated. In layman's terms, it creates a unique fingerprint of you and passes that fingerprint off to the Microsoft database. Each and every time you come to get a new update for Windows, or try to download an office template for MS Word, or try to update your browser, your fingerprint is compared again.

Maybe you're one of these people who have a new hacked copy and you can update just fine! That's great! Awesome! Now you can go get updates to your system and no one will ever catch you!!! Yeah, not really...  If you consider it like a fingerprint, it's really an easy analogy to follow. Again, let me remind you Microsoft isn't stupid.(Greedy, overzealous, self-righteous, monopolizing capitalists maybe... but never stupid.) When five thousand people show up to the same store (read as windows update web site) and all five thousand people try to use the same fingerprint, alarms start to go off. No one comes out to arrest you. No one screams FREEZE. Nothing happens that you are aware of. All right! You got away with it again!

What you aren't aware of is that Microsoft puts your fingerprint in a database of "suspected fakes" and starts to track it. It's really simple to do. Let's assume that Microsoft (this works for Adobe too) releases a new patch on Tuesday. A normal user would login sometime that week through the Automatic Update feature, have their fingerprint scanned, and then be authorized to get the download. However, anytime the same download gets applied to the same fingerprint over five thousand times in the same week, something is wrong! (Remember, you got your hacked copy from a friend, co-worker, Internet site, etc. Now you ALL have the same fingerprint, but different IDs, so once ALL of you download the same patch, they know something is wrong.)

What happens in the real world when a crime is believed to be in progress? An  investigation is started, much the same as in the digital world. Microsoft doesn't have the time, patience, or the desire to track you down and come to your door; this is true. However don't think for a moment that it can't happen. Just like with a real-world investigation, the judge doesn't do the leg work. He has cops, lawyers, bounty hunters, and others for that. Microsoft and these other companies who spend hundreds of millions making software do too!

There are companies out there who make a percentage of the profits for catching you running pirated software. Microsoft doesn't chase you down themselves. They DO however pass over the information to one of these companies, and let them run with it. Let's assume that your pirated software is Microsoft Windows, retailing for about $180.00. Five thousand people who have all stolen the same copy equates to about nine-hundred thousand dollars! (That's almost a million dollars Microsoft lost JUST on the ONE pirated copy that got stolen from ECU a few years back! I worked for a computer IT company at the time and I literally had HUNDREDS of people come in with the same cd-key and try to tell me it was theirs they purchased but they lost their original disc!) Now, let's assume I work for the BSA or other organization. I simply call Microsoft and say "Hey guys. I'll make you a deal. I'll go investigate and collect your money for you. In exchange I want 20% of whatever I can recover in fines. Deal? Cool!"

Now you have a private company (who is ALSO smarter than you) with a vested interest in tracking you down and carrying you to court for the fines you owe to Microsoft, Adobe, and others. In the end, what happens? Ask the guys at Ron Ayers what happens. Seventy-two thousand dollars later, with your name all over the paper, and after having to fire your entire IT staff, you STILL have to hire new employees, buy new software, and deal with annual audits for the rest of your life to make sure you haven't done it again!

 To those of you out there who are geeks: Don't flame me with emails telling me I'm an idiot. I KNOW very well this isn't the actual method instituted to track software piracy. I'm trying to make an analogy that my regular readers can understand, in simple terms, minus all the jargon.

 How do you protect yourself against piracy?

Well, I'm not going to give away all my trade secrets for free. After all, I do run an IT company that needs to turn a profit. If you think you're in danger of being caught for pirated software then you probably are. You can easily Google the word "Software auditing program" and try some programs for yourself. If you are a business owner out there, or work for a company you feel might get caught, I would be delighted to help you audit your software inventory. Does this mean I will call the police and tell them you're running illegal software? No. I work for my client, which is you or your company. My job and my liability end with me reporting to you which programs are or are not compliant. It's up to YOU to contact the proper people and purchase legitimate software.

