Help, I can't open Actinic

[pinkequine]

No Duplicate Products

Hi Tracey,

Sorry I did mean to answer but got off track on my little rant. No I wasn't doing any duplicates.

I logged out, then tried to log back in again and hey presto! It had been working fine before that.

I am wracking my brains to think of if I did anything else, but there is nothing.

[pinkequine]

Hi Lee

I have got a snapshot of both before and after.. I am really hoping I do not to go back too far, because it really was a major, major change. and because it deleted a lot of the associated product links when i moved things around, it is really going to take me forever to sort it out, it was a weeks work as it was.

Yes it is business, the cheaper version didn't have all the functionality that this version had, so thats why I chose it....

[TraceyHand]

and because it deleted a lot of the associated product links when i moved things around, it is really going to take me forever to sort it out,

yeh...it does that

[leehack]

Go back to your last working snapshot on a different machine and see where you get. If you have a backup you might be able to grab your new layouts from your old database, at least you willl have the coding then.

Snapshot regularly Denise, stops all this junk happening.

[george]

pushing the system (or fumbling

Fumbling is good.


I'd also add, when moving, editing, altering products, regular compacting of the database is essential and will help avoid future problems.

[george]

Sorry if this is a totally spaz comment, but I don't suppose Actinic is still `running`, although unseen?

[completerookie]

it is really going to take me forever to sort it out, it was a weeks work as it was.

I also support systems for a living, and occasionally S**t happens. when it does, you have to sort it out one a couple of ways,

• try to manually sort it out yourself (you've looked and couldn't see anything obvious)
• pay for someone else to try (actinic via a support contract)
• reach for the backup

Youv'e clearly got to the last option (or at least considered it) but here's where i've got a problem - if you are about to undertake such large structural changes to the design (layouts or sections) then you really should take more backups than "once a week"

Backups should be treated as critical - if you want to lose only an hours worth of work, then take an hourly backup, if (in your case) you want to risk lose a weeks worth of work, then take a weekly backup.

You can't moan about the situation too much when you've decided not to do backups when they are so easy to do.
<<<stand back and wait for the reply>>>

[completerookie]

but I don't suppose Actinic is still `running`, although unseen?

this won't be the case, if actinic does fails to load (with another copy still running), actinic generates a message saying

Another instance is running but with no visible windows

I know, because I've seen that message before now.

[RuralWeb]

I have got a snapshot of both before and after

Then as kevin says your only option left is to go back to that backup. I take snapshots prior to EVERY change I do when designing (I did 38 on one site yesterday) and suggest daily for active sites. IMO its the most important of running a website - without it its like your shop being ram raided

[RuralWeb]

There is a wish list thread I started to ask for snapshots to be prompted on closing so you can add your vote if you want

[pinkequine]

I do have backups, but what we were discussing was going back further and doing the changes from scratch, because somehow what I have done has caused the problems. This is what I meant about the work involved and why was reluctant to go back and set it all up again.

Sorry for the confusion.

[Goz]

Have you tried rebooting your PC and then trying? I have had instances where Actinic appears to not want to load - it even gives the occassional error message - but after rebooting, it loads just fine. Haven't had your error message though!!

regards

Andy

[completerookie]

I do have backups, but what we were discussing was going back further and doing the changes from scratch

You've lost me, I don't think anyone is suggesting that you go back and start again. - clearly there was a point in time, that the error occurred. prior to that point, the backups are good.

if there is a problem, then you take an immediate backup (if possible) and then go back to your last backup. If the problem still exists, then you go back one more backup and so on ntil you find a backup that does not have the problem in it,

Sometimes you might jump back 5-10 backups just to get a gut feeling of when the error crept in. - if the error no longer exists, then start coming forward with the backups. eventually you get to the point where the errors start - its then that you know that this, and all subsequent backups may be useless.

eventually, if your error exists in ALL your backups, then restore the current backup because that no worse than any other one you've got.

[pinkequine]

Hi,

Done that, seems that it went wrong when I decided to change the locations to separate Scotland from the UK for shipping purposes...

Its up and running again now and I am none the worse for it, but I am going to try and find another work around for the shipping, not risking doing that again.

I actually had to un-install and re-install actinic though.

[Sean Williams]

I take snapshots prior to EVERY change I do when designing (I did 38 on one site yesterday) and suggest daily for active sites. IMO its the most important of running a website - without it its like your shop being ram raided

I do the same, and absolutely agree.
But this isn't so much because it's good practice - with my Actinic skills it's simply to avoid tying myself in knots all day long