[SIMS - FMS] GDI32.DLL error [Solved]

[jamesloker]

Hi All,

We are having a new issue since upgrading the 7.128. Suffolk CC have posted a request for an answer from Capita regarding permissions.

Here's the problem.

Windows 2003 R2 x64 Terminal Server with FMS and SIMS.net database running on a seperate server.

We have 3 people who access the FMS database. Headteacher, Bursar and Reception. Bursar and Reception are normal users with average access. Headteacher is an administrator. The headteacher can access Reports > General Ledger > Fund Review > Select Year and click ok but when the Bursar or Reception try the get an Access Violation at address 7D8205B5 in module 'GDI32.DLL'. Read of address 00000044

 

Now obviously this is a permissions issue but the members of staff all have access and modification rights to C:\Program Files\SIMS and all subdirectories. They also have full access to C:\Program Files (x86)\SIMS and Full control of PDOXUSRS.NET

 

Using a free viewer, i looked at GDI32.DLL to see what was the address, but to no avail.

 

Anyone available to help?

 

PS> Suffolk said to try a different workstation, i did explain its a TERMINAL SERVER all stations are the same with our thin clients.

[vikpaw]

SimSperm.bat been applied?

[jamesloker]

Yep.

Ran from Administrator command prompt simsperm \Staff (staff being the security group)

Bunch of commands came up. but still no joy.

As with all Capita issues, they want you to grant full administrator access to users concerned. They are insane programmers, no security considerations. Im not giving users full access, last time i did that (about 4 years ago) every morning we had to turn on the server because someone had followed this route Start > Shutdown. Its ok with Group Policy but when you grant someone administrator access it by-passes all these. Plus numerous other security issues arise.

 

our support from Local LEA is stupid. Capita wont talk directly to me, i have to Log a call with the LEA helpdesk who then pass it on to the SIMS support team, who then call me for further details, then they call capita who come back to the lea who ask me to try what they suggest, if it doesnt work, LEA go back to capita and then come back to me. Its all so ridiculous. besides which, the lea dont support or seem to know much about terminal servers, domain security or anything.

[jamesloker]

Just ran simsperm again, should have paid more attention.

n, modified n, failed

 

It appears simsperm is failing

 

NO IGNORE ME...

 

done: n, modified n, failed n, syntax n

SIMSPERM operated fine. but still no joy...you will have to excuse me. Just had first baby (3 weeks old) even though he sleeps through the night, your always listening out.

Edited June 21, 2010 by jamesloker

[Sivadam]

Capita wont talk directly to me, i have to Log a call with the LEA helpdesk who then pass it on to the SIMS support team, who then call me for further details, then they call capita who come back to the lea who ask me to try what they suggest, if it doesnt work, LEA go back to capita and then come back to me.

 

This is one of the main reasons I pursuaded this school to opt out of LA Support and move to direct support from Capita. We have never regretted it!

Then again, both my technical colleague and myself are both highly experienced and knowledgable in (between us) virtually all aspects of SIMS.

[Sarconia]

Hmm, this one is a bit odd indeed. It sounds like Capita may have changed the permissions requirements (deliberately or by accident who knows) to access that particular area of FMS.

 

The only thing which I can possibly think of to suggest is to try giving the other staff members full access just to that one .DLL

[jamesloker]

Already tried that.

Also capita came back to the LEA saying the users require full control of the C:\Windows and C:\Windows\System32 directories.

But i also tried all that and still no joy

[DMcCoy]

You need to edit the batch file to reflect the x86 program files directory.

 

if "%ProgramFiles(x86)%" == "" goto :skip_simsdir

SubInAcl /FILE "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\SIMS\*.*" /GRANT=%1=F

SubInAcl /FILE "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\SIMS" /GRANT=%1=F

SubInAcl /SUBDIRECTORIES "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\SIMS\*.*" /GRANT=%1=F

SubInAcl /SUBDIRECTORIES "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\SIMS" /GRANT=%1=F

goto :after_simsdir_warning

 

Edit: I see you've already got full permission set. While this fixes the simsperm.bat it won't fix your issue.

