"cannot Find Database File" Error

[victorhooi]

Hi,

Yeah, I know, this issue has probably been dealt with to death, but I seriously can *not* seem to get it to work .

Anyway, basic specs first, as suggested here:

Sony MZ-NH1

Sonic Stage 2.1 (on CD), 2.3 (downloaded)

Windows XP, SP2, Account is Administrator

AMD 1600+, 256 Mb

No Firewall or Antivirus software installed.

FFDShow not installed

I first attempted to just install the application off the CD, and plug it in and let it rip. That, of course, didn't work:

Cannot find the database file, or the database file is corrupted. Click OK to recover the database. Click Cancel to exit the program.

I tried installing the MDAC update, as suggested in this post, which also didn't work. I then updated to SP2, and ran Windows Update afterwards. I also followed the uninstallation instructions as detailed here, installed one version, uninstalled again and reinstalled the other, each one several times, all to no avail.

I have also read the following posts:

Updating Sonic Stage Database Problem

SonicStage Problem (Latest Version)

Sonicstage Error....when I Open It

Help Meeeeeeeeeeeee!, sonicstage

I have also read through the posts here, as well as the comments here.

If you click cancel, the application just closes. If you click ok, it brings up the recover database dialog, which then just causes the app to close.

Does anybody know if there's a solution to this issue, or what the root cause of it it? I'm actually fairly happy with my NH1, except that I think Sony has really, really terrible software engineers, and if they actually spent half the effort programming SS as they did on the DRM, it might actually work...

Is there a project to create HiMD/MD apps for Linux? I don't know why nobody seems to have started one...these recurrent problems with SS is an excellent advertisement for an OSS development model.

Anyway, I hope somebody has a solution to this, because I really do want to use it - in advance, thank you .

Thanks,

Victor

[Christopher]

I also followed the uninstallation instructions as detailed here, installed one version, uninstalled again and reinstalled the other, each one several times, all to no avail.

←

Completely uninstall via the directions in the FAQ. Restart the computer a few times. Install Sonicstage 2.1 from your cd. Install Sonicstage 2.3 on top of that without uninstalling anything. You get 2.3 from here: http://forums.minidisc.org/images/SS23ENG.exe

[victorhooi]

kurisu: Thanks for your quick reply dude.

Unfortunately, it still does not appear to work. I actually already carried out your instructions more or less to the letter before, except for the installing on top part.

Just to be certain, I used Locate32 to scan for all occurences of "sony" and "openmg" on disk, and Nirsoft's Regscanner to purge the registry for all occurence of "sony" or "openmg" (except for those linked to my Sony CD-RW, and those in %systemroot%\Driver Cache\i386" which are the drivers for Sony Digicams).

So yeah, as you can see, I was pretty thorough, and it still refuses to work

Also, if you attempt to install on top, SS23ENG.exe actually complains with

SonicStage 2.1 is currently installed on your computer. You need to uninstall SonicStage 2.1 before installing SonicStage 2.3. Would you like to uninstall SonicStage 2.1?

If you click No, the install aborts immediately. So, it seems I've basically done what I did before, which was install 2.1, remove, and then install 2.3. Very annoying... (Sony, that is).

Anyway, I appreciate your help nonetheless - do you have any other suggestions I could try?

Thanks,

Victor

Is this actually a common issue? From what I've read on forum boards and blogs so far, I'm pretty sure that Sony must have quite a few irate customers - isn't this a bit like the iPod battery issue? Why hasn't anybody pressed the issue, or complained to Sony about it? I wonder if it's possible to demand a refund from Sony?

[Christopher]

Install Sonicstage 2.1, and then install Sonicstage 2.3 on top of it, and yes, allow the program to facilitate the uninstall of 2.1.

Is this a common issue? Hell yes. Is it mostly to the fault of Sonicstage? Probably not.

Sony has irate customers until they come here.

Why hasn't anyone pressed the issue? We're trying.

[victorhooi]

hi,

Thanks for the suggestion, but that's the first thing I tried afterwards (after rebooting, and uninstalling/reinstalling of course) .

Anyway, I just called Sony Technical Support (for those interested the Australian number is 1300 13 7669, listed here- There's also a direct number here, although J Hagness is on holidays at the moment).

The rep I spoke to at Sony (Don) said that they'd send out an updated SonicStage CD tomorrow for me to try. I guess I'll wait for it, try it, and see how it goes.

Also, while I've got your attention , would you know anything about this? Just a quick question from me about recording in mono-mode on HiMD units.