 

What if I'm already running pirated software?

If you know already that you're running illegal copies of software, you can purchase the legitimate copes for a discounted price and have your "keys" changed to reflect the new licenses, which will make you legitimate. Again, this is something you can try to do yourself, but I would definitely see about contracting someone who knows what they are doing before relying on it for your business. If you want professional assistance, check out the official work web site: www.twnetworx.com

 

 

If you find this article useful, please Digg it. If you have questions or comments or want to know more, leave a comment and I'll answer it online.

Some of you who read my previous post about upgrading your copy of Windows Vista to Service Pack 1 have since emailed me or asked about the upgrade's feasibility. As time grows nearer to the update being released, more and more hype is being mentioned on the Net about how people can't wait to go get it. Even my co-workers are greedy to get some of their new features and don't want to wait. (I can't blame them there... I want to try the new features out too.) However, it should be remembered that nothing significant has changed on the Microsoft back end since I wrote that last post.

As a Microsoft Development Partner and a Technet Partner, we already have access to the new Vista SP1 Prerelease Candidate through official channels, yet I still maintain abstinence for those who are concerned about their computer's stability. Web sites frequented by the techno-gurus are already filling up with people asking how to fix problems with the new service pack, one of which is an unending reboot cycle that you can't stop.

As of today, there are at least 12 programs that were unable to work with Vista SP1 when it became available to us earlier this week. In a rare self-effacing moment and with the intent of maintaining full disclosure (read that as: Microsoft is tired of being yelled at, so they are trying to be up-front about it for a change) Microsoft has made available a Knowledge Base Article (#935796) detailing the current programs that are having problems with the new service pack. Though mostly security related, and therefore sadly not affecting most of you since most people don't actually want to USE security software, there are some more common programs that you have that might be affected. As you can see in the article, the manufacturers have already created fixes for most of their application, however some yet remain sans patch.

In an effort to avoid the flaming barrage of "Microsoft Sucks" litanies, it bears repeating that most of these issues are not Microsoft's fault. Many of the hardware and software manufacturers have yet to comply with the deadline released by Microsoft, which would allow their programs and hardware to be addressed during the patch process.

Full details about the Microsoft Vista SP1 problems are copied below, with comments from me on certain sections. For those of you who get bored with the geek-speak, stop reading here.

Information about programs that are known to experience a loss of functionality when they run on a Windows Vista Service Pack 1-based computer

INTRODUCTION

Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista is an important update for Windows Vista. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) contains many security, reliability, and feature updates for Windows Vista. A program may experience a loss of functionality after you install Windows Vista SP1. However, most programs will continue to work as expected after you install Windows Vista SP1.
This article lists programs that have been reported to experience a loss of functionality when they are installed on a Windows Vista SP1-based computer.
Notes

•This article should not be considered a comprehensive list of programs that experience loss of functionality when they run on a Windows Vista SP1-based computer.
(Microsoft gets the understatement of the year award for this comment!)

•If you are using a program that appears in this article, you may have to contact the software vendor for more information.

MORE INFORMATION

The following tables contain programs that are known to experience a loss of functionality when they are run on a Windows Vista SP1-based computer.
If an application that is not mentioned in this article has a change in functionality after you install Windows Vista SP1, perform the following actions:

•Restart the computer at least one time after you notice that the program is not working correctly. This may let services or pending functions finish to correct the problem.

•Contact the software vendor. For example, visit the support area of the software vendor Web site. You may be able to find an application update that mentions Windows Vista SP1 or a newer version of the program that was released after Windows Vista SP1. (Short of being a geek like us, you're most likely going to just get frustrated trying to do this. If you can't get it to work, let me know by posting in the comment section and and I'll try to help by finding you the patch/upgrade you need for your program.)

•Report the problem to the software vendor. You may be able to use a contact link on the software vendor Web page to report the problem and to request an updated version of the application.

