Can't get Geomagic Design 2014 to run on Vista

[Kab]

After installing GD2014 on a Vista Home Premium 32bit machine, it will not launch past the welcome screen. It seems that it is looking for an installation file GeomagicDesign.msi

I have been using GD2013 (expert) on the same machine and had no installation problems and I noticed that a similar file named GeomagicDesign.msi was used then.

I have now reinstalled GD2013 back onto this machine and it is working again.

Can anyone please confirm that they have loaded GD2014 on a Vista Home Premium 32bit machine?

Does the machine need to be connected to the internet during installation? This has not previously been the case, as long as you cut and paste your user key from your internet account file.

My Vista machine has all the current Windows updates installed.

 

[DavidJ]

Because there are differences in program file locations, and hence also in registry keys between v2013 and v2014 I recommend uninstall v2013 and re-boot before running the v2014 installer.

Run Installer 'As administrator' and close the File Explorer window from which you selected the installer as soon as it begins to run.

Others may have additional suggestions.

 

[bigseb]

Run Installer 'As administrator' and close the File Explorer window from which you selected the installer as soon as it begins to run.

Alternatively right-click the installer, choose 'properties' and select 'run as administrator'. Then go to Start ---> Run, navigate to the installer and press OK to run.

 

[DavidJ]

As Seb indicates there are actually 2 ways to achieve the Run as Administrator - whichever you use, do close the File Explorer Window after initiating the installer.

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Sebastian & David,

I tried all those (multiple times) on an install under Windows-7 (Ultimate). I could get it to run by hitting <Close> 6 times (in response to the error messages) to get to the start-up screen and 3 times (in response to the error messages) each time I wanted to open a file. This has been reported to support, but no answer is forthcoming. Yes, I rebooted. Yes, I ran it as Administrator (my default setting -- and explicitly).

 

[dammerel]

im confused, where do you get GM2014. i understood 2013 is the latest version?

 

[weppler]

EXACTLY the same problem for me on XP SP3.

Only I don't have 2013 any more to go back to.
No reply from support.

Doesn't anybody try this stuff before releasing?

 

[weppler]

Problem seems to be related to an issue that was present in an earlier version (v2011) and corrected:
http://forum.alibre.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12012

You are REQUIRED to let the install create a Desktop icon and Start Menu entry.
If you don't check both boxes during install, you are toast.
Each time the program is run, it checks to see if those bits are present.
If they aren't, it attempts to run install in the background to create them.
Unfortunately, the .msi file sought is deleted after a succesful launch.

 

[DavidJ]

Lew - suggestions were asked for, and given in good faith. Others may be able to help - ultimately there is official support.

 

[Sunprojekt82]

Had the problem. I have done the following:
Geomagic uninstalled. Manually deleted all the folders that were still available with the name Alibre or Geomagic.

Then I noticed that (as administrator), the installation path is not the same when you reinstall the program.

Is: C: \ Program Files \ 3D Systems \ Geomagic Style 2014 \

I got to: C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Geomagic Design 2014 \ changed.

Work that way.

Toll is helping each other in this forum!

 

[Kab]

Thanks for all your replies, but weppler had the solution I needed.

I did disable the Start Menu entry option which was the cause of the problem.

Hope support sees this thread, as I don't think it is worth raising another incident report on this matter, as it has already been reported twice, so I believe.

 

[H-L-Smith]

im confused, where do you get GM2014. i understood 2013 is the latest version?

+1 on that. Geeez, you go away for 2 days and it's a whole new world. Last chatter I saw was with respect to an under-the-radar version of 2014 at the PE level called Cubify Design. It grew up over the weekend into Pro and/or Expert?

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Allowing the system to create both a Desktop Icon and Start-Up Menu selection seems to have solved the problem. I have to admit that I go out of my way to avoid putting things in the Start-Up Menu. I know people who hate having Desktop Icons, so this seems to be ill-considered programming.

 

[DavidJ]

Allowing the system to create both a Desktop Icon and Start-Up Menu selection seems to have solved the problem. I have to admit that I go out of my way to avoid putting things in the Start-Up Menu. I know people who hate having Desktop Icons, so this seems to be ill-considered programming.

It may well be poor programming (or just poor QA testing). The pragmatic thing to do now we know is to let it install both of these, then delete any not desired afterwards.

 

[weppler]

"...then delete any not desired afterwards."

ONLY after an update is released that fixes the problem!
The 15081 program looks for these things at launch.
If they aren't found, it wants to run GeomagicDesign.msi that no longer exists to restore them.
It won't work without them!

BTW since this issue was confronted way back in v2011, it IS sloppy programming AND poor QA.