Author Topic: Installation of PFE on a non-instrument computer (for offline work)  (Read 8382 times)

wrigke

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John,

I recently attempted to install PFE on my desktop computer.  I had numerous issues, such as mis-matches between crystal names in scalers.dat and crystals.dat even though I thought I had overwritten the default files with my specific files from the instrument computer. 

I finally had those issues worked out when the software asked me for a registration number (maybe because I inadvertantly chose "interface with instrument"??)

Anyhow, how can this process be a little smoother?

Karen

Edit by John: Actually starting in version 10.2.4, Probe for EPMA will automatically save your configuration files in every new probe data file you create which can then be easily exported from the File menu to overwrite the default configuration and re-create your exact instrument configuration on any remote computer.

See these posts here:

http://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=42.msg659#msg659
http://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=42.msg671#msg671
« Last Edit: April 24, 2016, 12:48:34 PM by John Donovan »

John Donovan

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Re: Installation of PFE on a non-instrument computer (for offline work)
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2013, 05:46:33 PM »
Hi Karen,
Yes, for re-processing data you simply answer "No" to the first question: "Do you want to interface to the instrument hardware?"   Then your data files will work just fine for data re-processing with the default installation...

But you'll need to copy your own Standard.mdb compositional database to the off-line computer from your on-line computer. After that you simply copy the MDB and BIM (if found) files from your probe run to the off-line computer and then all data re-processing features (standard re-assignments, background modeling options, interference corrections, TDI corrections, custom outputs, etc., etc.) will be available.

Alternatively you can answer "Yes" and use the existing default configuration files (JEOL) for demonstration purposes. But if you want to perform demonstrations using your own lab configuration you'll need to copy over these files in the Probe For EPMA folder (usually C:\Probe Software\Probe for EPMA) from your probe computer :

Probewin.ini
motors.dat
scalers.dat
detectors.dat
crystals.dat         <-- this is the one file you missed!
usermac.dat        <-- if you created a "custom" mass absorption coefficient file
charges.dat         <-- only if you modified it (not likely)
elements.dat       <-- only if you modified it (not likely)
custom.fc            <-- if you modified the custom color palette file

standard.mdb      <-- if not already copied as described above for off-line data processing!
custom.mdb        <-- if you created a custom database for phase matching in CalcImage
*.wmf files          <-- if you want to run demonstration mode using your lab configuration files on an off-line computer


Depending on the situation you *might* also want to copy your other lab specific files just as a backup:

user.mdb
setup.mdb
setup2.mdb
position.mdb
probewin.err

empapf.dat             <-- only if you modified the empirical area-peak factor (APF) file (not likely)
empfac.dat             <-- only if you modified the empirical alpha factor file (not likely)
empmac.dat           <-- only if you modified the empirical mass absorption coefficient file (not likely)
emppha.dat            <-- only if you modified the empirical PHA calibration file since installation

xline.dat                 <-- only if you modified the x-ray line data file (not likely)
xedge.dat               <-- only if you modified the x-ray edge data file (not likely)
xflur.dat                 <-- only if you modified the x-ray fluorescence yield data file (not likely)

probewin-ka.cal         <-- these are the multiple point calibration files for the spectrometers and may not be present
probewin-kb.cal
probewin-la.cal
probewin-lb.cal
probewin-ma.cal
probewin-mb.cal


For the most realistic off-line demonstrations you'll probably want to copy these files as well:

*.POS             <-- all the .POS files in your StandardPOSData folder (usually C:\UserData\StandardPOSData) and copied to the corresponding folder on your off-line computer.

Finally: if you want to run in demonstration mode on your off-line computer you'll need to make one small edit to your Probewin.ini file and change the following keyword located in the [hardware] section of the Probewin.ini file from non-zero to zero as seen here:

[hardware]
InterfaceType=0

And then you won't need that darn registration number at all!
  :)
« Last Edit: October 16, 2013, 03:41:38 PM by John Donovan »
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Probeman

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Re: Installation of PFE on a non-instrument computer (for offline work)
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2014, 02:26:48 PM »
These sites were originally set up to allow OUS students to update Probe for EPMA. This info will also be helpful for people setting up firewalls and allowing access to the Probe for EPMA download sites:

Here is the first update option (whitewater):



IP address = 128.223.10.53

Second update option (epmalab):



IP address = 128.223.142.89

Third update option (probesoftware):



IP address = 206.188.193.74

Note that if you ever see an error when running the full (.msi) installation like this:



Simply close the installer and locate the CalcZAF.msi and/or ProbeForEPMA.msi installer(s) and double click to run the installation again. It will work the second time unless there is a Windows update pending.
« Last Edit: August 28, 2014, 02:32:56 PM by John Donovan »
The only stupid question is the one not asked!

