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PSpice does not work anymore

LvW

Apr 12, 2014
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Hello to all,
until yesterday I have worked with PSpice (Schematics), vers. 9.2, without problems (Windows XP - 32).
However, suddenly the program does not start anymore. I am sure that I have not installed anything new on the computer.
Then I`ve tried the safe modus of windows and - yes - in this modus the program worked correctly.
What could be the reason?
Thank you
LvW
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Jan 21, 2010
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I'd normally blame a windows update, but they no longer exist for XP.

My suggestion might normally be to uninstall and reinstall, but depending on how you have the tool configured, you might have to reinstall other component models etc.

Do you still have access to the installer? There is also the possibility it might have a repair mode.
 

LvW

Apr 12, 2014
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Steve - thank you for replying. I have forgotten to mention that
* I work with PSpice/Schematics ver. 9.2
* Reinstalling the program did not help at all.

Regarding your question: Reinstalling was possible only in the safe mode for Windows. In normal mode there was absolutely no reaction upon clicking "install.exe" (CD-ROM).
 

GreenGiant

Feb 9, 2012
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You are trying to install this on a windows 7 machine now arent you?
 

Arouse1973

Adam
Dec 18, 2013
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I suspect you have tried System Restore and go back a few weeks. Works for a lot of things.
Adam
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Ah, OK if you're trying to install it on Win 7 and it won't behave, you may be able to install and run it in compatibility mode for Windows XP.

Also, depending on the version of Win 7 you're running, you can run a virtual Win XP as well.

A few useful links:
The system restore trick is a good one too. My Win 7 machine crashed hard less than a week ago and following a restore from a backup, required a further system restore (to the beginning of the year). I ended up with no loss of data (thankfully). I suspect that a bad windows update did something to my machine.
 

LvW

Apr 12, 2014
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Ah, OK if you're trying to install it on Win 7 and it won't behave, you may be able to install and run it in compatibility mode for Windows XP.
Just for clarification: I never have mentioned Win 7 in my postings. It´s still XP (on a separate machine not for internet use).
System restore didn´t work. Answer: It was not possible to restore your system to ... (date).
 

Arouse1973

Adam
Dec 18, 2013
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Is it just P-spice that's not working or are any of your other programs behaving in an unusual manner?
 

LvW

Apr 12, 2014
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Yes - you are right. I should have been more specific.
It is the schematic entry feature ("schematics") that does not start anymore. However, it is possible to start the simulator PSpice which needs a written circuit file.
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Further investigation of the issue of applications working in safe mode but not normal mode suggests that the problem is not with the application, but with XP or one of the drivers or startup programs which it loads (I guess that's kinda obvious).
  1. It may be worth checking the event logs as the failing program may have caused something to be logged or a driver failing to load may have done the same. Follow the procedure here. This is probably the best place to start because if it reports anything it may be quite specific.
  2. I also recommend you take a look at the procedure on this page to use MSCONFIG to temporarily stop as much of the startup stuff as possible. See if the program then starts. If it does, systematically re-enable those things you've disabled to try to track down what it is that is conflicting.
  3. If the program fails even when everything you can turn off in MSCONFIG is turned off, use task manager to identify processes running in the non-safe mode that are not in safe mode and determine if it is possible to halt them (at least temporarily to run tests). You can also use this procedure to check device drivers. There's lots of them, so I recommend looking for the difference between safe mode and non-safe mode (with things disabled in MSCONFIG) to narrow down the list.
 

LvW

Apr 12, 2014
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Steve, thank you very much for all these tips. I will try to follow these steps during the weekend. By the way - it´s not a big problem because I can run the program on a spare computer (rather slowly, but it works). More than that, I can work with another simulation package on the main computer which is not bad (TOPSpice from Penzar).
LvW
 
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