(updated) Program crashing - is it due to custom fields - adj field sequence?

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Frank-H
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(updated) Program crashing - is it due to custom fields - adj field sequence?

Post by Frank-H »

"Newest update" - though it seemed that doing a full program uninstall - reinstall had fixed the below described problem, a few more "close the program - open the program" cycles, and the error message turned up again. Error pic, below.

Also, I figured out why the "configure Outlook" message, another pic, below - apparently if you select "send info, to epim, re: this error", that is mandated - "send via Outlook"... earlier it would just freeze at that. This time, I was able to x-out of that message, to get the full detail error report etc.

Description of events is below, but this is the error message;



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A while later I came back to the program, this looks like it had tried to save a backup and had an error;


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My original Data / Description:

Odd occurrence here- I recently bought epim Pro, (9.9.6), running plain Windows 10, "all seemed fine" basically running through the program and beginning setting up groups and custom contact fields (I mostly just need contact manager / epim calendar use), then:

With the email module "never touched", and in fact, submerged from view, I started getting this error message, (and clicking "send" on the error message, brought up this second box),

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Again fresh install of 9.9.6 and zero "touching" anything relating to email, I don't use Outlook in any way, and the test contact I created to make my fields, had an email field including just a gmail address.

The crash wouldn't resolve (by clicking anything, including "close program" from the Windows icon), I had to re-boot the PC to clear the freeze.

re-starting epim, then just navigating around, "all was fine for a while", then this same error box / scenario happened. Re-booting, I then "un-hid" the email module, then simply closed it again, I went through "options", and turned off "check if epim is default email program at start up", toggled that off (it was defaulted to on). Saved the database under a new name, closed program, launched it again, after a while, this happened again.

The only odd things I can think of that might have thrown a "struggle" onto the program; I set up a lot of groups, around 20. But simple alpha-numeric, nothing odd. And, I have a lot of custom fields, probably 20. The default field "company", I renamed to something I can use. It is odd, setting up fields from various program views, "put it in general", "put it in additional", yet from the All Fields view, "add field", there is no separation mandated on those two "category / zones", "general / additional", AND, from "all fields", you can select a field and arrow it up or down. I wonder if I "scrambled something" within hardwired boundaries of the epim structure, by creating fields and adjusting their location. "Company", now named something else, I re-located also, via, "all fields view", edit fields, arrow up / down. Epim guys, could that have confused the "program", such that, it would generate that odd "you have to set up Microsoft Outlook" message? Any advice on how to clear things, from here, so I can use the program?

Can creating 20 or so custom fields (including the "can't delete it" "Company" field), and rearranging field sequence order, can that mess up the program function / stability, re: the crashes / error messages?

What is "advised to not do", re: creating custom fields, and re-arranging sequence? Is it best "not to touch" the "Company" field, though I have no use for it? The structure one sees going through a custom fields creating process, re: what the program mandates / calls "general fields", and "additional fields", is odd... For me, "view all fields" is how I will use the program. The "basic contact view" doesn't work for me, and not all of my fields even show in that view.

When I was first creating "what I need", there was a scroll on that basic contact view, now there is no scroll on that view and some fields do not show. No special characters or weird things, re: field names. I'm guessing "arrow up / arrow down" re: field sequence, and locating "general fields" further down in sequence, might be confusing the program.... What do you think, and what is your advice... Should I start over, differently somehow, setting up the fields and sequence of fields that I need?
Frank-H
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Re: (updated) Program crashing - is it due to custom fields - adj field sequence?

Post by Frank-H »

Trying again here - Admin - Is the basic thing that one should not change the name of or try to move, the "Company" field?

Do you think that could have contributed to the "new install, newly tailored database, only contacts module in use" crashes, described above?

Any other suggestions you know re: "don't adjust field 'x', don't try to change location in sequence of field x"?

And doing a search on past posts, I see others have asked / suggested, "why is 'company' MANDATED, as a field".
Some have no use for that field. Why was it made mandatory... Thanks for any input, I need to get my install functional. I've already uninstalled / reinstalled 9.9.6 and will probably start over again from scratch setting up my needed custom fields / and sequence of them.
Frank-H
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Re: (updated) Program crashing - is it due to custom fields - adj field sequence?

Post by Frank-H »

Admin, Epim, "I am not happy"... I posted a "wow this program really has improved" post in the General forum - NOW, after actually trying to add custom fields etc, a) no reply to my messages above, with clear error message images, b) It seems this is just not a good program for contacts, if one has 20 or so custom fields. More description here:

After all the above posts, and no reply from the company, I did another full uninstall (had to find unintall.exe within program files to actually clear everything), then with a totally fresh install of 9.9.6 (paid for this week, I've bought several times but never put into real use, notice my forum join date, 2005).

