[GNC] Downgrading to 2.6.21

Thu Apr 11 08:22:53 EDT 2019

The issue is that in 3.5.1, when I attempt to save to a location that I
usually save to in 2.6.21, GnuCash won't allow it.

In GnuCash's error dialog GnuCash claims the location is reserved by
GnuCash. Further, in the displaying of the error message, GnuCash attempts
to display the path I selected, and that varies some, but always starts
with some gibberish (an indication that the binary data doesn't map to any
known characters). Sometimes after the gibberish, more path text follows,
and that's always ...users\Greg\app data\.... , which isn't the location
I'm trying to save to.  So, even when GnuCash manages some display of path,
it's wrong.  This is GnuCash trying to display the path in its own error
message dialog box.

Jack's suggestion was for changing the way Windows explorer displays the
graphical representation of the current location selected by the user in
Windows Explorer.  This won't help GnuCash display paths correctly in its
error messages.  Further, getting GnuCash to display the path correctly in
its error message is just a symptom or clue. The actual problem is that
GnuCash 3.5.1 fails to save where 2.6.21 does.

Kind regards, Greg Feneis
(Galaxy S7)

On Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 04:41 Greg Feneis <mfeneis at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks Colin, I'm not having trouble viewing a path in Windows explorer,
> GnuCash is failing to display the correct path in its error dialog.
>
> Kind regards, Greg Feneis
> (Galaxy S7)
>
>
> On Thu, Apr 11, 2019, 00:57 Colin Law <clanlaw at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Did you try the suggestion from Jack Lockard earlier in order that you
>> can see the real full path to that location?  That might provide a
>> clue to what is going on.
>>
>> Colin
>>
>> On Thu, 11 Apr 2019 at 02:07, Greg Feneis <mfeneis at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > Installed 2.6.21 over the 3.5.1, and it was able to save as in the usual
>> > location, that 3.5 and 3.5.1 have trouble
>> >
>> > Kind regards, Greg Feneis
>> > (Galaxy S7)
>> >
>> >
>> > On Wed, Apr 10, 2019, 09:04 Greg Feneis <mfeneis at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > > Well, I upgraded to "Rebuild of the GnuCash 3.5 Windows Bundle", but
>> > > GnuCash still gives me the strange error when I try to save to the
>> usual
>> > > location where I've saved in the past successfully with 2.6.x.
>> > >
>> > > Kind regards,
>> > >
>> > > Greg Feneis
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > On Tue, Apr 9, 2019 at 12:42 PM Greg Feneis <mfeneis at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> > >
>> > >> So far, nobody seems to be able to repeat this issue, so we haven't
>> ruled
>> > >> out that it's a failure of my computer that's causing this.  So it's
>> > >> probably not worth adding to the bug tracker.
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >> Kind regards,
>> > >>
>> > >> Greg Feneis <http://www.linkedin.com/in/electromechanical>
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >> On Mon, Apr 8, 2019 at 8:10 PM John Ralls <jralls at ceridwen.us>
>> wrote:
>> > >>
>> > >>> Greg,
>> > >>>
>> > >>> 2.6.21 and 3.x are supposed to be fully file-compatible. Earlier
>> > >>> releases in the 2.6 series may not be depending on what 3.x
>> features you
>> > >>> use.
>> > >>>
>> > >>> If you'd prefer to continue the troubleshooting in the bug tracker,
>> file
>> > >>> a bug.
>> > >>>
>> > >>> Regards,
>> > >>> John Ralls
>> > >>>
>> > >>>
>> > >>> > On Apr 8, 2019, at 5:40 PM, Greg Feneis <mfeneis at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > Just a coupe of questions,
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > 1.  Once the working file (xml) is saved by 3.5, does it remain
>> > >>> backward compatible with 2.6.21 in case I want to downgrade?
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > 2.  Should I log this bug in bugzilla?
