Report Hoster 5.00 Problems

[admin]

We thank you in advance to ONLY post 5.00 bugs in this Thread.

We will ONLY look here, not in other threads, for 5.00 bugs to fix in version 5.01.

Click here to see the feature changes in 5.00.

EVERYONE... we have released Hoster (and Lite) 5.01 that fixes the crashing bug reported here. We found a solid cause, a problem with Windows, and it is fixed.

You can download version 5.01 from http://download.mtu.com/download.htm

[bryant]

I found something really obscure. probably doesn't even count as a bug or glitch. But anyway, this is what happened.

1) I loaded an mp4 file (not realizing I can't play mp4's on this computer's Hoster anyway as the codecs are most likely not imstalled, as I usually play mp4 files thru a player that has its own built in codecs for every type of file imaginable) into the playlist.

2) Played a few songs and all was fine.

3) I clicked on the mp4 file, and as I expected, no sound, no video.

4) Here comes the strange part: Every song I tried to play off the playlist afterwards, audio mp3, HDzip, kma, etc., produced no audio at all.

5) I closed Hoster and reopened Hoster and all audio was fine again.

6) Hit a few other karaoke songs and all was fine.

7) Hit the mp4 file again, nothing as expected.

8) All other files lost their sound following this sequence and had to close and restart Hoster once again to get the audio back.

[crazycarl]

Tried Hoster 5.0 last night. Disappointed!!! Host shut itself off 3 times in the first 17 minutes of use. More than a dozen times during the 5 hour evening. Basically I can not use Auto Run, or edit a singers name. Also the new song search feature is terrible, works correctly very rarely, make the box colored in, (karaoke box) it is not nearly as good as just having a search button. many times last night i had to look up the song number in my books, it was quicker than using the song search.

Dave i know you think i complain to much about these recent Hoster upgrades, I am willing to send my laptop to you, if you want to find out what is wrong, I have had my laptop ckecked 3 times since Janurary. But maybe they don't know what to look for. Maybe i am just an Idiot, or imagining things. What I do know is that i could not leave my seat for hours. i had to use the manaul mode all evening.
Ps i tried to revert back to 4.32, i thought it would still be availabl for backup. But NO you had to have internet connection to boot it up. no internet connection at location. I assumed it was there from the previous instillation. Guess who was wrong again. You got it Crazycarl!! Maybe that's the problem I must really be crazy

Carl

[RIKKI TIKKI]

Originally Posted by crazycarl

Tried Hoster 5.0 last night. Disappointed!!! Host shut itself off 3 times in the first 17 minutes of use. More than a dozen times during the 5 hour evening. Basically I can not use Auto Run, or edit a singers name. Also the new song search feature is terrible, works correctly very rarely, make the box colored in, (karaoke box) it is not nearly as good as just having a search button. many times last night i had to look up the song number in my books, it was quicker than using the song search.

Dave i know you think i complain to much about these recent Hoster upgrades, I am willing to send my laptop to you, if you want to find out what is wrong, I have had my laptop ckecked 3 times since Janurary. But maybe they don't know what to look for. Maybe i am just an Idiot, or imagining things. What I do know is that i could not leave my seat for hours. i had to use the manaul mode all evening.
Ps i tried to revert back to 4.32, i thought it would still be availabl for backup. But NO you had to have internet connection to boot it up. no internet connection at location. I assumed it was there from the previous instillation. Guess who was wrong again. You got it Crazycarl!! Maybe that's the problem I must really be crazy

Carl

I too had a few shutdowns/crashes while beta-testing 5.00 & DDouglas reminded me that the AVG Free Antivirus program that I had just switched to, didn't play nice with Hoster... Once I shut down (unchecked) the portion of AVG Free version Antivirus program that's called "Resident Shield", all shutdowns I incurred earlier were eliminated, and my shows ran flawlessly! So maybe your antivirus program is lurking in the background, checking every file that Hoster is trying to search, load, or implement, and that is causing your computer to crash/shutdown during your shows! When you need to go back online, just enable the Antivirus program again! I had been using another Antivirus Program (Bitdefender) for the previous 2 years, and never had to disable it, for Hoster to run correctly... but when I switched to AVG, the shutdowns started at my show, and it was DDouglas's reminder that it (AVG Free Antivirus) didn't play nice with Hoster, that removed my crashing problem!

As to the search window in 5.00, tell us how you search, and why you don't like this portion of the Hoster song searching template, and maybe we can help you use it more effectively... it is a little different looking, but once I got a little more familiar with the new look, it is second nature to do the same thing that I did before... the placement of songs in the playlist from this search window, were implemented to better facilitate this function for the Keyboard (Hot Keys/ shortcuts) Users of Hoster, but it's just as easy for us "Mousers", once you get used to the New and Improved LOOK of 5.00

[CochrellGary]

Key change will not register from main window or the search window.

