an error occured while attempting to open the global settings database

[monika.kamm@ymail.com]

Imatch was working fine during trial period. Then I licenced the product. It still worked. I made a backup, just for fun to try that too.
I know that all this should have nothing to do with my error. I did read through endless articles, but I don't get it.
I don't have the Imatch.pts file - nowhere that I could find it.
What's a bit strange is that the error message still tells  Critical Error on c:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch6\config\imatch.pts
but in my 3rd attempt to reinstall I did modify the installation path and installed into a modified install directory.
I uninstalled, restarted, installed, even downloaded a new install exe
the complete \config\  directory is missing.
Please tell me where I could find the log file....   I am really feeling a bit stupid right now, not even finding a log file to upload.
Thanks a lot for helping me to it to work.
Monika

[Mario]

IMatch uses a global settings database to store all your settings. This database is stored as

c:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch6\config\imatch.pts

and automatically created by IMatch when it does not exist.

Re-installing IMatch does not change this database - else an update installation or re-install after a problem would delete all your settings.

1. Does this file exist on your disk? Open this folder in Windows Explorer:

c:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch6\config\

and check for the file. There should also be a imatch.pts.bak in the same folder.
This is an automatic backup IMatch made of the settings database after the last successful start.
You can delete the existing imatch.pts and then copy imatch.pts.bak to imatch.pts to restore the last working settings database.

I've also had a case recently where the installed virus checker (McAfee or Bitdefender, not sure) blocked IMatch from accessing the file (without telling the user).
Maybe something similar?

The IMatch log file is stored in the TEMP folder on your system.
You can access it via Help menu > Support. See log file for more info.

[moni370]

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AuSQF1Sp-6Zngg7F16AW3i5s2if0?e=MM3S22
this is the link to the dump
I finally found the file, deleted it and start without the file crashes.
Then the file is there again, but only with size 0 and this leads to the known critical error.
I wonder what I destroyed. I am not able to setup windows from scratch, but everything else still works.
I found 3 files in quarntine at the time when I uninstalled, downloaded the code again:
$R53Q8W5.exe
$R7P8XCR.exe
$RYIHRMH.exe
I am a bit worried.
Kind regards, Monika

[Mario]

Hi, Monika

IMatch reports

Settings database does not exist. Creating folder if it does not exist: C:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch6\config\imatch.pts

then follow a ton of

'disk I/O error'

which means that the database system in IMatch is unable to read/write any data.

I have not seen this before. The only reasons I can come up with is that your user account does not have write access to the disk, or that a virus checker or other security software is blocking any disk access for IMatch.
Which virus checker do you use?

PS.: The files in quarantine are not part of IMatch.

[moni370]

Hi Mario,
ok, but it DID work!?
I am only running with the HP standard security package. It is called HP Wolf Security.
This is a family desktop and only I have admin rights.
I did install IMatch with my Admin user, I did work with IMatch with my Admin user.
Then I tried to start IMatch with my NON-Admin user and I think that is when the mess started.
I wanted my husband to work with IMatch, but he should be able to use his Windwos User account.
I know that the 'I think' is very unprofessional. Sorry for that. I am working in IT support, but Windows is really only a working tool.
.
Question:
can I install IMatch with one windows user (A) and use it with another windows user (U)? I was never able to solve this question. I already wanted to buy a additional multy user licence, but I expected IMatch to tell me that I cannot use it with another user.
If this is really the first time you see that. What do I need to delete to start again, from scratch with IMatch? I know this is not really a solution, but I have now invested as much time in trouble shooting as I did in getting to know the product. Still I would rather solve the issue or I will always be unconfortable not knowing when I am in this situation again.....
kind regards, Monika

 

[Mario]

This makes the problem clear.

When you create files under an Admin account, only administrators get write access to the files.
So, when you first started IMatch under an Admin account, the settings database was created under the Admin account and now only the Admin can access the file.
The same is probably true for the IMatch database.
Not sure.

Right-click on the C:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch6\config\imatch.pts file in Windows Explorer.
Go to the Security tab and make sure that Users (COMPUTER NAME\Users) has "Full Access".
Do the same for the IMatch database.

[moni370]

I have done, but I don't have enough time now.
It does not work, I will go through all the settings again.
Why doesn't it work when I open IMatch from the user that I used to install?
I come back with more details.
Thanks for your patence.
Monika

[Mario]

I have no idea. I don't recall a similar problem having ever been reported.
The most likely scenario is that somehow the files created are only writable for a user with an Admin account, unless you change the file access privileges in Windows Explorer.

If the "normal user" can run IMatch, you can delete the PTS file.
When the "normal user" starts IMatch the next time, a new PTS file will be created, which should allow write access to all users.
You can verify this in the Windows Explorer properties for the PTS file (Security tab in the Properties dialog).

[moni370]

short version
for some unkown reason I did run IMatch App with 'run as admin' and since then all my problems are gone.
I wrote a log file on what I did, it continues with:
go to my other Admin user use the desktop link and it works: THE OLD DATABASE opens!
close
go to a User user, and IMatch does open and runs. I now deserve a break. I don't know if this User has access to the raw material, the photos. But I think with my new aquired Windows skills I get the hang on that too.
Needless to say that I hate Windows. kind regards, Monika

[Mario]

This indicates that you have somehow managed the file system permissions...
E.g. by running IMatch initially under an Admin account and this caused Windows to create some (?) of the files IMatch creates during first run (like the database or settings database) to be only accessible to members of the Admin group. You can verify this by looking at the PTS file in Windows Explorer, right-click > Properties : Security tab.

This is how it should look (for the settings database, the IMatch database (and the folder! containing the database), the entire C:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch6 folder.



If some of the files are not accessible for normal users, strange things will happen.
You can make C:\ProgramData\photools.com\IMatch6 accessible for all users, and make IMatch apply that recursively down to all users in the Windows Explorer properties dialog.