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > Kind regards,
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > Greg Feneis
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > On Mon, Apr 8, 2019 at 7:27 AM Greg Feneis <mfeneis at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> > >>> > Hi John,
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > Sorry I missed this yesterday.  The language is English (United
>> > >>> States), The Location is United States. The current language for
>> > >>> non-Unicode programs is English (United States)
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > Kind regards,
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > Greg Feneis
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > On Sun, Apr 7, 2019 at 4:33 PM John Ralls <jralls at ceridwen.us>
>> wrote:
>> > >>> > Indeed. I just tried C:\Dropbox\My Docs\Thorough C &
>> D\GnuCash\GnuCash
>> > >>> Docs\DeTradingWithExtraNoiseAdded.gnucash. No problem.
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > What are your Language and Region settings? Have you set LANG and
>> > >>> LANGUAGES in C:\Program Files
>> (x86)\gnucash\etc\gnucash\environment? Is
>> > >>> your userid an Administrator?
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > Regards,
>> > >>> > John Ralls
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > > On Apr 7, 2019, at 4:04 PM, Greg Feneis <mfeneis at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> > >>> > >
>> > >>> > > John,
>> > >>> > >
>> > >>> > > I misread your instructions and only attempted to save outside
>> of
>> > >>> the Dropbox folder, but not in my ...\Users\Greg\... folder, so I
>> tried
>> > >>> this path and file name:
>> > >>> > > C:\Xobpord\My Docs\Thorough C & D\GnuCash\GnuCash Files\Official
>> > >>> Working File After Testing Path Lengh Issues.gnucash (117 chars,
>> outside of
>> > >>> Dropbox, Failure!)
>> > >>> > > The error message reads:
>> > >>> > > "You attempted to save in
>> > >>> H[gibberish]\Users\Greg\AppData\Roaming\GnuCash or a subdirectory
>> thereof.
>> > >>> This is not allowed as GnuCash reserves that directory for internal
>> > >>> use....Please try again in a different directory. (close).
>> > >>> > >
>> > >>> > > Then I read your email again before starting a reply and
>> realized
>> > >>> you spec'd the home directory, so I tried the following path and
>> file name:
>> > >>> > > C:\Users\Greg\Dropbox\My Docs\Thorough C & D\GnuCash\GnuCash
>> > >>> Files\Official Working File After Testing Path Lengh Issues.gnucash
>> (128
>> > >>> chars, outside of Dropbox, inside user folder, success!)
>> > >>> > >
>> > >>> > > So, appears with 3.5 I can only have a generous path while
>> saving
>> > >>> within the windows user folder?
>> > >>> > >
>> > >>> > > Things are getting curiouser
>> > >>> > >
>> > >>> > >
>> > >>> > > Kind regards,¯¯
>> > >>> > > Greg
>> > >>> > >
>> > >>> > > On Sun, Apr 7, 2019 at 1:46 PM John Ralls <jralls at ceridwen.us>
>> > >>> wrote:
>> > >>> > > Just to completely rule out Dropbox being somehow involved,
>> could
>> > >>> you create the same hierarchy in your home directory, i.e.
>> > >>> c:\Users\Greg\Dropbox\My Docs\Thorough C & D\GnuCash\Gnucash Files\
>> > >>> > >
>> > >>> > > I was able to successfully save
>> > >>> > > C:\Users\John Ralls\Dropbox\My Docs\Thorough C &
>> D\GnuCash\GnuCash
>> > >>> Docs\DeTradingWithExtraNoiseAdded.gnucash
>> > >>> > > and its log file
>> > >>> > > C:\Users\John Ralls\Dropbox\My Docs\Thorough C &
>> D\GnuCash\GnuCash
>> > >>> Docs\DeTradingWithExtraNoiseAdded.gnucash.20190407134124.log
>> > >>> > >
>> > >>> > > Regards,
>> > >>> > > John Ralls
>> > >>> > >
>> > >>> > >
>> > >>> > > > On Apr 7, 2019, at 10:50 AM, Greg Feneis <mfeneis at gmail.com>
>> > >>> wrote:
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > Some more testing on the issue where 3.5 seems to want a
>> shorter
>> > >>> path than 2.6.x did:
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > Just now, I exited Dropbox to see if that had something to do
>> with
>> > >>> it, but pretty much the same error for all three path variations,
>> what
>> > >>> worked historically with 2.6.x, no ampersand but some folder names
>> used
>> > >>> spaces, and no ampersand + no spaces.  It seemed purely to do with
>> length,
>> > >>> but it doesn't seem to be about total characters.