Key change must be entered by hand after the song has been added to the
play list.

This problem noticed on my XP laptop.
On my Win 7 desktop key change registers ok.

[CochrellGary]

Originally posted by CochrellGary
Key change will not register from main window or the search window.

Key change must be entered by hand after the song has been added to the
play list.

As previously posted, this problem occurred on my XP laptop.
It happened several times during my last show. I have tried to
duplicate the problem at home and have not been able to experience
the problem. I will pay closer attention at my next show to see what may
be causing the problem.

[ddouglass]

Thanks Gary. The more details they have the easier it will be to pinpoint the problem if it is repeatable.

[admin]

Originally Posted by crazycarl

Tried Hoster 5.0 last night. Disappointed!!! Host shut itself off 3 times in the first 17 minutes of use. More than a dozen times during the 5 hour evening. Basically I can not use Auto Run, or edit a singers name. Also the new song search feature is terrible, works correctly very rarely, make the box colored in, (karaoke box) it is not nearly as good as just having a search button. many times last night i had to look up the song number in my books, it was quicker than using the song search.

Dave i know you think i complain to much about these recent Hoster upgrades, I am willing to send my laptop to you, if you want to find out what is wrong, I have had my laptop ckecked 3 times since Janurary. But maybe they don't know what to look for. Maybe i am just an Idiot, or imagining things. What I do know is that i could not leave my seat for hours. i had to use the manaul mode all evening.
Ps i tried to revert back to 4.32, i thought it would still be availabl for backup. But NO you had to have internet connection to boot it up. no internet connection at location. I assumed it was there from the previous instillation. Guess who was wrong again. You got it Crazycarl!! Maybe that's the problem I must really be crazy

Carl

We just found and fixed a problem with Windows that could randomly cause Hoster to crash when you edited the Singers or Key fields in the Playlist. We just fixed it. That takes care of that problem.

Search field... Carl, whether we trigger with a SEARCH button or a Tab or Enter key or click outside the field does NOT change how the search is done, only the trigger. I can't comment on this. If you can give FACTS instead of emotional feelings, we can look at it and maybe find something to upgrade.

We'll have version 5.01 out next week.

[admin]

The problem we discovered is when we do an "FOpen" command (File Open, which is as basic as it gets in Window commands), we found - depending on the computer - that editing the Singer or Key fields in the Playlist, which triggers the regeneration of the Singers Names Display (an HTM file) to be added to the Show Display.

As often as 1 out of 2, and as infrequent as 1 out of 30 times, Windows FOpen would return a "0". This says the file is not found. Huh??????????????? 30 times it finds it and the next time - all done within 5 minutes - it doesn't? Senseless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We also have a report from a lady that after testing this several times has proven that 2 messages in the Marquee won't cause crashing, but 3 will crash within a 3 hour show.

The FOpen code is used in opening the marquee .htm file also, so our fix for the first has also been applied to the second. We should have feedback by Saturday.

Still, not bad for 232 overall changes made from 4.32 to 5.00.

[DiggerWertz]

In the Upgrade Notes you state the following: "However, because any major software release from any company can have bugs, we are including Version 4.32 (Full or Lite). If a bug should appear in 5.00 during a show, you can run 4.32 in seconds, then report the problem in the Video Hoster 5.00 Bugs and it will be fixed in V5.01."

My question is how do you run 4.32? I can't find it anywhere on my hard drive. Do I have to uninstall 5.00 and reinstall 4.32, or am I just missing something? BTW, great job on the upgrade folks!

[admin]

Originally Posted by DiggerWertz

In the Upgrade Notes you state the following: "However, because any major software release from any company can have bugs, we are including Version 4.32 (Full or Lite). If a bug should appear in 5.00 during a show, you can run 4.32 in seconds, then report the problem in the Video Hoster 5.00 Bugs and it will be fixed in V5.01."

My question is how do you run 4.32? I can't find it anywhere on my hard drive. Do I have to uninstall 5.00 and reinstall 4.32, or am I just missing something? BTW, great job on the upgrade folks!

We did NOT include 4.32 in the 5.00 release.

I've removed this text from the manual in 5.01, which is expected to release next week.

To run 4.32, you will need to do these steps:

1. Rename the existing "C:/Program Files/Micro Technology Unlimited/Hoster/Hoster.exe" to (for example) Hoster500.exe.

2. Then install 4.32 by using the REMOVE option (you can't install a back version over a latter version), which requires running it twice; once to remove the "current" Hoster.exe installation (yeah, seems stupid but that's they Windows requirement even if it isn't there as Hoster.exe), then a second time to install the 4.32 Hoster.exe.

3. I'd suggest renaming the 4.32 Hoster.exe to Hoster432.exe, and renaming the Hoster500.exe to Hoster.exe so that is what is NORMALLY run when you d-click the desktop Hoster icon. Then, if you need to run 4.32, use Windows Explorer to view the /Hoster folder (see above) and double click the filename Hoster432.exe.