Programs that are blocked from starting after you install Windows Vista SP1

The programs in the following table have known compatibility problems with Windows Vista SP1. For reliability reasons, Microsoft blocks these programs from starting after you install Windows Vista SP1.
Note These programs are blocked from starting with the approval of the third-party software vendor. (This means "We know they won't work, so we're NOT going to let them run and potentially hurt your computer. I applaud this statement from Microsoft! Further, I would suggest that if you have any of these programs listed below and you plan on installing the patch yourself, you should uninstall the affected programs  first, as you might not be able to cleanly uninstall them after the patch is applied.)

BitDefender AV or Internet Security Version: 10
Made By: BitDefender
http://kb.bitdefender.com/KB400-en--What-to-do-if-BitDefender-10-cannot-be-installed-on-Vista-SP1.html

A supported version (2008 or a later version) is now available.

Fujitsu Shock Sensor Version 2.1.0.0
Made By: Fujitsu Limited
http://www.fujitsu.com/
Current information about this issue is posted on the vendor Web site.

Jiangmin KV Antivirus Version 10
Made By: Jiangmin
http://dl.jiangmin.com/download/kv2008.htm
A supported version is now available.

Jiangmin KV Antivirus Version 2008
Made By: Jiangmin
http://dl.jiangmin.com/download/kv2008.htm

A supported version is now available.

Trend Micro Internet Security Version 2008
Made By: Trend Micro
http://esupport.trendmicro.com/support/enterprise/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=PUB-en-1036628

A supported version (16.1 or a later version) is now available.

Zone Alarm Security Suite Version 7.1.078
Made By: Zone Alarm
http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/catalog/products/vista.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en

A supported version (7.1.218.0 or a later version) is now available.

Programs that do not run after you install Windows Vista SP1

The programs in the following table do not run after you install Windows Vista SP1. The following table may include either a suggestion for how to resolve the issue or a Web site where you may find a solution for the issue. If a solution currently does not exist, contact the software vendor. Or, visit the software vendor Web site for a recommended solution.

Iron Speed Designer Version 5.0.1
Made By: Iron Speed
http://www.ironspeed.com/products/VistaSP1.aspx

A supported version (5.0.2 or a later version) is now available.

Xheo Licensing Version 3.1
Made By: Xheo
http://www.xheo.com/myaccount
A supported version (3.1 R17024 or a later version) is now available.

Free Allegiance Version 2.1
Made By: Allegiance
http://www.freeallegiance.org/FAW/index.php/How_do_I_fix_error:_%27Application_failed_to_initialize_properly._Error_0xc000007b%27

Current information about this issue is posted on the vendor Web site.

Programs that have a loss of functionality after you install Windows Vista SP1

The programs in the following table have a major or minor loss of functionality after you install Windows Vista SP1. We recommend that you contact the software vendor. Or, visit the software vendor Web site for a recommended solution or program update.

NYT Reader Version 1
Made By: New York Times
New York Times Reader stops working when the right mouse button pressed.
http://www.nytimes.com/timesreader (http://www.nytimes.com/timesreader)
A supported version is now available.

Rising Personal Firewall Version 2007
Made By: Rising
Rising Personal Firewall disconnect functionality does not work in Windows Vista SP1
http://www.rising.com.cn

A supported version (2008 version) is now available.

Novell ZCM Agent Version 10.01
Made By: Novell
ZCM 10.0.x is not supported in Windows Vista SP1
http://www.novell.com/support/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=3486285&sliceId=&dialogID=53482286&stateId=0%200%2053484693

Current information about this issue is posted on the vendor Web site.

For information about how to contact a software vendor, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

This is a continuation of my post about how to upgrade Neat Receipts titled "How to Upgrade Neat Receipts 3.0.3 or 3.0.4 to 3.1 SP (3.1.3.183) (On Windows Vista Ultimate)"

Well, if you read my last post about upgrading, you'll note that I got stuck at the end and couldn't get it to launch without some system tweaking. Rather than fiddle around with the install, I emailed one of the staff at NR and asked her to have someone call me this morning about the glitch. Sure enough; 8:24 this morning I get a call from NR about the glitch and we worked it out rather simply.

