Urgent! Can NOT read tst file!

[Andy]

Hello Lawrence;

Allow me to pick up this thread... I have the same trouble.
This is not a Windows issue. I'm using Windows 7, not Vista, btw.

Same issue with Vista or Windows 7, unfortunately.

My Thoughtstream USB software version is 2.1.0. It does not write out a .txt file. Instead it writes out a .hdr and a .tst file.
The .hdr file appears to be in plain text and contains summary session info.
The .tst file appears to be in a binary format of some kind.

It does not matter what directory I save the session to. I saved my last one to c:\temp.
I tried to save it to a file named Test.txt, but it just saves a hdr and tst file.

Please use the search function of Windows to find the file. e.g. if you called the file test.txt, click Start, and then type "test.txt" (without the quotes).

Please let me know what you find.

[Lawrence Smith]

I did find the files, they were located at:

C:\Users\{my user}\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\ThoughtStream USB

Seems a strange place to put things, there's some kind of disconnect between the directory that I picked and where the files actually write out to.

Is that only during the initial data capture that it writes out the original sample data? And is there some way to set up before starting the session that would result in the data being written to a more conventional directory?

Thanks!
-Larry Smith

[Andy]

Glad you found them, Larry.

As I said earlier, Windows Vista and 7 try to "protect" the Program Files directories by placing files that try to be written to that directory into that hidden "VirtualStore" directory. Google VirtualStore and UAC and there's lots of info regarding this strange behaviour.

The way to stop that from happening is to use "Save As..." in the File menu and pick a folder that's NOT under the Program Files directory. Something under "Documents" would be best.

[Andy]

Hey Larry;

Just checking to see that you got this problem sorted. Let me know if you need any more assistance.

[Lawrence Smith]

Sorry for the delay... No, there seems no way to successfully start the session in a directory other than default.

I tried the Session/Start and Save As... menu item and gave the dialog a variety of paths like c:\temp\test1.txt, or just a directory like c:\temp. No good, here's what happens:

I get a strange plot, with a line that forms a loop and goes way down below and to the right. Eventually the plot data crosses it, looking like the number 4. The plot never straightens out, and this stray data point or whatever it is skews the chart for the rest of the session. Sometimes later in the session, the graph adds in addition to the loop, an new straight line that goes all the way back to the left and then right again. It looks like a tangled knot.

When you go to Session/Stop, the program crashes with run-time error 52 "Bad file name or number".

All the above occur during a start/saveas session even if you do a Session/Restart.

I noticed that when this happens, the files tempdata.hdr, tempdata.tst, and tempdata.txt are not created at all, not in the directory that I tried to start and save to, nor in it's own \AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\ThoughtStream USB directory. Possibly this is the Bad Filename the dialog refers to.

For now, I'll just set up a shortcut to the virtual store directory to pick up my raw data from for analysis. I know now from experimentation that it always starts a new session with the sample data as tempdata.txt, so if I want to tail the current output and feed it to another program I can.

-Lawrence Smith

I have a screencapture of the looped graph, wish I could send it along here but cannot attach it. Maybe I could email you.

[Andy]

Hi Lawrence;

I did receive your e-mail, and that is indeed a strange graph. The problems you are describing I have not encountered before. I will look into this and get back to you via e-mail. The problem you're having must be specific to your installation otherwise others would have encountered the same difficulties. Thank you for reporting it.

[Andy]

This relates to a different piece of software, but the same issue.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=398732

The fixes are there too. You can do one of the following:
-Disable UAC entirely
-Disable VirtualStore but not UAC
-Leave UAC alone and take ownership of the folder that the TS software is installed to.