Translating the Source Failed

Authoring Inform 7
21

Endosphere: Thanks so much for the info!

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

I am IN the IT department in my workplace. :blush:

Actually, I could easily revert to another OS upon request. In fact, as an IT user, I’m sometimes considered an “early adopter” or “tester” by the folks in IT who are rolling out / thinking of rolling out / experimenting with / etc new programs, operating systems, versions, settings and so forth. So that’s probably the only reason I got Windows 7, and my problems are probably due entirely to the fact that the whole mess isn’t tested for our company yet.

However, the OS is messing with my game-playing far more than my work. I just put my work stuff in an unrelated folder, and ignore all that User Folder Library junk. And actually, I don’t totally mind being a guinea pig for stuff that we’re going to roll out eventually to the rest of the company. I also get toys and gadgets and better settings than most folks.

But I was just getting ready to open a new thread because once again, Translating the Source Failed. ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!

My problems, I’m sure, are due to the removal of that damn virus of a User Folder, and probably some other “cleanup” I did when I received the computer. Not that I don’t consider it a flaw in an OS if deleting an innocuous-looking folder off your desktop screws up your computer indefinitely.

My multiple-favorites-folder problem was compounded by a multiple-search-folder problem. However, I managed to fix both with a reg edit that I found on the InterWebz.

Got it.

Now THIS is useful. I will try this before opening a new thread on my Windows 7 problems.

I’m a Linux user at home. I really prefer to be in control of my folders. AND, I just ordered a new laptop. It’s taking forever to get to me. But once it does, I’ll probably do most of my goofing off on that computer.

Another good solution. Maybe I’ll fix these problems yet!

22

OK this is just weird.

I created the home.txt file and put in a new path. In fact I tried different paths, including simply C:\

Inform is ignoring my home.txt file. I created a project called “Lab”, got the standard “Translating the Source Failed”, and when I went out to look for the file it was somewhere else besides where I had defined.

Not only was it somewhere else, but here’s the weird part. Inform is creating the file inside “My Documents” and inside a folder called “Personal”, which I did at one point move some projects into.

Clearly Inform can’t forget about that old, custom location for some reason, even after I uninstall through “Add and Remove Programs” and then delete the Inform folders from My Documents and Program Files. In other words, it seems clear that it isn’t uninstalling completely.

Does anyone know where all its files get scattered to, and how I can delete them? Or do a cleaner install?

Other suggestions welcome too. Not sure why it would ignore my home.txt file, even if it did remember other folders.

thanks.

PS: I also tried making sure all folders in question were not read-only.

23

My admittedly very limited understanding of Windows Vista and Windows 7 is that both of these bloated operating systems contain zillions of lines of code all aimed directly at preventing the user from interacting with his or her files, based on the assumption that the user is a knucklehead who can’t be trusted to run their own computer. Presumably there are ways one could reduce this heavy-handedness (probably only discoverable after days or weeks spent reading thick books full of technical mumbo-jumbo). My guess is these “features” are what’s at the heart of your afflictions here–the trouble isn’t with Inform at all, it’s with the way the OS works to protect you from interfering with the intricate workings of its ineffable genius. :cry:

Since your troubles have been going on for a while now without much progress, I’d suggest you check out the Inform bug report form and send an e-mail to David Kinder asking for technical help. I’m sure he can get things straightened out for you fairly quickly, and he’s pretty good at explaining complex issues in an easily understandable way.

24

:laughing:

I’ve always thought that Windows could please everyone (isn’t that what they want to do?) by one simple little fix.

When you first install Windows, you get a choice: Are you a regular user or an advanced user?

Regular users get all the BS. Advanced users get to interact with their stuff.

If I may gripe, another thing that bothers me is the way that each new version of Windows, IE or Office moves everything into DRASTICALLY different locations, for no good reason that I can find. Neither I nor a novice user really wants to have to hunt five minutes for “save as” because it used to be right there, and now it’s buried under six tabs and dialogs. Why, Microsoft, Why???

True, true, I am about to do that now. By way of update, since my last posting I’ve uninstalled Inform more completely (by deleting David Kinder files from the registry and so forth) and reinstalled, ran Dependency Walker, changed the home.txt file all sorts of ways, and all kinds of other junk, but no luck. What’s really infuriating is that it was working for about five minutes, a week or two ago.

I’ve been told I should create a new Admin account, log in as that user, delete my user account, and log back in as me, so that my User Folder will be recreated from scratch and not with the customizations I’ve inflicted on it. I’ll do that first and see if it helps.

25

Did you sort this problem out in the end?

26

Hi David!

Actually, I did not. I really did mean to file a report, but I kept wanting to try a few more things, and then I got busy and didn’t get to it.

I did create an admin account, delete my user and add it back, but that didn’t help either.

27

If you fancy trying to dig into what’s going wrong, send me an email (my email address is in the bug report form) and we’ll take it from there.

28

I will definitely do it when I get a moment. Thanks for the reminder.