John Donovan

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Re: Installation of PFE on a non-instrument computer (for offline work)
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2015, 11:15:43 AM »
Note that if you ever see an error when running the full (.msi) installation like this:



Simply close the installer and locate the CalcZAF.msi and/or ProbeForEPMA.msi installer(s) and double click to run the installation again. It will work the second time unless there is a Windows update pending.

I am working with the senior devel support team at Microsoft on this issue now:

Quote
Hello John,
I have involved my senior team members and escalation engineers in this case , we are working on this issue however I will keep you updated with latest happenings.
Thanks.
----------
Support Engineer  - Visual Studio Setup |Developer Support | Microsoft® Corporation
« Last Edit: January 01, 2015, 02:13:46 PM by John Donovan »
John J. Donovan, Pres. 
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John Donovan

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Re: Installation of PFE on a non-instrument computer (for offline work)
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2015, 03:31:57 PM »
This might seem like a small thing but for teaching, training or simply for creating new PFE probe run setups off-line, this is very easy.

Simply grab an MDB file created on your instrument computer, copy it to an off-line computer, open it, and export the config files from the File menu as seen here:



and you are ready to create new files off-line with your current instrument configuration!

Of course you shouldn't try to acquire any standard data until you are actually on your instrument computer. Although PFE generates nice standard and unknown intensity data for demonstration/training etc., the intensities won't match your actual measured intensities!   :o

More discussion on importing/exporting instrument configuration files here:

http://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=42.msg659#msg659
« Last Edit: January 01, 2015, 03:34:41 PM by John Donovan »
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John Donovan

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Re: Installation of PFE on a non-instrument computer (for offline work)
« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2015, 04:36:39 PM »
Note that if you ever see an error when running the full (.msi) installation like this:



Simply close the installer and locate the CalcZAF.msi and/or ProbeForEPMA.msi installer(s) and double click to run the installation again. It will work the second time unless there is a Windows update pending.

I am working with the senior devel support team at Microsoft on this issue now:

Quote
Hello John,
I have involved my senior team members and escalation engineers in this case , we are working on this issue however I will keep you updated with latest happenings.
Thanks.
----------
Support Engineer  - Visual Studio Setup |Developer Support | Microsoft® Corporation

All,
We now have a fix for the Windows Installer issues that I have been seeing on some Win7 64 computers. The steps are amazingly easy, so here they are, but do let me know if you have trouble with them.

1. Open the command prompt in administrator mode by typing "cmd" in the Start button "Search Programs and Files field, then once the Cmd.exe app appears in the file list, right click the Cmd.exe app and select "Run As Administrator" from the menu.

2. Then navigate to “C:\Windows\System32” folder using the DOS cd command and type following command line:

regsvr32 msi.dll

3. Now , navigate to “C:\Windows\SysWow64” folder and again type same command line:

regsvr32 msi.dll

That fixed all the Windows installer and update issues on all the computers I've tried it on so far.
john
« Last Edit: January 30, 2015, 05:05:51 PM by John Donovan »
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Changkun

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Re: Installation of PFE on a non-instrument computer (for offline work)
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2019, 06:33:30 AM »
Quote
2. Then navigate to “C:\Windows\System32” folder using the DOS cd command and type following command line:

regsvr32 msi.dll

3. Now , navigate to “C:\Windows\SysWow64” folder and again type same command line:

regsvr32 msi.dll

That fixed all the Windows installer and update issues on all the computers I've tried it on so far.

John, you saved me!
Thank you!!

John Donovan

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Re: Installation of PFE on a non-instrument computer (for offline work)
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2019, 10:24:06 AM »
Quote
2. Then navigate to “C:\Windows\System32” folder using the DOS cd command and type following command line:

regsvr32 msi.dll

3. Now , navigate to “C:\Windows\SysWow64” folder and again type same command line:

regsvr32 msi.dll

That fixed all the Windows installer and update issues on all the computers I've tried it on so far.

John, you saved me!
Thank you!!

You are most welcome.

I just wish I knew why this Microsoft DLL gets unregistered sometimes... another Microsoft mystery!   :D
John J. Donovan, Pres. 
(541) 343-3400

"Not Absolutely Certain, Yet Reliable"