Anyway, thanks a lot for your help - I'll post again when the CD arrives (fingers crossed that it helps).

bye,

Victor

[victorhooi]

Hi,

The CD arrived from Sony today (SonicStage 2.3), but as I feared, it still fails on startup with the "corrupt database" error.

kurisu: You've been very helpful so far dude, and I appreciate you taking the time to help me out. Would you happen to haven any other suggestions? I'm getting kinda desperate now...

Tomorrow, I think I'll give Sony tech support a ring, scream at some reps to work off some aggression, and see where we go from there...

Does anybody else have any advice - I'm pretty open to trying nearly anything.

Thanks,

Victor

[atrain]

victor have you tried deleting the current database when you do an install? outside of the install process that is...

[Gryzor]

I have the exact same problem, out of the blue... but where exactly is the SS db file? I thought I had deleted everything yet the problem persists...

Regards

Gry

[Christopher]

You've tried reinstalling via the directions in the FAQ?

[Gryzor]

Yea, unfortunately I did. I mean, unfortunately because it still won't work... So basically, where precisely is the database file? I thought it was in the user's dir in Docs and Settings?

Cheers

Gryzor

PS Waiting for SS3...

Edited February 27, 2005 by Gryzor

[lo_stalker]

So basically, where precisely is the database file?

Hi Gryzor

Database should be in "YOUR DRIVE":Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Sony Corporation\SonicStage\Packages\

(the MtData.mdb file, I think).

Sonicstage doesn't work for me as well

On my home-installed Windows XP PRO SP2 machine I get the "Updating database" error, and nothing more (Obviously, I tried all the install/uninstall/registry fixes I found on this forum).

The funny thing is Sonicstage, installed from original CD and updated through the web installer, works flawlessly on my brother "almost clean" XP HOME laptop WITHOUT SP2.

And, even funnier, SS worked on my machine a couple of months ago when I first got an Hi-Md, a MZ-NH700.

Looks like some software interferes with SS. But which one?

It's a shame, because I got Hi-MD to upload uncompressed audio recordings from efp and I can't even put some stupid music in it for listening!

When will somebody come up with GNU software for these machines?

[Gryzor]

Yes, that's where I thought the db was. So I'm SURE that I have deleted it, many times actually; that the same message keeps popping up suggests that it's NOT a database problem, but something else with the program.

Please note that SS 2.3 (installed directly, not over a previous version) did use to work ok, and it just woke up one morning with this error message.

Aaaaargh!

[Christopher]

Try running ojbsir.exe in C:\Program Files\Sony\SonicStage.

[Gryzor]

Unfortunately, nothing. I press next, then a dialog box flashes up. there's some text in it, or it may be the text from the main dialog behind it, but in any case it refreshes too quickly and I'm left with the image below...

I also tried copying a db from another pc to my dirs, same thing continues to happen. As I said earlier: Argh!

Thanks for the suggestion, though -anything else we may try?

[victorhooi]

Hi,

Yeah, I second the call for GNU software .

I rang up Sony Australia again for the third time, and the person I spoke to (Paul) was incredibly helpful. He admitted that the database error was a known problem, and that it was a fairly common issue. Apparently, SonicStage 2.3 was meant to resolve the issue, but it didn't, and so now we're waiting on the next release. Since I've registered my MD unit, I'm meant to get an email when it's released (although since I follow these forums pretty closely now, I think I'll know before the email arrives anyway ).

atrain: Sorry about the delay in getting back to you, but *yes*, I did delete the database - look up a bit and read, and you'll see exactly what I did (believe me, I was thorough).

Are there any attempts to create a GNU/OSS program for transferring files to and from Hi-MD units? I'm not a brilliant programmer, but I'd be happy to help out how I can (bug-testing, documentation, light coding) on any projects that are trying to reverse the Hi-MD format, or create a new transfer app.

bye,

Victor

[Gryzor]

SOLVED!!! -at least for me.

Uninstalled, then reinstalled SP2. Presto, it now works.

By the way, since I've got a friend working for Sony, I'm in a position to know that SS3 will probably appear within two months' time...

Gryzor

Edited March 1, 2005 by Gryzor

[Gryzor]

Ok, I'm now running SS3.0... Installed it over SS2.3, runs fine. Not much I can say at the moment, except that I can't find how to transfer in Hi-LP mode -the option is not there???

[Christopher]

Did you click on the settings button below the red arrows?

[Gryzor]

Yes, of course I did. Options in the menu are:

256kbps

132kbps(Atrac3)

105kbps(Atrac3)

66kbps(Atrac3)

64kbps

48kbps

[Christopher]

64kbps is Hi-LP.

http://www.sony.net/Products/Hi-MD/capacity.html#3