FTalk User Accounts Scrambled

What cause the accounts to get scrambled like this?

This happens if an APA is restored in a different computer than the one on which it was backed up. The scrambled accounts will have to be deleted and accounts re-created if they don't already exist on this computer. (One of the things I just love about FT)

Not that this helps at all, but if the computer names (Windows) are the same, it won't happen.
Just something I discovered a couple of weeks ago. Obviously it has something to do with the way the usernames/passwords are transferred.

Yup. The worst feature of FTView ME. There's no way to port this info over easily. One Tech. support guy said to write the account info on the pre-4.00 tab. Also when restoring an .APA file, NEVER choose the option to restore the loacl directory. It will OVERWRITE yours and cause all sorts of problems.

It's a big pain as we (as most probally do) archieve our projects and send them to the customer so they have a backup. It's high time they sorted this out.

I'm pretty sure I've tried writing it in the pre V4.0 tab before and it wouldn't work on the 5.0+ screens (although I've not tried it for a long time).

One day maybe

Well the odd thing is, this is an APA that was generated by and restored with the same computer, in the same VM.

jkerekes said:

Yup. The worst feature of FTView ME.

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I disagree. I can't count about five off the top of my head that are worse.

OkiePC said:

I disagree. I can't count about five off the top of my head that are worse.

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Feeling generous tonight Paul?
ONLY five?

OkiePC said:

I disagree. I can't count about five off the top of my head that are worse.

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I'm not one to jump on the crowded Rockwell Bash Express because I am fine with most of their software, but I keep myself a FactorTalk list that irritate the p1ss out of me.\

The only time that I have experienced the login scramble is when I restored an application that had user accounts that didn't exist on my machine and I didn't select the "local directory" option when I restored it.

One thing that I can imagine that could have happened Damien is say you had user accounts A, B and C on your machine. Then you restored an application with accounts X, Y and Z where you chose the the local directory option. I think the A, B and C accounts would get wiped. Then you restored A, B and C the same way and now X, Y and Z get wiped.

Our solution for a while was to put [ALL USERS] in the security configuration so that the specific users weren't in there to get scrambled. This would only work if you had one user level.

And then we grew even more tired and completely move the login into the PLC. Since we are an OEM, this makes it much more flexible to have unique accounts for each customer.

dmroeder said:

The only time that I have experienced the login scramble is when I restored an application that had user accounts that didn't exist on my machine and I didn't select the "local directory" option when I restored it.

One thing that I can imagine that could have happened Damien is say you had user accounts A, B and C on your machine. Then you restored an application with accounts X, Y and Z where you chose the the local directory option. I think the A, B and C accounts would get wiped. Then you restored A, B and C the same way and now X, Y and Z get wiped.

Our solution for a while was to put [ALL USERS] in the security configuration so that the specific users weren't in there to get scrambled. This would only work if you had one user level.

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Thanks

You nailed it. This VM is specific to one customer of mine. I had just added a new account to it last week. I ended up restoring the VM to a point before I had created the account, so when I went to restore it then, it couldn't find it. ARGHH!

I'm going to record the sound of me grinding my teeth while I enter all these accounts back in so that I can send the audio clip back to Rockwell. At least there is only four on this one.

I'm going to give serious consideration to handling the accounts on the PLC instead like you mentioned.

I think Factory Talk is ready for a reboot/overhaul. I'm not entirely happy with most HMI softwares out there. I wish I could take all my favorite parts of all of them and combine them into one super HMI. Talking with the Rockwell guys last month, it sounds like pretty soon the software is going to get merged together anyhow (ala CX-One). I can see this being both good and disasterous depending on how well it is executed.

DamianInRochester said:

Talking with the Rockwell guys last month, it sounds like pretty soon the software is going to get merged together anyhow (ala CX-One). I can see this being both good and disastrous depending on how well it is executed.

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We heard this too. I'm crossing my fingers that things take after Logix because I really like that software. I'd hate to have Logix take after FTV. The first thing that I hope goes is the Application Manager, which would in turn mean that the whole "local directory" scheme would to as well.

dmroeder said:

We heard this too. I'm crossing my fingers that things take after Logix because I really like that software. I'd hate to have Logix take after FTV. The first thing that I hope goes is the Application Manager, which would in turn mean that the whole "local directory" scheme would to as well.

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Yeah, Duh? That was for what? Security? I never understood that dependence on path...And how long has it taken them to respond to that initial complaint?

Yes, I hope they don't blur the line between bloatware and logic too far if they try to go after a one for all software development environment.

I think the Super HMI has been born. It is still a young but powerful pup, but is poised to just blow them all away, and that is Crimson 3.0

I like G3 hardware too. I would like a portrait/landscape display mode too, and more offerings in hardware without membrane buttons at all, but they run liked gazelles, and are very tough. Our G310 on the pounding patty slammer finally died. It lasted seven months, then somone blew a plastic plug out of the panel (Doh! that was supposed to be a handle mounting hole)_and filled it with 160 F water.

It only damaged the backlight power supply in my quick evaluation, because I could see the alarm bar with a bright flashlight held up against it, and the clock was ticking. It cost $158 to have repaired (plus shipping).