TROUBLE WITH SAM 2020.11.29 FAILING TO OPEN PROPERLY

Thanks for all the info, Paul!

Had more words with Microsoft this morning about my Windows 10 Version 20H2 install failure - and now it looks as if I have a hardware problem, possibly an impending hard drive failure (which I don't need!) "When it rains it pours" and all that!

Now back to 1066 And All That - and NOW ALL THIS! Ha! ha! 

Regards, Robert

Has ANYBODY -  other than ME -  tried running any version of SAM (particularly  SAM 2020.11.29 r1 - or the latest one, SAM 2020.11.29 r2) with a computer running the latest Windows 10 which is Version 20H2? 

I can't find anyone in this Forum who does. 

Until suddenly having the trouble reported before on my old machine - with  Windows 10 Version 1803 build 17134.1304 (64-bit OS); Product ID 00330-80000-00000-AA378 - SAM 2020.11.29 r1 was running on that machine just fine. Then without warning SAM stopped working one day - apparently, and as explained before, because of Windows file corruption issues. A bit later, I noticed additional problems such as Windows no longer recognising my cellphone when connected to that computer with its USB cable.  Now I have Windows 10 Version 20H2 on that old machine (after a lot of trouble installing it) - and it recognises my cellphone again. 

BUT - guess what - I can't get SAM to work on that machine!

I also now have a second computer (a "new used" one, which I got for about $300) ) which also has Windows 10 Version 20H2 on it. It too recognises my cellphone. And guess what - I can't get SAM to work on that one either!

I'll describe the symptoms later, with the aid of a few screen shots. No error messages appeared; the SAM startup process simply failed without warning part way through. But first I'd like to hear from anyone else  who has tried running SAM (particularly  SAM 2020.11.29 r1 or r2) under Windows 10 Version 20H2,  any problem(s) they had, and the solution(s) to the problem(s). 

This saga is becoming an effing nightmare which I can well do without - but fortunately, this time,  it's not combined with having to meet tight deadlines for any clients, so as to make me lose those clients!

Regards, Robert T. Chisholm

Hello!
As noted before, I'm having troublegetting SAM to work on three computers, two of which are now running
Windows 10 Version 20H2.

As we know there are two basic ways toopen SAM:-
1. Open SAM using the desktop shortcut,then either (a) "start a new project" or (b) "open a
project file" (previously created).
On one of my computers running Windows10 Version 20H2, if I open SAM using the desktop shortcut and then
select "open a project file" then the sequence of events is
as shown in files 1 to 4 attached, the last one of these being "4
- SAM OPEN FAIL LAST".
That last event in the sequence failsto complete i.e. the complete user interface (showing the "Location
and Resource" page) fails to appear without warning and with no
error message, but with endless looping followed by SAM suddenly
"crashing" (evidently after a pre-set number of seconds).

If you repeat the process but this timeselecting "start a new project", the failure occurs at the
same point in the SAM file opening process.
2. Double click on an existing projectfile. In the example shown, the process terminates as shown in file
"5 - SAM PROJECT DOUBLE CLICK OPEN FAIL LAST". In this
case, the SAM file page descriptions shown in the file "4 - SAM
OPEN FAIL LAST" don't even appear.
3. General. I don't see any other SAMusers else reporting any problems like what I've just described -
which suggests to me that on my own computer there are certain
Windows files which are either absent or corrupted.

It seems to me that the key to solvingthis problem is to identify what thing(s) could be causing the
endless looping referred to under para. 1 above. It's clear that some
unwanted type of interaction between SAM and my Windows installation
is the cause of the trouble. If I can solve the problem on one of my
three computers, the solutions for the other two will likely be the
same.

The  computer info relevant to the above is as shown in the "COMPUTER INFO" file attached.
Oh Lord, please save me from goinground the bend!
Robert T. Chisholm

Robert,

I run 2020.11.29 revisions 0, 1, and 2 on my system:
Edition Windows 10 Pro
Version 20H2
Installed on ‎3/‎12/‎2021
OS build 19042.985
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.2020.0

So, let's isolate whether your installation or the project file (.sam) that you are trying to open is causing the issue.

Can you:
1. Start SAM by double-clicking the sam.exe file in the C:\SAM\2020.11.29\x64 folder
2. Click the "About" button on the lower left-hand side and attach a screenshot
3. Click "Start a new project" at top of the left side navigation
4. Select "Photovoltaic->PVWatts"
5. Select "No Financial Model"
6. Click OK
7. Click "Simulate >"

If you can complete the above 7 steps, then the installation is fine and the issue lies with the .sam file you are trying to open.
Please send us the problematic project file so we can further help.

If you cannot complete the above 7 steps, please tell us what error occurred on what step.

Thanks!

Hi!

I posted a fairly long message on Sat. June 5th - but still don't see it  in this Forum, though it's possible that something went wrong with my up-load of it.. 

I suspect my problem is giving you and Paul Gilman some trouble - which would not surprise me at all, and I can understand you wanting to look into it without being distracted by anyone else.

I can provide some short video clips to better explain what is happening immediately before and after  my computer "freezes" when I'm trying to run SAM, if that's any help to you in diagnosing my problem(s).

Regards, Robert T. Chisholm

Hello again!

Since my SAM User Forum submission of June 5th,I've made two video clips which are attached. Both relate to the test referred to in my June 5thsubmission and the screen shots to it.

VIDEO1, attached, reflects exactly what I was trying to do immediately prior to my June 5th submission. I had to use Ctrl+alt+delete to bring up the Windows Task Manager in order to close SAM, which had frozen.

In VIDEO 2, I was trying to do the exact same thing - except that I maximised the display prior to selecting Start new project/Photovoltaic /PVWatts/Power Purchase Agreement/Single Owner. This time I was able to click the OK button (step 6), which led to the endless looping shown in VIDEO 2 and the sudden shutdown of SAM with no error message appearing.
 
I get similar problems when trying to run SAM on my two other computers, one of which also has Windows 10 Version 20H2 on it. It is highly improbable that all three computers could have a hardware problem and/or Windows file corruption problem(s).
 
Regarding the two computers with Windows 10 Version 20H2, one of them used to have Windows Version 1803 build 17134.1304 (64-bit OS); Product ID 00330-80000-00000-AA378. See my Forum posting of 01 Mar 2021 18:51 #9318. SAM was running fine on that old Windows version - until the sudden Windows file corruption problem referred to before which caused SAM to shut down without warning. After that happened, I could not run SAM again under that old Windows 10 version.
 
It now seems to me that my present problem with Windows 10 Version 20H2 is happening because certain files included in the old Windows Version 1803 build 17134.1304 (64-bit OS) are missing for some reason from my own installations of Windows 10 Version 20H2 - on two computers. There are no indications of any other problems involving Windows on those two computers.
 
I've likely got the same problem on my third computer which is running a different version of Windows (in this case, Windows 10 Home Version 10.0.19042 Build 19042)- because I'm having similar problems with SAM on that computer too.
 
I hope the above is of some help with narrowing down the list of possible causes of the problem.
 
Robert T. Chisholm