Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

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prosozial_schmitt
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Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by prosozial_schmitt »

Hello,

I've changed PDFXCviewAxLib to the new version 2.5.213.0 to resolve crashes with Windows 8.1.
But after this, it seems that registrationless activation doesn't work in the version. The control only show an icon.
(Found in a remote-application under Windows 2012 Server (not R2)).

Do I have to make changes in app.Manifest for the new version or is your PDFXCviewAx.X.manifest changed but not updated in the SDK distribution?

Greetings
Hans-Peter
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by Vasyl-Tracker Dev Team »

Hi, Hans-Peter
Do I have to make changes in app.Manifest for the new version or is your PDFXCviewAx.X.manifest changed but not updated in the SDK distribution?
It is not necessary, you may keep it the same.

The control does not work under Windows 2012 Server (not R2) only or under other platforms also?

Best
Regards
Vasyl Yaremyn
Tracker Software Products
Project Developer

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Roman - Tracker Supp
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by Roman - Tracker Supp »

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prosozial_schmitt
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by prosozial_schmitt »

Hi Vasyl,

I can't test it with other server platforms, because we only have an environment with MS Server 2012 (without R2).
This machine has no PDfX-Viewer installed. On this machine I've replaced our distribution-files and the error occurs.
Users are starting our application via Remote-App.

I've investigated the problem further:
In my builded files, I've exchanged "PDFXCview.exe", "PDFXCviewAx.dll", "resource.dat", "Languages\PDFXVW_De.xml" to the previous version and this works via Remote-App on the server.
I've changed them back to the current version and only the icon is visible (see attached picture).
Addionally changing the interop files "AxInterop.PDFXCviewAxLib.dll", "Interop.PDFXCviewAxLib.dll" to new generated has the same result.
Files from current version 2.5.213.0 don't work, files from version 2.5.190.0 are working.

On another machine (Surface Pro) with a fresh windows 8.0 installation upgraded to 8.1 (without installed PDFX-Viewer) locally logged in (the files are copied from the MS 2012 Server to the temp-folder) the problem does not exist.
Here I can show the PDF with version 2.5.213.0 (without crash). Even if I'm logged via Remote-Desktop on the machine, it works without problem.

After this, I copied the files from this machine back to the MS 2012 Server in a temp-folder and tried it per Remote-Desktop on the server - and now it gets strange: it works.
The only difference is the path in which the files are.
So I've copied the folder with the files to the same path in which the not working files are and the error is there (connected via remote desktop to the server). Starting our application in this folder with admin-rights does not change the behaviour.
The path in which the new version doesn't work on this MS Server 2012 is:
C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\prosozial\PsStarter\Programme\proso 21.Entwicklung.Produktivsystem
After that, in this folder I change the PDFX-Viewer files to the older version and it works.

I know it's confusing, but to me, it seems that there could be a problem on a MS Server 2012 in combination with the path an registrationless activation?

I'll try to investigate it a little bit further to exclude sideeffects, but perhaps the current information brings you to some ideas.


Best regards
Hans-Peter
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prosozial_schmitt
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by prosozial_schmitt »

Hello again,

I've verified the behaviour on the one MS Server 2012.

If the program-folder is in a folder under the user-profile (tried in Appdata, Roaming, etc.) the PDF is not shown.
Even if I copy it in another users folder and start ist from here, the PDF is not shown.
If the program-folder lies on c:\temp or c:\, the pdf is shown.

Iv'e tried to verify this on another MS Server 2012 (without R2) - but here it works.

The difference between the two servers is:
The first server is used as terminal/RDP-App server. And on this server, the user-folder is mapped via VHD.
Could this cause the problem?

But on the other hand:
The version v2.5.190.0 works on this machine. There must be changes in PDFX-Viewer v2.5.213.0 which lead to the behaviour.

Greetings
Hans-Peter
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Roman - Tracker Supp
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by Roman - Tracker Supp »

Hello Hans-Peter,

Is it possible to arrange interactive remote debug session on the problem server?
For example we could use TeamViewer to access the server. The only requirement is internet access from the machine - there is no need for public IP, port forwarding, disabling firewall or so.

However if this is not an option, we can make other debugging approaches.
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by prosozial_schmitt »

Hello,

I've asked our admins, but there is no way to get teamviewer on the or other servers to evaluate this...

