ExamWritePad

[ass17]

Cheers! We seem to have exams all through the year these days. Our bank of laptops that was initially for booking out for classes turned into ExamWritePad Laptops! Even for internal assessments we have requests for laptops which I guess it good for the students to get use to it. We have quite a few exams (IB, IGCSE, GCSE, A Level, internal ones). Seems like exams last all year round.

 

We still did two lots of mocks this school year because of the unknown nature of TAGS or final exam. So yes, I bet a lot schools have been busy on the assessment front :-)

[sonofsanta]

Cheers! We seem to have exams all through the year these days. Our bank of laptops that was initially for booking out for classes turned into ExamWritePad Laptops! Even for internal assessments we have requests for laptops which I guess it good for the students to get use to it. We have quite a few exams (IB, IGCSE, GCSE, A Level, internal ones). Seems like exams last all year round.

 

 

Our timetable for exam support this year is six sides of A3 printer from Excel. I dug out an old timetable from a decade ago and it was a mere 3 sides of A4 from Word. On top of all the extra coursework requirements with video, encrypted memory sticks (online uploads when, AQA?) and what-have-you, no wonder we feel so bloody busy these days!

 

Thank you @ass17 for the software, as always--having to go back to printing out scripts for candidates to sign this year, which is why we switched to EWP from WordPad in the first place (once the new "header on every page" requirements came in), so appreciating it all anew.

[ass17]

The biggest dilemma I have is converting the EWP project firstly to C#, then to .net7

 

When to do it and if I can give the time required to doing it.

 

Certainly for the next 5 years EWP will stay VB.Net running on the .Net 4.8 framework. But this is all dictated to, by Microsoft and it’s product lifecycles etc..

[CHiLL]

I've come across a printing issue on the latest versions of EWP, though I'm not sure if it's a bug or an issue on my end. When I try and print a document (with text in it), I get an error message stating "You cannot print because you have no printers installed" (despite I do and one set as default), and the print preview pane is blank. I'm getting the same issue on versions; 22.1.13.1907, 22.05.09.1455 and 22.05.11.1525 (latest).

[ass17]

I've come across a printing issue on the latest versions of EWP, though I'm not sure if it's a bug or an issue on my end. When I try and print a document (with text in it), I get an error message stating "You cannot print because you have no printers installed" (despite I do and one set as default), and the print preview pane is blank. I'm getting the same issue on versions; 22.1.13.1907, 22.05.09.1455 and 22.05.11.1525 (latest).

 

Which exam board were the students using?

Was this for the Religious Studies AQA?

I’ve had no issues with my students printing off in the last hour..

[CHiLL]

Which exam board were the students using?

Was this for the Religious Studies AQA?

I’ve had no issues with my students printing off in the last hour..

It is the Religious Studies exam, but with EDUQAS. My colleague was able to print it using an older version of EWP 4.8.0.0. I've just tested it and I can also print it via 4.8.0.0.

 

Edit: I wonder if it is our config. I've been informed that the student's didn't have the info pre-filled via the config file, so I've just re-imported it again. I'm 99% sure I did import the settings originally, but maybe I missed something, or didn't press save or something stupid. I presume if I don't specify exam boards, it lets the user type it in themselves? Maybe that's the cause of the issue?

Edited May 16, 2022 by CHiLL

[ass17]

It is the Religious Studies exam, but with EDUQAS. My colleague was able to print it using an older version of EWP 4.8.0.0. I've just tested it and I can also print it via 4.8.0.0.

 

Edit: I wonder if it is our config. I've been informed that the student's didn't have the info pre-filled via the config file, so I've just re-imported it again. I'm 99% sure I did import the settings originally, but maybe I missed something, or didn't press save or something stupid. I presume if I don't specify exam boards, it lets the user type it in themselves? Maybe that's the cause of the issue?

 

What printer you got mapped and has it been set to A4 as the default paper size?

 

4.8 is very slack when it came to printing and still had issues, so wouldn’t be my choice long term for printing.