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > With Dropbox back on, here are some more tests:
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCandD\GnuCash\test.gnucash   (52
>> chars)
>> > >>> Success!
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > >
>> C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCandD\GnuCash\GnuCashFiles\test.gnucash
>> > >>> (65 chars) Failure!
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > So I shortened the name of the last folder from GnuCashFiles
>> down
>> > >>> to G and still got the same problem
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCandD\GnuCash\G\test.gnucash  (54
>> chars)
>> > >>> Failure!
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > So I shortened the name of the previous folder from GnuCash
>> down
>> > >>> to GnuCa, and it also failed even though it was 52 chars, the
>> character
>> > >>> count that seemed to work previously.  Also the error message for
>> this is
>> > >>> slightly different.
>> > >>> > > > "You attempted to save in
>> > >>> [gibberish]\Users\Greg\AppData\Roaming\GnuCash or a subdirectory
>> thereof.
>> > >>> This is not allowed as GnuCash reserves that directory for internal
>> > >>> use....Please try again in a different directory. (close)."  See
>> screen
>> > >>> shot here
>> > >>>
>> https://www.dropbox.com/s/pa3gdy6c2w21x6u/2019-04-07_9-30-31.jpg?dl=0
>> > >>> > > > This was the actual attempted path:
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCandD\GnuCa\G\test.gnucash   (52
>> chars)
>> > >>> Failure! although same char count
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > More testing:
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCandD\G\G\test.gnucash   (48 chars)
>> > >>> Failure!
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCand\G\G\test.gnucash (47 chars)
>> Failure!
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCan\G\G\test.gnucash (46 chars)
>> Success!
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > If I reduce the number of folders in the path, does the max
>> > >>> character count go up?
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCandD\G\test.gnucash   (46 chars)
>> > >>> Success!
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCandD\Gnu\test.gnucash (48 chars)
>> > >>> Success!
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCandD\GnuCash\test.gnucash (52
>> chars)
>> > >>> Success!  (confirming results from beginning of this email)
>> > >>> > > >
>> C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCandD\GnuCashTestLongerPath\test.gnucash
>> > >>> (66 chars) Success!
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>>
>> C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCandD\GnuCashTestLongerPathAndEvenLongerPath\test.gnucash
>> > >>> (83 chars) Success!
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>>
>> C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCandD\GnuCashTestLongerPathAndEvenLongerPathAndEvenLongerPath\test.gnucash
>> > >>> (100 chars) Success!
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>>
>> C:\Dropbox\MyDocs\ThoroughCandDTestEvenLongerPathEvenLongerPathSuperLongPath\GnuCashTestLongerPathAndEvenLongerPathAndEvenLongerPath\test.gnucash
>> > >>> (145 chars) Success!
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > I'm not going to test to failure on this folder count, but it
>> sure
>> > >>> looks like something about GnuCash 3.5 limits the path based on
>> folder
>> > >>> count and path character count.  If I use a 5 folder path, max path
>> > >>> character count is 46.  If I used a 4 folder path, I've tested up
>> to 145
>> > >>> characters.
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > Hope this helps.
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > Kind regards,
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > Greg
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > On Sun, Apr 7, 2019 at 8:32 AM Greg Feneis <mfeneis at gmail.com
>> >
>> > >>> wrote:
>> > >>> > > > Hi John,
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > The path length issue was with 3.5 on Win 7-64.  Previously
>> used
>> > >>> 2.6.x to save to the same location without trouble.
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > The path that 3.5 failed to write to is:
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\My Docs\Thorough C & D\GnuCash\GnuCash
>> > >>> Files\(VerboseFileNameProbably30chars.gnucash)
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > The last successful saves to this directory was by GnuCash
>> 2.6.21,
>> > >>> and was:
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\My Docs\Thorough C & D\GnuCash\GnuCash
>> > >>> Files\AfterImporting2018ThroughQ4.gnucash.20190401075914.log
>> (4/1/2019
>> > >>> 8:01AM)
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\My Docs\Thorough C & D\GnuCash\GnuCash
>> > >>> Files\AfterImporting2018ThroughQ4.gnucash (4/1/2019 7:59AM)
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > Since I suspected it was a path length issue, I tried saving
>> the
>> > >>> file name test.gnucash in the same location, but got the same
>> error.  So I
>> > >>> went one folder back and tried to save again and it failed the same
>> way.  I
>> > >>> kept shortening the path folder by folder like this until it did
>> save,
>> > >>> which was as follows:
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\My Docs\Thorough C & D\test.gnucash
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > Next, I copied the original folders so I could make a test
>> path
>> > >>> exactly like the path that causes the error, but with no ampersand,
>> and I
>> > >>> still get the the same problem.
