Restoring a Corrupt InTouch Application Preventing Problems

SUMMARY

This Tech Note updates Tech Note 112 Recovering a Corrupted InTouch Application by including InTouch versions 9.5 to 10.1.

Restoring a Corrupt InTouch Application

LEGACY TECH NOTE #

774

SITUATION

Application Versions

InTouch 9.5 to 10.1

Assumptions

This Tech Note assumes you are familiar with all aspects of InTouch Administration and Functionality, such as DBDump/Load, Backups,

SmartSymbols, and Error log management.

This Tech Note assumes a stand-alone InTouch application. For Managed InTouch Applications, see

• Tech Note 546 Rebuilding a Corrupted InTouch® Managed Application (for versions prior to InTouch 10.0 SP2), and

• Tech Note 570 Rebuilding a Corrupted InTouch® Managed Application for InTouch versions 10.0 SP2 (for versions later than InTouch 10.0

SP2)

This Tech Note contains the following sections:

Preventing Problems

Restoring a Corrupt Application

An InTouch application can get corrupted by a variety of reasons: computer crashes, forced termination of the application, copy of an opened

project, access by virus scanners or backup software during run-time, etc. You can identify a corrupt application identified by its unusual behavior

Sudden crashes

Problems when browsing the tagname dictionary

Problems doing DBDump/DBLoad

Sudden failure of scripts and functions

Problems when upgrading to another version

Slow response times while using the Cross Reference Utility

Furthermore, projects that have been used and edited over a long period of time run less effectively, and take longer for activities such as

DBDump, Cross Reference and display of the tag list. This is due to fragmented files in the project folder.

You can defragment these files using the following procedure.

From InTouch 9.5 it is possible to use existing Tags which allows importing without converting every single window and script by its own. This way,

this procedure can be performed within a short time.

Preventing Problems

Always close the application by clicking the " x " in the upper right corner of the title bar, or by using another appropriate command such as

File/Exit.

Doc Type Tech Notes

Doc Id TN397

Last Modified Date 01/08/2019

Important: Never stop the project from Task Manager or shutdown/turn off the computer while the application is running.

Never copy the project while WindowMaker™ or WindowViewer™ is running. Always close them before copying or moving files from the

application directory.

Never change or delete any Application file in the application directory.

Do not open any files in the application directory while Window Viewer/Maker is running. You can block the required access to a file.

Configure your virus scanner as described in the Readme.html file, which can be found on the installation media. This prevents required files

from being blocked or modified by the AV-Software.

Your computer and your InTouch application must have the same language on every machine where the project should be edited or used.

Otherwise some ActiveX or project files can get corrupted.

When creating a backup of your application, always copy the whole project, and not only the updated files.

Restoring a Corrupt Application

The following procedure has been proven successful in repairing and clearing corrupt and older applications.

Create a Backup

Quit Window Maker and Viewer and create a backup of the whole application directory.

Create a DBDump from the Application

1. Open Programs > Wonderware > InTouch.

2. Select the desired application and select the DBDump.

3. Set the hook sort by type and create the CSV file in a location where you can find it easily afterwards.

Create a New InTouch Application

Open the Project Manager and create a new project. Open it in Window Maker and close it right afterwards.

Load the Dump

1. Open the Project manager and select the new project.

2. Start DBLoad and import the file you have created from the DBDump task.

3. After importing that file, check the logger in SMC for warnings or errors logged.

4. Send an export of these messages to your local Technical Support provider and ask for information how to solve this problem.

Import the Windows and Functions

1. Open the new application in WindowMaker and click File/Import.

2. Select your old project and press OK.

3. In the import window presseach Select to open the overview for all Windows and Scripts, and selecteverything that has to be imported.

4. Select use existing tags before clicking on Import.

Then, the selected Objects should be imported and all placeholders automatically converted. When there are warnings or errors issued during

import or to the logger, contact your Technical Support Provider.

Important: Always import windows directly from the original Application. Do not import previously-exportedwindows or the conversion of

placeholders will not work.

Import the Remaining Files

Some files have to be copied manually from the old to the new project. Any existing files must be overwritten.

Before copying the files listed below, both WindowMaker and WindowViewer must be closed:

InTouch.ini: The configuration file which contains the entire projects configuration (Everything which is configured in Special->Configure,…).

.lgh & .ldx: The files from the InTouch Historical Trend.

SQL.DEF: The defined Bind Lists for SQL functions.

*.ini, *.xml: Different configuration files. A description of all files can be found in Tech Note 145 FactorySuite and ArchestrA InTouch®

Application File List.

Recovering Smart Symbols

When rebuilding an application, the SmartSymbol Library is not transferred to the new application, and the SmartSymbols within the windows

become orphanded instances of this Symbol. You can create a new template from this instance.

Simply select a SmartSymbol in a window and you will be asked if this symbol should be recovered. Recovering the symbol adds this symbol

to the library.

We do not recommend copying the SmartSymbol Library manually from the original App, because those templates do not link the templates and

can cause confusion.

Security

Copy the file Password.bin into your new project. This migrates previously-defined InTouch users and passwords into your new application.

Check the Application

1. Start the project in WindowViewer and cycle through some of the windows and scripts where possible.

2. Print the project to a PDF and search for question marks. These characters are probably placeholders that need your attention.

3. Check the logger afterwards for errors, warnings and messages.

4. Set up and perform frequent (preferably daily) backups of your application. Daily backups allow you to go back to a working state of you

project with a minimal loss of effort, and/or allows you to restore corrupted parts of your application.