4. You can also create a new Hoster 4.32 desktop icon by right clicking on an empty area of the desktop background, select New from the menu, then select Shortcut. Follow the directions to find the file location, and finish. Be sure you "new" icon is titled Hoster 4.32, and I'd name your other icon to Hoster 5.00.

[stublack]

I ran 5.0 last night for the first time. It crashed 3 times in the first hour.

I always keep the Search Database and Singers Database up while I look for songs through the night.

I noticed before the last crash when I hit S+ for one singer even though a different singers name was in the singers database it refreshed all the songs.

When I brought Hoster back up for the 3rd time I never opened the Singers Database again and it ran without a gliche the rest of the night. I realize this may have just been a coincidence.

[crazycarl]

Originally Posted by admin

We just found and fixed a problem with Windows that could randomly cause Hoster to crash when you edited the Singers or Key fields in the Playlist. We just fixed it. That takes care of that problem.

Search field... Carl, whether we trigger with a SEARCH button or a Tab or Enter key or click outside the field does NOT change how the search is done, only the trigger. I can't comment on this. If you can give FACTS instead of emotional feelings, we can look at it and maybe find something to upgrade.

We'll have version 5.01 out next week.

The problem is I think the search Tab does not return to being colored in after a search, so when you type in your seach for the next item it doesn't work because the search tab is not colored in, so you click the search tab so it is colored in and then your search term is highlighted, and back and forth all night. if the search tab, would automaticly return to the colored in stage maybe it would not be a problem.
As for me being emotional, i believe I have a right to be, Hoster 4.32 shutting down cost me a lot of $$$$ I lost a great Gig because of these shut downs, and the other 2 gigs I did with 4.32 and 5.0 the shut downs were embarassing. How do I call myself a professional, when my karaoke shuts down 3 times in the first 15 minutes and a dozen times during an eveniing
Carl Not so crazy

[stublack]

I ran 5.0 for a second time last night.

It my be unique to me, but the singers database is without a doubt the cause for my not responding shutdowns.

I had my first shutdown an hour and a half into the show (better than the night before). I closed the singers database no problems.

I opened the singers database for one (begging) singer and as soon as I added her song from the singers database to the playlist Hoster crashed a second time.

I apologized to everyone that I could not show them there list for the rest of the night. I never reopened the singers database and there were no problems the rest of the night

Wierd

[EmilioM]

I've found a problem. Actually, it's not much of one for me, but I thought I should report it. Without a second monitor hooked up, the singer's display opens up very small, and I couldn't resize it. I went and double clicked it, and it dissappeared. It still did not appear after I loaded a song and hit play, so I went and reset the display and then it seemed to work fine. I could resize the screen. This happened to me twice, luckily I was at home putting 5.0 through it's paces and to get used to it. I hooked up a second monitor the second time when the disply would not resize, and double clicked it, and it went to my second monitor full size, so everything is kewl. The only reason I brought this up is because some Hoster users may only use 1 monitor, and if they do, it could cause them problems. Other than that, THUMBS UP. I like it.
JRMerc
Memories & More

[Roy Dennis]

Originally Posted by stublack

I ran 5.0 for a second time last night.

It my be unique to me, but the singers database is without a doubt the cause for my not responding shutdowns.

I had my first shutdown an hour and a half into the show (better than the night before). I closed the singers database no problems.

I opened the singers database for one (begging) singer and as soon as I added her song from the singers database to the playlist Hoster crashed a second time.

I apologized to everyone that I could not show them there list for the rest of the night. I never reopened the singers database and there were no problems the rest of the night

Wierd

When you say the Singers database which one are you using in your show ?
There are 2 singers databases displays on this new Hoster 5.00, one is from the main display Singers Button which allows full editing of singers. The other is accessed from the search dialog by entering a singers name then clicking on the little folder icon next to it, this is a more compact display so as to use less of your desktop view up that just shows their songs but doesn't allow editing.

Which one are you using when you get the crashes ?

[stublack]

I'm not sure how to answer your question, I don't have the laptop with 5.0 loaded available right now. I believe there is a Singers button that brings up the database. In any case it looks the same as when you bring up the singers database in 4.32 with the singer and all their songs????

I've always left that up in 4.32 and I hope I can in 5.0 as well.

[stublack]

I just checked there is a singers button right next to the search button, that is the button I press in 4.32 and now in 5.0

[Roy Dennis]

Originally Posted by stublack

I just checked there is a singers button right next to the search button, that is the button I press in 4.32 and now in 5.0

Yes that one is much the same as previous versions, next time try the new one that opens from the search window itself as I described in the earlier post and see if you still get the crashing.

[ddouglass]

To add to this Stublack there is an explanation in the manual on this new way to get to the Singer's database.