FTView - cannot restore .mer "file is not a valid runtime application file."

DenZ_P

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FTView - cannot restore .mer "file is not a valid runtime application file."

Hello Experts,

I was given a .mer file and i cannot restore it using Application Manager. I having an error "The file C:\Users\xxxxxx is not a valid runtime application file". I had done this countless times but i am not sure what is going on at this moment.

I am using the following below:
-VMWare Machine Image - Win7 Enterprise SP1 64-Bit
-FTView v8.1 CPR 9 SR 7.4

Troubleshooting done below but issue still persist.
- Restarted VM
- Restarted Laptop
- Checked Windows Rockwell and Factory Talk services. Restarted this services and Restarted VM. Restarted Laptop
-Also followed commented by MATT116 in this thread http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=90986

Causes
1 The .APA/.MER file was created in a newer version of the software and the older version does not recognize it.
Creating a*backup or runtime*file in one version of FactoryTalk*Studio then attempting to restore it in an older version is not supported.* The version of FactoryTalk View on the system restoring the file must be the same or newer than the system that created the file.* This includes patches and patch roll-ups.
2 The .APA file is from a FactoryTalk View Site Edition application and restoration is being attempted in FactoryTalk View Machine Edition.* Or the reverse.
Note: This can also be caused by trying to open a FactoryTalk View SE application with only FactoryTalk View ME installed.
3 The*file has a Read only attribute set.
4 The file was created on a computer with FactoryTalk Services Platform (FTSP) that is newer than the computer that is being restored on.
5 The file has ActiveX files in the project and those ActiveX files are not registered on the computer.
6 The trojan SProtector.A existed on the computer.
7 The computer you are restoring to does not have RSLinx Enterprise installed on it.
8 Corrupted file.

Solutions
1 Upgrade to the same version of FactoryTalk View Studio*in which the archive was created including patches and patch roll-ups. FactoryTalk View Patch Roll up can be found in technote
748634 - FactoryTalk View - Patch Roll-up for CPR9 SRx
2 FactoryTalk View SE backup files cannot be restored in FactoryTalk View ME.* The reverse is also true.
3 Check the Windows attributes on the file
4 Verify FactoryTalk Services Platform is a compatible version with the system that created the file.
5 If FactoryTalk Machine Edition ActiveX files are used in the original application, the computer that is restoring the file needs to have the same OCX*versions installed and registered on the computer.
6 Scan for viruses/trojans/malware
7 Create a new file on the source system.* Verify version compatibility between*the source and recipient systems.

Note:* A possible solution to by-pass version issues with*FactoryTalk View Machine Edition*is to create a .MER file on the source system which is the same version as the recipient system.
Only version 5.0 and greater runtime files can be restored - for earlier versions see technote*8913 - Recovering a FactoryTalk View ME Project from the MER File version 4.0 or earlier.
Only v6.1 and greater runtime (.MER) files can be restored that are created on a 64 bit Windows OS.
 
Do you know the version it was created in? Can you post it? I think I have V11 installed on a VM I could test it on.


HTH
 
I've had this issue before.

In my case, the .mer was created in a different version than what I had installed. I had to upgrade the version of FTView on my laptop.

Also, until a few years ago, you could not restore from .mer files, only from .apa files. (Unfortunately I don't remember what version of FTView finally lets you restore from .mer. )

Try to get the .apa file if you can, or try to find out what version of FTView the .mer was created in.
 
RA has included a tool for FactoryTalk View version 11 - "FactoryTalk View ME Version Reader" that will read the version for a Runtime (.mer) or application archive (.apa)
A standalone of this tool is also available.

Here is a link to the Legacy FTME versions that can be converted.
456868 - FactoryTalk ME Runtime (MER) Conversion Compatibility
 
There is also a way to run the mer and get most of the files to make a project. Like screens and such. Doesn't work for alarms or something like that it's a work around for the older versions in case someone lost the apa
 
Do you know the version it was created in? Can you post it? I think I have V11 installed on a VM I could test it on.


HTH

Hello Bob,

Thanks for the response. The version was v11. I used the app created by one fo the members here in the thread in mu original post. I asked the guy who made it to save the runtime app in lower version. Theres no other way.
 
Hello All! Thanks for response. Solution for me is just to have the runtime app saved in a lower version cause it was in version 11. Thanks!
 

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