We installed windows server 2012 R2 as terminalserver on another machine in our domain and I could verify the problem on this machine. I'm shure, that userprofiles mounted in vhd (UPD) have to do with this, because we could manage it to change my profile on the server from UPD to local profile and the error is gone.

To me it seems, that the problem is only in mixed domains (Server 2008 Domain, Server 2012 Terminalserver), because tested in another serverfarm with only windows 2012 server (Domainserver/terminalserver) all is ok.

I found a blog-entry which shows other problems with UPD in mixed domains (incompatible SMB?).
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/For ... ing-logoff

Nevertheless there must be a change between version 2.5.190.0 and 2.5.213.0.

Greetings
Hans-Peter
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Roman - Tracker Supp
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by Roman - Tracker Supp »

Hello Hans-Peter,

I have setup the configuration you described (WinServer 2012 as a terminal server (with UPD enabled), WinServer 2008 Std as a DC/AD) but could not reproduce the issue - regless activation works even in directories within UPD-based user profile.

Could you please prepare a standalone set of virtual machines (TS and DC) that is similar to your real setup enough to reproduce the issue?
Then we could download those VM and investigate here locally. VM engine might be VMware, VirtualBox or MS Virtual PC.
If you cannot do this, we will have to ask you to run a log-enabed version of the PDF-X AX and send us collected logs, but it would probably be a slow way to debug and would require many iterations.
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by prosozial_schmitt »

Hello Roman,

sorry, but we can't give you VMs to reproduce the problem. The problem occurs in our internal productive environment.

I would try it with your log-enabled version of PDFXCviewAx if it helps.
I hope it consumes not so much time to create the logs and perhaps it helps to find the problem.

Greetings
Hans-Peter
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by Roman - Tracker Supp »

Hello Hans-Peter,

Please try to reproduce the problem with this test set (zip includes 32- and 64-bit builds). Just run OpenDocument.exe and open a pdf file with it).
if you get a crash please make a memory dump of the failed process (you can use Task manager for this) and send the dump file to us.

If you could not reproduce (I have already applied a 'fix candidate' to the ActiveX) then please try your application with the ActiveX (PDFXCviewAx.dll) and the server (PDFXCview.exe) from this test set (use the ActiveX of the same 'bitness' as your app).
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by prosozial_schmitt »

Hello Roman,

I've tested your application and on the first try, I couldn't reproduce the problem. But after exchanging the control in our program, the error was there again.

After a lot of trials and time I have found the reason for the behaviour. If a program is in a sub-folder of the via VHD mountet User-Profile-folder and the foldername has a space or point in his name, the problem is there. If there is no point or space in the subfoldername the problem is gone... With this info I could reproduce it even with your test-application.

Example:
c:\users\username\pxv_clickonce_issue => works
c:\users\username\pxv clickonce_issue => does not work

I've attached a screenshot of my terminalserver remotesession where 2 programs are running from different named folders.
Your older version v2.5.190.0 definitly has not this problem (see second Screenshot).

I hope this helps to find the problem (Missing quotes?).

Greetings
Hans-Peter
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by Roman - Tracker Supp »

Hello Hans-Peter,

Please try again (the same download link, the zip file has been updated).
prosozial_schmitt
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by prosozial_schmitt »

Hello Roman,

I've tested it with your new version and now it works :D

What do you have changed and what was the problem?
When can I get an official version?

Thank you very much for your patience!

Greetings
Hans-Peter
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

Hi Hans-Peter,

Glad to hear it's working now!
The fix will be included in the next official build and in the mean time you can use the custom build Roman has provided.

Regards,
Stefan
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by Roman - Tracker Supp »

Hello Hans-Peter,
Sorry for so long investigation period. Partly it is for the highly specific repro conditions that was rather confusing to me. :)
The problem actually was that a WinAPI (GetShortPathName) does not work as expected under these conditions.
We have changed our code so that this API is not in use anymore in this case.
When can I get an official version?
The binaries from the latest test set are built without debug info and with all optimizations so you can use them in your product until the next official build of the PDF-X Viewer.

Thank you very much for your valuable help and patience.
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by prosozial_schmitt »

Hi Roman,

yes - this behaviour was really "something strange"...
But "We've got it".

You have gained a new title "Bugbuster"
:wink:
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Re: Registrationless activation of PDFXCviewAx doesn't work?

Post by Tracker Supp-Stefan »

;)
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