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > C:\Dropbox\My Docs\Thorough C and D\GnuCash\GnuCash Files\
>> > >>>  fails just like   C:\Dropbox\My Docs\Thorough C &
>> D\GnuCash\GnuCash Files\
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > A screen shot of the error
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>>
>> https://www.dropbox.com/s/gd8rlgj1kvv0ysn/2019-04-05_18-37-52.png?dl=0
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > Next, I copied the original folder so I could make a test path
>> > >>> exactly like the path that causes the error, but with no spaces in
>> the
>> > >>> folder names and no ampersand, and I still get the same problem.
>> However,
>> > >>> this time, when gnucash tried to display the path in the error
>> message, it
>> > >>> got some of it right.
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > A screen shot of that is here:
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>>
>> https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3p0agpdlkmzia4/2019-04-05_18-52-26.png?dl=0
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > Kind regards,
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > Greg
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > On Sat, Apr 6, 2019 at 10:14 PM John Ralls <
>> jralls at ceridwen.us>
>> > >>> wrote:
>> > >>> > > > That's interesting. What is the path that's causing trouble
>> with
>> > >>> 3.5, and please remind me what OS you're using.
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > Regards,
>> > >>> > > > John Ralls
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > >
>> > >>> > > > > On Apr 6, 2019, at 10:04 PM, Greg Feneis <mfeneis at gmail.com
>> >
>> > >>> wrote:
>> > >>> > > > >
>> > >>> > > > > There's a problem with 3.5 where it won't save to the usual
>> > >>> location that I
>> > >>> > > > > have saved the file to when I was using 2.6.x  For some
>> reason
>> > >>> 3.5 has a
>> > >>> > > > > problem with path length.  I never had a problem with
>> 2.6.21, I
>> > >>> just
>> > >>> > > > > thought I should keep up to the latest in case I wanted to
>> ask
>> > >>> for help
>> > >>> > > > > with it.  But since it's going to give me trouble, I'll
>> just go
>> > >>> back to
>> > >>> > > > > 2.6.21, so long as it will work with the file that was
>> > >>> previously saved by
>> > >>> > > > > 3.5.
>> > >>> > > > >
>> > >>> > > > >
>> > >>> > > > >
>> > >>> > > > >
>> > >>> > > > > Kind regards,
>> > >>> > > > >
>> > >>> > > > > Greg Feneis <http://www.linkedin.com/in/electromechanical>
>> > >>> > > > >
>> > >>> > > > >
>> > >>> > > > >
>> > >>> > > > >
>> > >>> > > > > On Sat, Apr 6, 2019 at 7:09 PM Fross, Michael <
>> michael at fross.org>
>> > >>> wrote:
>> > >>> > > > >
>> > >>> > > > >> If you don't mind my asking, why are you downgrading?  What
>> > >>> have you found
>> > >>> > > > >> that you prefer in 2.6.21?
>> > >>> > > > >>
>> > >>> > > > >> Michael
>> > >>> > > > >>
>> > >>> > > > >> On Sat, Apr 6, 2019 at 1:26 PM Greg Feneis <
>> mfeneis at gmail.com>
>> > >>> wrote:
>> > >>> > > > >>
>> > >>> > > > >>> Hi,
>> > >>> > > > >>>
>> > >>> > > > >>> I've done some work in 3.5 and I'm considering
>> downgrading to
>> > >>> 2.6.21.
>> > >>> > > > >>>
>> > >>> > > > >>> Can 2.6.21 work with the xml .gnucash file once it was
>> changed
>> > >>> and saved
>> > >>> > > > >>> by
>> > >>> > > > >>> 3.5?
>> > >>> > > > >>>
>> > >>> > > > >>> Kind regards,
>> > >>> > > > >>>
>> > >>> > > > >>> Greg
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