What version of SQL Server are you running? We have noticed some behavior differences between SQL 2000 and SQL 2005, and that would give me a better idea about where to start. Also, is Specify working on other machines? That can also help me narrow it down.

Thanks,

CJ

Melissa,

I looked into all of the libraries that Specify uses and found that there are more than 60. I was able to narrow it down to one that I think is causing your problem. It is msadrh15.dll. To register this library, open a command prompt and go to the directory:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\ado\

then type this command:

regsvr32 msadrh15.dll


then try opening Specify again. Let me know if it works or if I need to look for a different library.

Thanks,

CJ

The Specify databases are located on a different computer, which is running Windows Server 2003 and SQL Server 2000 (both patched up to date). The Specify client software (v. 5.1.1) is installed on the server itself and a total of 13 workstations, all running Windows XP SP2 (also patched up to date), but with varying mixes of other software. All databases have been opened at least once using v. 5.1.1, and have undergone the conversion process.

Of the 14 computers that have the Specify client installed, only one exhibits this behavior; all others (including the copy on the server) are working normally. If a user who has a roaming profile (meaning that his/her settings travel with him/her from computer to computer) logs onto the problem computer, s/he experiences the behavior that I described, but if s/he logs onto one of the other 13, the database opens normally and the program functions as expected. This suggests that the glitch is in the system part of the registry rather than the user part. Administrative logon IDs have the same problem as non-admin ones, so it doesn't appear to be a permissions issue.

The problem computer first had Specify v. 4.6 installed on it, then was successively upgraded to 5.0, 5.1, and 5.1.1. The program did run properly on the computer at one time, but the machine's normal user cannot recall precisely when she last used Specify, or whether she was ever able to start it up successfuly subsequent to its upgrade to 5.1.1.

A complicating factor is that a couple of other applications have recently been installed on this computer, and it's always possible that one of them has replaced a system DLL with a different version, or made some other change which Specify is unable to deal with.

I have completely unistalled Specify from this computer, including getting rid of residual files, folders, and cached setup files, and then reinstalled it. This had no effect.

Let me know if I've left anything out.

That did the trick.

I sure would like to know why it was unregistered on only this one computer. One of life's little mysteries . . .