Flare 6.0 Failed to run command 'Preview' error

[vlo2008]

Hello everyone,

One user in my company is having difficulties running the preview button using Flare 6.0 for windows xp. The following error occurs:

Failed to run command 'Preview'.

Exception:
Unable to find the specified file.

I tried reinstalling the software using the administrator account but nothing works. I also compared the project properties settings on her computer and another computer. Both are the same. Everyone else is running smoothly except for the user who is having the problem.

Another message shows up when she tries to print:

Problem(s) in background thread: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. [System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException]
Dialog: ThreadProgressDialog
Inner Exception: System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Unable to find the specified file.
at B3.CatapultProjectKit.CatapultFile.Load(IUrl url)
at B3.CatapultProjectKit.CatapultTargetFile.Load(IUrl url)
at B3.CatapultProjectKit.CatapultProject.LoadTarget(IUrl url)
at B3.CatapultProjectKit.CatapultProject.LoadPrimaryTarget()
at B3.CatapultMdiEditorKit.CatapultMdiEditor.CompileDocument(XmlDocumentWrapper wrapper, String conditionExpression)
at B3.XmlTextKit.BoxLayout.CreatePrintLayout(String medium, IXmlDocumentCompiler compiler, PrintTargetFormat targetType)
at B3.XmlEditorKit.XmlEditor.OnPreparePrintJob(Object sender, EventArgs e)
Stack Trace:
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle._InvokeMethodFast(Object target, Object[] arguments, SignatureStruct& sig, MethodAttributes methodAttributes, RuntimeTypeHandle typeOwner)

Please assist. Thank You.

[LTinker68]

Probably not the solution, but you could have her reset the window layout to put the GUI back in its factory-default state.

[vlo2008]

Probably not the solution, but you could have her reset the window layout to put the GUI back in its factory-default state.

Can you explain how to do that in detail?

[lacastle]

In Flare, click Window > Layouts > Reset Window Layout.

[vlo2008]

In Flare, click Window > Layouts > Reset Window Layout.

Thanks for the help Laura, I tried resetting the Window Layout but I still get the error. I tried other opening other files and I don't get the error message. Any suggestions?

[LTinker68]

So it's only one specific file on that user's computer that won't Preview? That sounds to me like the file isn't XHTML compliant, like it's missing a closing end tag or something, but if that's the case, all of you should get the same error. Are the files in source control for all of you to access? Could she try getting the latest copy of the file from source control?

[vlo2008]

So it's only one specific file on that user's computer that won't Preview? That sounds to me like the file isn't XHTML compliant, like it's missing a closing end tag or something, but if that's the case, all of you should get the same error. Are the files in source control for all of you to access? Could she try getting the latest copy of the file from source control?

Hi Lisa,

Yes it is one specific user that cannot preview the file as well as print. All the users are able to print and preview the file except for the other user that is having the problem. The file is on a server which allows users to access it to make changes. Is that what you mean when you mention access control? All users have to go through the server to access the file.

[LTinker68]

Ok, I was confused because you said you tried to open another file and didn't get the error, so I couldn't tell if it was just one file on that user's computer or if it's still all files on that user's computer, and it sounds like all files.

The Preview windows uses Internet Explorer, so perhaps that user's installation of Internet Explorer is having problems. Can she use IE outside of Flare without problems? And is it just that one project? If she creates a test project does she have the same problem?

[vlo2008]

Ok, I was confused because you said you tried to open another file and didn't get the error, so I couldn't tell if it was just one file on that user's computer or if it's still all files on that user's computer, and it sounds like all files.

The Preview windows uses Internet Explorer, so perhaps that user's installation of Internet Explorer is having problems. Can she use IE outside of Flare without problems? And is it just that one project? If she creates a test project does she have the same problem?

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for the responds. I created a test project with the user and she was able to preview the file without difficulties. In regards to IE, we try previewing the file using IE explorer 6.0(we don't have the latest version since our sharepoint portal doesn't support version 7 and up). We were able to see the text, but not the frames and banners on the page.

[LTinker68]

I created a test project with the user and she was able to preview the file without difficulties.

So it sounds like just that one project that might be a problem for her. Could she delete the project entirely, including from the Manage Projects screen so it doesn't show up in the Start menu, then recreate it using the current version of all files in source control? See if that takes care of the problem.

In regards to IE, we try previewing the file using IE explorer 6.0(we don't have the latest version since our sharepoint portal doesn't support version 7 and up). We were able to see the text, but not the frames and banners on the page.

That sounds to me like she has some permissions set in her IE6 that you don't have set, or vice versa. You might compare her browser settings to what you have set.

[vlo2008]

Thanks for your help Lisa. I just got a call from madcap and they told me to follow these instructions to resolve the issue:

-Under project organizer, expand the target folder and right click any of the target files and select make primary

This resolved the preview error message and also allows the user to print.

[LTinker68]

So she somehow had a project where none of the targets were set as primary? Huh. I wonder how that happened.

[rkiskan]

I had the same error and setting Primary resolved it. I also see that the TOC loses its Primary setting - or at least it set it to a different TOC.

Robin

[peckerdunne]

Same thing happened to me. Thanks for sharing the solution.