[jessica]

I've come across a printing issue on the latest versions of EWP, though I'm not sure if it's a bug or an issue on my end. When I try and print a document (with text in it), I get an error message stating "You cannot print because you have no printers installed" (despite I do and one set as default), and the print preview pane is blank. I'm getting the same issue on versions; 22.1.13.1907, 22.05.09.1455 and 22.05.11.1525 (latest).

 

We have just had this exact issue as well. I had to copy the document to word and print via that as a workaround. We are running v22.05.07.1933 with Pearson as the exam board

[ass17]

We have just had this exact issue as well. I had to copy the document to word and print via that as a workaround. We are running v22.05.07.1933 with Pearson as the exam board

 

This seems strange because it works for me even with Microsoft Print to PDF available as the only printer.

 

I’ve printed to two separate printers this morning, one on Wi-Fi and the other Ethernet, both shared via our print server and both were ok.

 

Can you provide me with a debug log file so I can check what printers EWP is finding and the associated settings.

 

Turn on debugging in the config, run EWP and hit print. Close EWP then locate the latest log file in the Programdata\ExamWritePad\ExamWritepad\{current build number}

[CHiLL]

What printer you got mapped and has it been set to A4 as the default paper size?

 

4.8 is very slack when it came to printing and still had issues, so wouldn’t be my choice long term for printing.

Yeah, it's just a basic network attached HP 2055, with only an A4 tray. I only used 4.8 to print this quickly, I'm hoping I won't have to rely on it.

[ass17]

Yeah, it's just a basic network attached HP 2055, with only an A4 tray. I only used 4.8 to print this quickly, I'm hoping I won't have to rely on it.

 

Please can you generate a debug log file for me using the Instructions in the previous post, thanks.

[CHiLL]

@ass17 I'm sorry, but it has magically cured itself. I honestly don't know what's going on. I took a copy of the shared folder to make the debug changes - set the value to 1 and closed it (forgot to save it, so debug was still disabled without realising). I opened the problematic document from this morning in the EWP copy and the print preview came up and printed, to the same printer. I double checked the config and saw debug was still disabled - which means it was working as you would expect. I then tried the same document I the non-modified original copy of EWP and it also is showing the print preview and printing.

 

I have not made any modifications to my machine in the time since this morning, nor restarted or anything. While it's good that it's working - it's one of those terrible scenarios for troubleshooting, where it just appears to resolve itself and I can't replicate it.

[ass17]

@ass17 I'm sorry, but it has magically cured itself. I honestly don't know what's going on. I took a copy of the shared folder to make the debug changes - set the value to 1 and closed it (forgot to save it, so debug was still disabled without realising). I opened the problematic document from this morning in the EWP copy and the print preview came up and printed, to the same printer. I double checked the config and saw debug was still disabled - which means it was working as you would expect. I then tried the same document I the non-modified original copy of EWP and it also is showing the print preview and printing.

 

I have not made any modifications to my machine in the time since this morning, nor restarted or anything. While it's good that it's working - it's one of those terrible scenarios for troubleshooting, where it just appears to resolve itself and I can't replicate it.

 

Weird, I can only assume it’s having issues reiterating through the list of installed printers, which is a good old .net function, so at the mercy of this each time.

 

What I could do, is provided a button in the print preview screen that allow you to try to refresh the printers, perhaps? See if it can rebuild the list..

[jessica]

This seems strange because it works for me even with Microsoft Print to PDF available as the only printer.I’ve printed to two separate printers this morning, one on Wi-Fi and the other Ethernet, both shared via our print server and both were ok.Can you provide me with a debug log file so I can check what printers EWP is finding and the associated settings.Turn on debugging in the config, run EWP and hit print. Close EWP then locate the latest log file in the Programdata\ExamWritePad\ExamWritepad\{current build number}

 

It shows the printer in the printer list but then throws up the error saying it can't find it and the print preview is blank. Debug file attached.

 

 

 

ExamWritePad_16-05-2022-12-38-02_Log.zip

[ass17]

It shows the printer in the printer list but then throws up the error saying it can't find it and the print preview is blank. Debug file attached.