Edit: Ok, I read the original post more carefully (rather than the replies).

 

You could try altering the location of the paradox file with the config utility. See if the users are getting any files created in their home folders due to it being a TS.

Edited June 21, 2010 by DMcCoy

[vikpaw]

actually i think i recall a solution somewhere, not necessarily for this case, but it involved moving the file to another location, and then things worked better.

if you don't want to grant full admin rights, you'll have to add permission folder by folder until you find where it is needed.

 

EDIT: Try C:\Windows and all below with full rights. or at least the temp folder as that could be used.

Edited June 22, 2010 by vikpaw
edit it

[jamesloker]

Still not working. Even when i gave the user full administrator rights (for testing only. soon reverted back) Im thinking it maybe the users profile? what do you guys think?

Also, capita have no idea why its not working. The weirdest thing is, it stopped working over night....no updates from windows (i checked) it just decided one day...right im not working as of now...im going on strike.

[vikpaw]

sounds like it. can you eliminate anything more, like trying it directly installed, not terminal served.

it's only since the upgrade to 7.128 right? it's probably not relevant but i usually tell our FMS users to run sims and let it upgrade before running FMS, not sure how that affects terminal served, or if it affects the user profile..

[matt40k]

Didn't know you were on here James!!

 

Did you move pdoxusr to C:\program files (x86)\sims\fmssql?

 

Did you give the users FULL CONTROL to C:\program files\sims\ and progate the control.

 

Did you know x64 isn't support for clients (includes terminal server), only the server is supported (sql, file server, dms).

 

Assume SIMS .net and FMSQL are installed to C:\program files (x86)\sims not C:\program files\sims (as it's only 32bit).

[jamesloker]

Hi Matt,

Do you still work for SCC? i thought you left.

I did give full control to the sims directory.

x64 may not be supported but it works. It is only on the Fund Review and one of the Purchase Ledger things. I will ask Sue again tomorrow to verify. But everything else works fine. And as mentioned above, it works on other peoples.

SIMS.net were originally installed in Program Files (x86) but a little while back we had an upgrade which moved everything to the x64 program files directory. We had a slight issue then but all that was, was the star7 path pointing to the wrong folder. I didnt tell it where to install, solus just did it itself. I will try the pdoxuser file thing. But that still doesnt explain why it works with 1 user and not with others. My account wont even load Finance. In the summer, i will be reinstalling the terminal server and adding a dedicated SQL server (no longer shared server)

[matt40k]

Still about, swamped under a mountain of calls, managed to get it under 50 today. Just harder to get hold of.

 

It's a 32bit app so it should be in a x86 folder, same with sims apps. Ok it's a 32bit app, so yes, it should all work fine, but it still doesn't change the fact it's not supported!

 

Are you sure you propagated the permissions?

 

Oh congrates on the little one, my boys 13 months now, he sleeps ok, just he an early bird

[jamesloker]

Hi Matt,

Thanks, we had a baby boy, Benjamin. He's pretty good at night touch wood. Sleeps generally from about 9/10 through to at least 3am before he needs a quick feed and change. Sometimes he sleeps through to 5am! but anyways

Copied the pdoxusr file to the fms directory which is under ProgramFiles not ProgramFiles x86.

Solus installed the software into the ProgramFiles directory during an upgrade. it even copied or moved everything across, so it appears to be aware that the x86 directory is different to the x64 program files.

 

Just spoke to Sue and she says its the Fund Review and Non-Invoiced Income which are having a problem.

Everything else works fine. So its something to do with those areas...anyone from Capita wish to elaborate on what these areas actually need??

[matt40k]

SOLUS won't move stuff around. I think your SIMS.INI was incorrect so it's "installed" it to the path in your sims.ini.

