HRD 6.2.10.377 problems solved

Well it turns out that Microsoft's Windows Firewall was the culprit on this issue. It seems that during the installation process a command is issued asking your permission to punch a hole through for the HRD Logbook module. This didn't seem to be working when a machine was attached to a domain.

I setup a test box with vanilla Windows 7 domain member, no virus scanner (as that usually causes 99% of problems) and did an install with 6.2.9.355 and imported all my settings including the license. That worked OK in test. Then when I installed 6.2.10.377 over the top is started displaying issues during the install saying certain registry keys were not present. When I got HRD finally to start it would ask me for my license key again. Then when going into HRD logbook it said I had an invalid key and would not access the internet to pulldown lotw updates.

So I flattened my main machine and rebuilt it from ground up. After Windows 7 and all its respective drivers were installed the first program I installed was Avast licensed AV software. Then I did a straight install of 6.2.10.377. Again there were issues with various registry keys not being there but I clicked past them. Then I was presented with the licensing manager screen. I entered my callsign and key and then HRD complained again about certain registry keys not being present.

I decided to just open HRD logbook module on it's own as that was always the one that complained that there wasn't a license. Bingo I saw a Windows firewall prompting to allow access to the internet for HRD Logbook. Then it became hidden behind other windows but nothing seen on the task bar! I clicked around until it became active and was then able to allow the firewall. The rules were then written into the firewall.

Here's what was trying to be written into the firewall rules

I restarted HRD and was then presented with a screen saying "This looks like the first time the suite has been run". No error messages this time. I entered my callsign and license key and everything started up properly. Fantastic. I then copied all my backup data from the network back into c:\programdata\HRDLLC and run the Migration wizard again

Re-Run Migration Wizard dialog

This then copies all your original data into the new location of c:\users\your username\appdata\Roaming\HRDLLC - see the Migration release notes from HRD for the reason behind this.

As it happens I had already configured the database to backup to a network drive and that's where it still was. The ODBC settings automatically updated and my logbook database was back. The migration tool is very good guys.

My thanks to everyone at HRD especially Rick Ruhl W4PC for persevering with my Facebook posts on the HRD FB webpage. Also if anybody from Microsoft is viewing please would you make applets like Windows Firewall appear on top of other windows when it takes focus. Then I wouldn't have had to rebuild my machine to work out what had happened.

Now I can get back to operating my rig with HRD and playing ham radio.