I was "slow, and hitting save, and closing / re-opening the program" the FIRST time, this time, I was very very meticulous, to save and close after every new custom field entered, and entering via "all fields" view it defaults to "General" rather than additional fields, I chose "additional" for all custom fields added, was careful to not rename "company" (which I have no use for, but reading the experience of others it seems it's a field that must "stay"), things seemed fine.

No special characters, no weird stuff with field names, just very normal contact manager need type stuff, no slashes, all vanilla.

THEN, with 20 or so custom fields added, it was time to remove checkboxes from the "column view". This program is buggy, here, on this. Again I hit save every time, and often closing / re-opening program, AND, selected "apply to all groups". At re-launches of the program, sometimes the "un-checking" didn't "stay", and with some groups, changes weren't applied. This is pretty inexcusable.

I finally got the 9 or so columns I wanted showing, contact main view, but saving / closing / opening the program, I started getting error messages (ONE contact in the database, never touched mail or synchronization, virgin program, stable Windows 10 machine).

22 years ago I had thousands of contacts with "many" custom fields, in Sidekick 98/99, never had one crash. I can't get this program to stay alive, with ONE contact in it, with custom fields, added slowly one at a time, saving / closing / re-launching, "kind and gentle" attempting to set this thing up. It has cost me many hours. Here are three different error messages I got, after putting all that time in. I had to manually close the program via task manager, as, it froze hard. Again this is a second new fresh install, after similar earlier "deaths" after installing the newly bought 9.9.6 pro.

Admin, epim, is this just not a competent level program for contacts? What is the situation with this program, please respond.


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Frank-H
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Re: (updated) Program crashing - is it due to custom fields - adj field sequence?

Post by Frank-H »

Well, another day, and no support reply. I am shocked that there are releases that are so buggy. Doing a search of the support forum by keywords like "stable version", I see other versions like 9.4 were put out as "finished", that were disaster. What is it with this program, that people are always hugging onto older "this one was stable", versions???? And I'm guessing I'm getting zero response to my support post, due to, "9.9.6 is not a stable release". That wasn't printed on the web page, when I bought it.
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Re: (updated) Program crashing - is it due to custom fields - adj field sequence?

Post by Frank-H »

Out of desperation, no reply from epim for 3 days, I download version 9.3 from the "old versions" page on zendesk, and I point it to my "custom fields were created, and contact columns view columns were tailored" database made in 9.9.6 which it was crashing on like crazy after my "many" hours work put in tailoring it and then uninstalling / re-installing etc etc etc to try and fix the crashing, no crashes with that SAME database, reverting to 9.3 (database has ONE contact in it, custom fields created, no email, no synchronization), the same database created in 9.9.6, disaster in 9.9.6 with constant crashes with each fresh re-install; ran fine in 9.3

Testing it I even threw in more fields, threw in more view columns in all contacts view, dragged around the view order of columns, "no crashes" using 9.3

Last year I bought Pro for like the 3rd time, I just never moved forward with the business that needed it, "I already had old versions of the program", I bought the CURRENT version due to the constant emails re: "bug fixes" etc. No. Amateur work here. Don't put time into dark themes etc, when you can't put out a stable working program. I wish I could bill you for my wasted time, all due to poor craft with 9.9.6
Frank-H
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Re: (updated) Program crashing - is it due to custom fields - adj field sequence?

Post by Frank-H »

With no reply after several days regarding the above disaster with newly bought 9.9.6, I emailed epimsupport@essentialpim.com
Anton sent me a dropbox link to try, NO CRASHES with the same database. Oddly, it shows as a 9.9.6 but it is not the same download size as "what is on the website for download". And I tried a new download of that, a) still crashing, b) identical download file size of the program to what was up July 4 when I bought it. So maybe there are some interim tweaks being done to 9.9.6

It should not have been released "as is". epim should test each release WITH the databases & scenarios that caused troubles, heavy heavy testing, before a release. Their failure to do that has cost me a lot of time (that I wish I could bill them for, re: negligence of testing, and no reply on support forum). But at least it's working now. I will be very cautious (and will test well) any new "releases".
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Re: (updated) Program crashing - is it due to custom fields - adj field sequence?

Post by TumbleDoor »

It is very important to test every new version of EPIM before putting it in actual use, even minor updates.

It's great that they do fix bugs, but I wished they wouldn't have destroyed their old beta testing base, since it sure seems like a lot more issues started hitting the stable release about the same time they went to the "auto-update beta channel" system that some of the testers have publicly said is broken and say they never get any beta updates to test from it.
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