 

Give this a go when you get a chance.

 

Remove the line that starts FinanceDirectory= from SIMS.ini, delete the C:\program files\sims\fmssql and the c:\program files (x86)\sims\fmssql. Run S:\setups\fms\fmsapplicationsetup.exe, make sure it goes to C:\program files (x86)\sims\fmssql. Give the users full control of the folder. Run BDE administrator (control panel), click on configuration, drivers, native, paradox, change the net dir to C:\program files (x86)\sims\fmssql, apply. Run FMS (config the database settings for fmsconnect.ini), login.

 

PS: You wait till he starts teething!!

[jamesloker]

Hi Matt,

When running FMS to config the database settings for fmsconnect.ini, changing to

C:\Program Files (x86)\SIMS\Finance

 

FMS will only allow

C:\Program Files (x86)\SIMS\Fina

 

which of course isnt a directory.

 

Regards

James

 

PS> yes...lots more to come with lil one....oh the joys

[jamesloker]

on a side note,

In the summer holidays, i am going to also be transferring to SQL 2008 R2 on a new server.

Im not good with MS SQL (mysql im better on) but i need to transfer from the old to the new. 1 question.....HOW?

 

Cheers

[matt40k]

I wouldn't go SQL 2008 R2. Highly unsupported. Use the SQL2008 migration tool, the advanced option allows you to attach the mdfs which you've deattach from the old server.

 

Entering the realms of "would you like a chargable visit?"

[jamesloker]

We have a license to cover both, so will use just the normal SQL 2008 and good to have a migration tool. Handy.

Chargeable visit....um...no... we paid previously for cover to include visits and never got them...so think i will stumble through this one. Hopefully i can resort to this when i get stuck.

 

Any ideas on the previous post?

[matt40k]

Well it's a service, you don't moan to your ISP because you got charged for broadband on the weekends because you didn't use.

 

It's pretty clear what the problem is, it's permissions. The fact one user, who got admin rights can use it ok, but the others can confirms it. All Capita would do it give the user admin rights, which I'm guessing you don't want to do (user + ability to shutdown server = quiet server).

 

The fact the fmssql folder is in both 64bit and 32bit means something foobar. It doesn't do itself. Did you copy the sims.ini from another machine? Did you upgrade to x64 windows (can you even do that?)

 

It might be worth checking that one of the files within the fmssql folder has full control for the users.

 

Finally, if you edit the sims.ini (within C:\windows) does it change it for the users as well or is it magically reverted back.

[jamesloker]

i would understand during holidays mate, but im talking about during term time. Anyways enough of the politics, when i told sue i was talking with you regarding this issue, she was pleased. )

in response to the questions. I gave Sue full permissions and it still didnt work.

It used to be in the 32bit program files, then after the one before last update, it went to the 64bit program files folder, which when you are running solus, you have no control over which folder it installs to. Only when you run it manually can you tell it which folder to go into.

The files in FMSSQL were all changed to to sue and kelly to have full permissions.

The weird thing is it only stopped working 3 weeks ago (ish). The week after half term and the following week it was working fine. Worked on the wednesday, then stopped on the thursday. No one changed anything, i was on paternity leave. ?? No permissions were changed, its soooo weird.

Yes, with sims.ini when you change it in c:\windows it changes for all users.

[matt40k]

SOLUS won't move stuff. If it was set to use C:\program files (x86)\... when it was installed, it uses it. No magic.

 

i would understand during holidays mate, but im talking about during term time.

 

I think you missed my point lol.

[jamesloker]

Ok, well we have changed now to C:\Program Files (x86) and cannot setup the fmsconnect.ini to look in C:\Program Files (x86)\SIMS\Finance because, as mentioned before, it only picks up the C:\Program Files (x86)\SIMS\Fina

[matt40k]

You can't what? It's looking for fmsconnect.ini? Shouldn't it be in S:\sims, besides, you can just use the "i can't find..." option and enter the details manually.