AB Activation - Invalid Attributes

Here's a bugger of a problem I'm having on a couple of laptops I have. I try to move an activation from the floppy to the hard drive. I select to move from A to C, the new dialog box opens scanning for activations on the floppy, but then I get a message "Activation File Corrupt - Invalid File Attributes".

Now I take this floppy to another computer, and it works fine. The problem only occurrs on these two laptops. Both are Dell Inspirons 5000e's. One is running Win2K and the other is running XP Pro. Both have the latest service packs loaded.

I've moved these activations on and off a number of other machines without fault, it's just these two laptops.

Does anyone know what could be happening here? Am I dealing with a Windows issues or a virus protection issue? BTW, I deactivate all antivirus and antispyware programs when I try these moves.

Thanks ya'll!

it may seem stupid, but are you sure the hard drive in the laptops are assigned the C: designation? Once verified, make sure the RS software is on the same drive.

We had this issue on an older laptop here. The infinately wise guru s decided to assign two drive letters in the system (partitioning). One was Windows C: & the other was Data E: All Program files were in the data section.

Ya, the hard drive is designated as C and it's not partitioned. We ran into that partitioning issue too. But this one is on two computers that have relatively new OS's. Both were loaded less than a month ago. I'm just curious if it's a windows service pack issue.

I was on the phone with Rockwell Tech support this morning on a activation move issue. Some things I found out.

Can't have Norton Antivirus running. Apparently it can corrupt the activation file. There is a way in Norton to disable looking at certain files and its covered in the help document that comes on the activation diskette.

I couldn't get the activation to move to the hard drive (error messages popping up) and the nice gal at Rockwell told me that I can't have any Rockwell proccesses running while trying to move the activation. I had RSLinx, RSLinx Enterprise, Rockwell Application Services, and Rockwell Directory Server all running as automatic start services. I had to make them all manual starts, reboot the computer, move the activation (which worked this time), and then go back in and set those services back to automatic.

Some of this may apply to your case. Norton comes as a trial version with some new laptops for 120 days and I didn't take it off. RSLinx installs as a service by default.

I'm running XP Pro and was trying to install RSLogix 5000.

Hope this helps.

I've seen the message before but only when the activation was already on the hard drive. The file evrsi.sys should have the R, S & H attributes set; if it hasn't then try using the attrib command from a command prompt to reset them.

jstolaruk - Thanks for the advise. I disabled all the antivirus running on the machines and made sure all applications have been stopped. I even tried to move the activations in safe made. Nothing...same error. But I appreciate the effort!

NOP, I've played with the attributes and they are sound. I know the diskette is good b/c I can take it to another machine and it works fine. Activations are listed and are moved to the hard drive without issue. But when I try it on these two laptop...nothing but errors. Grrrr!

Thanks everyone for your help with this!

Are you sure that RSLinx is truly "stopped"? It can be running in the background with no indication on the screen. It will stop your activation move every time. You have to find the Start-up sub-directory and remove it from there, then re-boot.

I just bought a new Windows XP Pro computer. I could not load the activation codes until I disabled all antivirus and firewall programs. It had McAfee so I removed that and thought it would work then. But little did I know that the new Windows version has another level of built-in Microsoft firewall and security protection. I had to disable that too. Then I could move the activation.

Lancie1 said:

Are you sure that RSLinx is truly "stopped"? It can be running in the background with no indication on the screen. It will stop your activation move every time. You have to find the Start-up sub-directory and remove it from there, then re-boot.

I just bought a new Windows XP Pro computer. I could not load the activation codes until I disabled all antivirus and firewall programs. It had McAfee so I removed that and thought it would work then. But little did I know that the new Windows version has another level of built-in Microsoft firewall and security protection. I had to disable that too. Then I could move the activation.

Click to expand...

From the task manager, choose the Processes tab, and any tasks running will show up. RSLinx will show up as "RSLinx.exe".

Thanks guys. I am absolutely sure that no AB or RS software is running in the background. I've removed it from the start-up, and checked the task manager/processes. Nothing running but some essential windows programs. I even did a process-by-process comparison with the machine that allows the movement of the activation.

I'm beginning to have a hunch it's a new microsoft security function that's causing the headache. I've got my IT guy looking into it right now. hahaha...not that he knows anything about the AB software, but maybe he can fine the MS stuff that's getting in the way. Here's the hopin...

If you want to eliminate the floppy disk/floppy drive as a possible problem, you could use a removable USB flash disk as a mapped drive to transfer the activation between a working PC and the Dells.

just forget the floppy drive, network target machine
(dell laptop) with one of the PCs that can have
activation installed on.
share the drive and proceed as usual...

I strongly suspect a floppy drive issue quite frankly. Have seen this problem before quite a few times. If both floppies are calibrated within limits but one is on one side of the limit and the other is on the other side of the limit, it is not uncommon to see this type of message.

The other message I have seen due to floppy drive problems is the dreaded "disk is not formatted". Put the thing in another machine and the disk is quite OK.

Suggest you try another floppy drive and see if that resolves the issue.

BobB said:

I strongly suspect a floppy drive issue quite frankly. Have seen this problem before quite a few times. If both floppies are calibrated within limits but one is on one side of the limit and the other is on the other side of the limit, it is not uncommon to see this type of message.

The other message I have seen due to floppy drive problems is the dreaded "disk is not formatted". Put the thing in another machine and the disk is quite OK.

Suggest you try another floppy drive and see if that resolves the issue.

Click to expand...

My question to you then is, will these floppy drives work normally otherwise? I can read, write, copy and delete files from floppy disk with them. No issues. I only run into problems with them when doing the Evmove. Can a floppy drive work normally except for this function? I'm not doubting you and I'll be overjoyed if it's just a drive issue, but the fact that this is happening on two laptops that have relatively new OS's makes me wonder. And the fact that one of them has a new floppy drive in it.
I'll swap out the drives from some other laptops and let you know what I find out.
Thanks!

panic mode said:

just forget the floppy drive, network target machine
(dell laptop) with one of the PCs that can have
activation installed on.
share the drive and proceed as usual...

Click to expand...

That's a good idea, but the whole reason for using the laptop is so I can take it out on the field.

Originally posted by koti:
That's a good idea, but the whole reason for using the laptop is so I can take it out on the field.

Click to expand...

Once you have the two machines networked and you share the drive on the PC with the activation, you can assign that drive a logical drive letter on your laptop. Then use the PC with the activation just like a floppy drive. In evmove, select the shared PC drive as your source drive and pull the activation that way. We do that quite a bit here since it's easier than messing with a floppy.

Keith