[sims] Incorrect Connect.ini file : SIMS.Processes.Exception when opening Exams Org [Solved]

[adamf]

Since upgrading our 2 SIMS terminal servers to Windows Server 2008 R2 staff with normal user accounts are unable to run any of the "older modules" such as Exams Org on either of the servers. They get the error:

 

Fault Code: 4257-7697-3000

Incorrect Connect.ini file : SIMS.Processes.Exception

 

They can load and use SIMS perfectly fine so I am cofused about what exactly is incorrect with connect.ini and when I log onto the server as an administrator everything works as expected - so some sort of permission issue, but what?!?!

 

The connect.ini in the C:\Programs Files (x86)\SIMS\SIMS.net dir is set to redirect to the root of our mapped drive where the connect.ini exists with all the correct settings. Staff have been given modify rights on the whole C:\Programs Files (x86)\SIMS\SIMS.net folder and connect.ini on the mapped drive - still it doesn't work.

 

Capita's suggestion was to uninstall SIMS and .NET Framework from the server and re-install which I have done and it's made no difference - oddly enough the SIMS Infrastrucure application did not appear in the "unistall a program" list.

 

Any suggestions on how to get this working.

[adamf]

Fixed! Turns out SIMS was looking for a copy of connect.ini in \\server\sims\WINDOWS, once i'd copied the connect.ini there it was happy. Then I discovered that it wasn't able to find the ExamsW.exe executable because it was looking in C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS.net but by default you are prompted to install SIMS in C:\Programs Files (x86)\SIMS\SIMS.net.

 

Re-installed to C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS.net and it's happy again!

[vikpaw]

not sure about the error, but in terms of permissions, do they also have control of the folders in the mapped drive (often S)?. the older modules have folders there and need write permissions, e.g exams, nova, options etc.

[vikpaw]

Fixed! Turns out SIMS was looking for a copy of connect.ini in \\server\sims\WINDOWS, once i'd copied the connect.ini there it was happy. Then I discovered that it wasn't able to find the ExamsW.exe executable because it was looking in C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS.net but by default you are prompted to install SIMS in C:\Programs Files (x86)\SIMS\SIMS.net.

 

Re-installed to C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS.net and it's happy again!

ODD, at least you're sorted.

[bossman]

@adamf:

 

Could I make a suggestion and place a copy of the connect.ini file in the root of the C:\Windows dir and see if this helps.

 

Let me know how you get on.

 

You have just beat me to it hehe!! well done!

[adamf]

@bossman:

 

It works if you put it in the C:\Windows also! Good shout!

[bossman]

@bossman:

 

It works if you put it in the C:\Windows also! Good shout!

 

Little bit slow tonight you will have to forgive me as it has been a long holiday hehe!! (back to work tomorrow though)

[eddyc]

Hi all,

 

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but I am seeing this behaviour on our RDS server which is Server 2019.

 

Because of Coronavirus we are preparing to close and the exams officer has just informed me that she is unable to work remotely due to error code 4257-7697-3000 when launching exams organiser.

 

I have tried this myself (as a domain admin) and exams organiser works fine. I have then tried as various staff users and it does not.

 

I have SIMS.ini and connect.ini in the root of the C:\Windows folder and everyone has full control of those files (to eliminate any permissions issues).

 

I logged this with Capita and got this reply:

 

Hi,

 

 

We dont't support RDS setups, but typically they do not use the same SIMS.ini as is located in C:\Windows.

The user typically has another SIMS.ini within their home drive (depending on how you've configured your ini mapping), this is what I imagine will need to be changed.

 

Thanks

SIMS Support

 

The SIMS ini in the users home drive is the same as the one in C:\Windows (and the same as the one in the exams office on her PC which works fine). SIMS is installed to Program Files on all devices (nothing in x86) so I am stumped.

 

Does anyone have any further suggestions?

 

Kind regards, eddyc

[vikpaw]

Have you tried all of the above i.e. Sims share folders, etc. ?

There will be another folder that is being checked where the user doesn’t have permission or the files don’t exist.

For a quick fix is it possible to grant Remote Desktop access to the Exams PC?

You could publish Remote Desktop as a remote app only for that user.

[eddyc]

Have you tried all of the above i.e. Sims share folders, etc. ?

There will be another folder that is being checked where the user doesn’t have permission or the files don’t exist.

For a quick fix is it possible to grant Remote Desktop access to the Exams PC?

You could publish Remote Desktop as a remote app only for that user.

 

Yes I have worked through all of the above. It really is bizzare.

 

It does make me feel slightly better though in as much as I have got a colleague in another school with a 2012 R2 RDS server and he also appears to be having the same issue.

[mavhc]

Is it doing VirtualStore stuff? If a user can't write to a system folder Windows will make a virtual store in their appdata with an overlay file system

 

Good job software of this quality is free, it would be funny if people paid for this.

[eddyc]

Is it doing VirtualStore stuff? If a user can't write to a system folder Windows will make a virtual store in their appdata with an overlay file system

 

Good job software of this quality is free, it would be funny if people paid for this.

 

The VirtualStore for the user in question is empty - should I put something in there?

 

Thanks in advance for your help

[mavhc]

The VirtualStore for the user in question is empty - should I put something in there?

 

Thanks in advance for your help

 

If it's empty that's not the issue, must be another problem

[IRL]

Hi all,

 

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but I am seeing this behaviour on our RDS server which is Server 2019.

 

Because of Coronavirus we are preparing to close and the exams officer has just informed me that she is unable to work remotely due to error code 4257-7697-3000 when launching exams organiser.

 

I have tried this myself (as a domain admin) and exams organiser works fine. I have then tried as various staff users and it does not.

 

I have SIMS.ini and connect.ini in the root of the C:\Windows folder and everyone has full control of those files (to eliminate any permissions issues).

 

I logged this with Capita and got this reply:

 

 

 

The SIMS ini in the users home drive is the same as the one in C:\Windows (and the same as the one in the exams office on her PC which works fine). SIMS is installed to Program Files on all devices (nothing in x86) so I am stumped.

 

Does anyone have any further suggestions?

 

Kind regards, eddyc

@eddyc Did you ever manage to get this resolved?

Thanks.

[eddyc]

No I didn’t unfortunately. It’s most inconvenient

 

 

@eddyc Did you ever manage to get this resolved?

Thanks.

[cullingsh]

We had a problem years ago similar to this - fixed it by putting sims.ini and connect.ini in to peoples home folders in a subfolder called Windows eg H:\windows\

[eddyc]

We tried this during our troubleshooting with no such luck :-(

 

We had a problem years ago similar to this - fixed it by putting sims.ini and connect.ini in to peoples home folders in a subfolder called Windows eg H:\windows\

[dalbyn]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but might help others if they run into this again (like I have recently). Try changing the SIMSDirectory and SIMSSetupsDirectory entries in the sims.ini file to the UNC values of your MIS share, rather than the drive mapping of S:\ etc...worked fine on a Windows 11 device which repeatedly gave the same error code.