Unofficial 32-bit Legacy Windows Build

[BetterRed]

@AlanHK - It does sound like a DLL Hell type problem, but that was last century.

What else is running? Maybe some Qt4 based software?

I would close down all discretionary applications - weather alerts, email, RSS clients, diary, browsers etc - and see if I could induce the behaviour. Given you're the only person with the problem (that we know about) suggests its something specific to you - which could be the software set you're running.

I think the only registry entries for Sigil are those the installer puts there for the uninstaller, plus any shell related entries for file associations the user sets up - eg for epub open with. Everything else is in D&S - Preferences has a button that opens it.

You could try running Sigil in Sandboxie - if behaviour in there is OK then that would suggest its a another application scribbling something where it shouldn't. Do you have any oddball driver's - analogue i/o, process i/o.

BR

[DiapDealer]

Gotta be an INI corruption problem. Instead of running the 0.6.x version next time it happens, just delete the Sigil.ini file and restart Sigil 0.8 2. If that fixes the problem, we'll narrow down which preference change is hanging it up.

Also, I seem to recall some sort of third-party sound software causing problems similar to this once upon a time, but I might be remembering wrong.

[AlanHK]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Gotta be an INI corruption problem..

Bugger me! That must be it.


I was monitoring the program folder for changes but the program is actually writing in
C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Application Data\sigil-ebook\sigil\sigil.ini

Never knew that existed.

It would be too simple to use the same folder the program is in.
Like Unix, Like DOS. Where you can find and back them up and fix them when they screw up.

OK. So I will back up that file and see if there is a rogue setting change next time Sigil dies.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by AlanHK

Bugger me! That must be it.


I was monitoring the program folder for changes but the program is actually writing in
C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Application Data\sigil-ebook\sigil\sigil.ini

Never knew that existed.

It would be too simple to use the same folder the program is in.
Like Unix, Like DOS. Where you can find and back them up and fix them when they screw up.

OK. So I will back up that file and see if there is a rogue setting change next time Sigil dies.

Alan

IMHO this is the proper location.

Each (PC) user gets their own private preference settings,user_dictionary...

Programs are protected from malware because their contents needs elevated privileged (UAC) to make a change

There is a link to the location in the Preference menu

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by AlanHK

It would be too simple to use the same folder the program is in.
Like Unix, Like DOS. Where you can find and back them up and fix them when they screw up.

Actually, lots of unix/linux programs store user data in hidden subdirectories (or hidden files) in the user's home directory. Global configuration might be in /etc, But user-specific stuff will typically be in .local or .config under ~/. Separate, user-writeable data directories for individual programs are fairly common practice on all platforms nowadays.

Also keep in mind that Sigil 0.6.x will use the same data directory and hence, same Sigil.INI, as 0.8.2. Probably not a good idea to have two different programs writing to the same file/directory. I'd uninstall both versions, delete the 'sigil-ebook' directory from Local Settings\Application Data and the reinstall 0.8.2 (and ONLY 0.8.2). Then if the problem continues, backup the Sigil.INI file and start removing entries from it (one at a time) and trying to start Sigil each time. That way you can track down which INI setting is preventing Sigil from starting.

You can try tracking down/removing Sigil registry entries before reinstalling, but like someone already mentioned, there's really no Sigil registry entries of any consequence that would likely cause issues like this.

[exaltedwombat]

Originally Posted by AlanHK

The PC is a year old.

So why are you causing problems for yourself by running an obsolete Windows version?

[AlanHK]

Originally Posted by theducks

Alan

IMHO this is the proper location.

Each (PC) user gets their own private preference settings,user_dictionary...

Yeah, yeah. I know the official line.
I don't like it, that's all.
There is only one user on my PC.
"Private" preferences are a useless complication to me.

Originally Posted by exaltedwombat

So why are you causing problems for yourself by running an obsolete Windows version?

I do not come here to to debate that issue.

[exaltedwombat]

Well, even if you need XP to run some old program or hardware, you can always dual-boot with a modern version and be productive wuth Sigil too. Sounds like you want a solution, but won't accept THE solution. Is this about making EPUBs, or about something else?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by AlanHK

I do not come here to to debate that issue.

Especially not in a thread started by someone who's creating these special builds with the express intent of providing the users who prefer to continue using that "obsolete" version of Windows an opportunity to continue using Sigil on it. No questions asked.

[AlanHK]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Also keep in mind that Sigil 0.6.x will use the same data directory and hence, same Sigil.INI, as 0.8.2. Probably not a good idea to have two different programs writing to the same file/directory.

If I knew a cleaner way to do it, I would.
0.62 writing to the same file(s) is what fixes 0.82
That is the only reason I run the old version.

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Then if the problem continues, backup the Sigil.INI file and start removing entries from it (one at a time) and trying to start Sigil each time. That way you can track down which INI setting is preventing Sigil from starting.

Okay in theory. But sigil.ini has 437 lines.

Including, I notice, a "clipboardringhistory" which has big slabs of text I never used in Sigil at all. Why on earth does Sigil need its own copy of the clipboard and why archive it in the ini file?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by AlanHK

If I knew a cleaner way to do it, I would.
0.62 writing to the same file(s) is what fixes 0.82
That is the only reason I run the old version.

Deleting/moving the INI file (without having 0.6.2 installed) would likely achieve the same result.

Okay in theory. But sigil.ini has 437 lines.

Then how about this? As soon as Sigil 0.8.2 stops working, make a backup of the existing sigil.ini file. Start Sigil 0.6.2 and close it, to "fix" the ini file, and then diff the "fixed" version of the ini file against the backed up "broken" ini file.

Including, I notice, a "clipboardringhistory" which has big slabs of text I never used in Sigil at all. Why on earth does Sigil need its own copy of the clipboard and why archive it in the ini file?

I have no answer for that question. Mostly because I don't care why it keeps its own copy of the clipboard ... any more than you care to explain why you want to keep using XP on new hardware.

[AlanHK]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Then how about this? As soon as Sigil 0.8.2 stops working, make a backup of the existing sigil.ini file. Start Sigil 0.6.2 and close it, to "fix" the ini file, and then diff the "fixed" version of the ini file against the backed up "broken" ini file.

Yeah, I tried that.

Many, many lines of encoded gobbledygook.

\x62\0r\0o\0w\0s\0\x65\0r\x1\0\0\0X\0\0\x2\xd1\0\0 \0S\0\xff\xff\xff\xfb\0\0\0\x16\0\x63\0l\0i\0p\0s\ 0w\0i\0n\0\x64\0o\0w\0\0\0\

etc, etc.

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I have no answer for that question. Mostly because I don't care why it keeps its own copy of the clipboard ... any more than you care to explain why you want to keep using XP on new hardware.

Large blocks of irrelevant text complicates file compare, for one thing.
"Resync Failed. Files are too different."


Anyway, next time Sigil chokes I will see if just replacing the ini file with a "known good" version works.
(Rather than deleting it, which would lose all my preferences).

[DiapDealer]

Updated the first post to include a link for the latest release of Sigil (v0.8.3)

[Bombur]

Thank you, this version is great. I don't know if it is your compiler magic or a general thing, but it starts up in almost no time.

[Sella174]

Many thanks for making an XP version, for now I can use Sigil until such time as I finally buy a new laptop ... unfortunately I always spend the money on FUJIFILM lenses!