 

 

 

[ATTACH]65470[/ATTACH]

 

Looks like just after checking the fonts on the print screen you get an error:

 

 16/05/2022 12:38:20: PrintControl_Load - System.InvalidCastException: Conversion from string "CAIE" to type 'Long' is not valid. ---> System.FormatException: Input string was not in a correct format. at Microsoft.VisualBasic.CompilerServices.Conversions.ParseDecimal(String Value, NumberFormatInfo NumberFormat) at Microsoft.VisualBasic.CompilerServices.Conversions.ToLong(String Value) --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at Microsoft.VisualBasic.CompilerServices.Conversions.ToLong(String Value) at ExamWritePad.PrintControl.PrintControl_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e)

 

I’m sure I can sort this out, but what I scratching my head around with error is why is it trying to take a string value and change it to a number???

 

Should be easy to sort out..

Edited May 16, 2022 by ass17

[jessica]

Looks like just after checking the fonts on the print screen you get an error:

 16/05/2022 12:38:20: PrintControl_Load - System.InvalidCastException: Conversion from string "CAIE" to type 'Long' is not valid. ---> System.FormatException: Input string was not in a correct format. at Microsoft.VisualBasic.CompilerServices.Conversions.ParseDecimal(String Value, NumberFormatInfo NumberFormat) at Microsoft.VisualBasic.CompilerServices.Conversions.ToLong(String Value) --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at Microsoft.VisualBasic.CompilerServices.Conversions.ToLong(String Value) at ExamWritePad.PrintControl.PrintControl_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e)

I’m sure I can sort this out, but what I scratching my head around with error is why is it trying to take a string value and change it to a number???

Should be easy to sort out..

 

Thank you, it only happened on some of the laptops so hoping this afternoon its not on too many of them.

[ass17]

It shows the printer in the printer list but then throws up the error saying it can't find it and the print preview is blank. Debug file attached.

 

 

 

[ATTACH]65470[/ATTACH]

I've also just noticed that you are using version 22.05.07.1933 to generate the long file, and the error message I posted in the previous was specific to that version only and was fixed in the 22.05.11 version, and you generate the error again and log file using the very latest version to see if it still persists please?

[ass17]

Thank you, it only happened on some of the laptops so hoping this afternoon its not on too many of them.

 

OK, no worries, if you do get the error then you will need to submit the debug log to me so I can investigate and ask some questions based on this.

[jessica]

I've also just noticed that you are using version 22.05.07.1933 to generate the long file, and the error message I posted in the previous was specific to that version only and was fixed in the 22.05.11 version, and you generate the error again and log file using the very latest version to see if it still persists please?

 

When I push out the new msi, do I need to re-do the config each time or can I continue using the same config file from the previous version?

[ass17]

When I push out the new msi, do I need to re-do the config each time or can I continue using the same config file from the previous version?

 

The MSI will overwrite everyone, so backup your config and push it out after installation.

[synaesthesia]

EDIT*** Deleted, found the option Edited May 17, 2022 by synaesthesia

[ass17]

Just a quick note folks, please do not use version 22.04.02.2024

 

I have had a few reports of blank documents being saved or corrupted.

 

I have released four versions after this one which fixed the issue, so please make sure you have the latest installed.

 

Thanks

[ass17]

I'm currently testing a new version and hope to release it later this week.

[mavhc]

Just a quick note folks, please do not use version 22.04.02.2024

 

I have had a few reports of blank documents being saved or corrupted.

 

I have released four versions after this one which fixed the issue, so please make sure you have the latest installed.

 

Thanks

 

Any idea what caused the issue?

[ass17]

Any idea what caused the issue?

 

the save function that caused lockouts when checking for path that exists and trying to create a blank file before writing the contents to it, not necessary really.

 

All in all, doesn’t happen all the time, but enough times to warrant its change, which is strange, so not sure the exact cause is is hence no replicated steps to diagnose.