Note about what I'm going to show you:

This process is only to show you how to get the Neat Receipts Database Controller working if you've just installed the NR 3.1 SP patch, and may not work for any other purpose. Heck, it might not even work for THIS purpose if you didn't experience the same problem I had.

Why isn't the Neat Receipts Database controller loading?

Either the installer is not properly working yet in all environments or there was just some issue on my particular pc, but the solution was easy enough. Here's the fix:

1) Go to My Computer.

2) Navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Neat Receipts\Setup

3) Find the file called NeatReceipts Database Controller.msi and double click it.

Note: If you do not have the option on your PC enabled to "show extensions for common file types" you might not see the ".msi" part, but it will be the only file called that in this directory, so you can launch it with or without the MSI in the file name.

4) Press "Next" when you see this screen (below)

5)If you have already installed the patch, you should see the option for "repair" already selected. If you do NOT see that selected, then you haven't installed anything yet and you shouldn't be here anyway! Press the "Repair" button.

Now you simply allow the program to install, follow any instructions it gives you, and you're done.

Immediately after I did this, I checked my Services tab and found the database controller running. I launched Neat Receipts and it works fine!

 

This article deals specifically with beta testing Neat Receipts 3.1.3.183 on Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, 32-bit.

This is a follow up to this article.

Well, the installation went well. No problems there. However, upon completing the installation, I tried to launch NeatReceipts, only to get the following error screen:

(Note for SEO Ability:Neat Receipts Professional can not launch because a connection to the database could not be established, possible because the database is still starting up. Please wait 30 seconds and then try re-launching NeatReceipts Professional. If the problem persists, please contact NeatReceipts Professional technical support for assistance.)

 

Step 1: Check for active services running:

NeatReceipts 3.0x required two services (not processes) to be running. One was the Neat Receipts Database Controller. The other is the NR2007 SQL interface.

When I checked for running services, the SQL server wasn't running and the Neat Receipts Database Controller was absent from the possible list of accessible services altogether.

Step 2: Reboot before you screw-up anything.

I immediately rebooted the PC, got a clean boot, and tried to start NR 3.0 SP1

Launch the application:

Ok.. no problem. Click the button.

I get the NR splash screen for a few moments, then I'm back to the database controller error screen.

 

Step 3: Check for services

NR sometimes has a problem starting on some machines. I'm not sure why exactly but it seems that once the NR executable loads into the kernel, the SQL interface is loaded, followed by the database controller. Note: You can not start the database controller manually without already having the SQL interface resident in memory. (At least that was the scenario on my PC when I just loaded 3.0x and prepared by last back up before installing the upgrade.)

I went to the services screen to check for services running:

Sure enough, I see the following: (click for larger view)

 

Now, I need to start the service, because for whatever reason NR hasn't launched the server for me yet. So I launch the SQL service.

(click for larger view)

 

Now that I have the SQL service started properly, I go to locate the NR Database Controller.

It's gone.

(click for larger view)

 

There IS no database controller loaded onto my system any more. Not only will it not load, but the patch upgrade removed the service from my PC. I've attached another screenshot to show you where the service SHOULD be listed, (Right above my Net.TCP service) but it's not there.

So, now I'm awaiting an email response from Jenn or one of the staff at NR about the issue. I will update further when I know more.

Either

• A) the patch removed the need for the database controller.
• B) the patch changed the name of the controller and I'm just not seeing it.
• C) the patch didn't properly reassociate the controller in my system.

More info when I know more.

NOTE: If your NR would not load after performing the update due to a database controller error, please read the update to this post titled "Upgrading Neat Receipts (New Information)" for details on a potential fix.