January 2009 Archives

If you’re using the Visual Studio 2008 (SP1) Data Source Wizard or Local Data Cache wizard and you get a message like this:

Synchronizing the database failed with the message:
'Unable to initialize the client database, because the schema for table ...[list of tables]... could not be retrieved by the Getschema() method of DvServerSyncProvider.

Be sure to check the compatibility level of the targeted database to make sure it’s set to SQL Server 100 (2008). This should have been tested before the database was listed as supporting automatic sync support, but in any case, the exception message should show the reason for the error, not the cause.

To set a database’s compatibility level, open SQL Server Management Studio, open the database and choose Properties | Options. Use the drop-down to choose the right compatibility level. Of course, this assumes that the database is closed elsewhere (like in the Visual Studio Server Explorer). Once you change compatibility level, the engine rechecks the schema etc. to make sure there aren’t any compatibility issues.

Also, make sure you try to compile your project with x86 or x64 explicitly. I’ve discovered some disconnects with the default <AnyCPU> configuration setting. You can ignore the warnings when using x64 that complain that mscorlib.dll, system.data.dll and system.transcations.dll target a different processor. This is a known bug.

In some cases you might have to get the Local Data Cache wizard to rebuild the .SDF cache database to properly sync with the server-side table(s). Simply open the LocalDataCache.sync and make a property change and set it back once the sync has completed.

hth

Ah, why is it that the PowerPoint team still doesn’t get it? Don’t they realize that users need to manage more than one PPT document open at once? No, don’t tell me that you can open additional documents in a single instance—that’s not going to work. That’s because we want to be able to manage each PPT file separately on its own monitor. Most serious developers (or PPT users) are blessed with multiple monitors but even if both of these are running the same resolution (not necessarily the rule) the mechanism to stretch the window to cover both monitors is very clunky at best and just does not make us efficient.

Every other Office application permits you to run multiple instances so one can put one document or spreadsheet on one monitor and another on another monitor.

Folks, it’s been years since people first started asking for this basic functionality. Yes, I know the PPT team lives in its own little world fighting the Windows metaphor, but it needs to grow up and join the 21st Century and  the rest of the Microsoft Office team.

I installed the PowerPoint 2007 Viewer (and SP1) but while this runs in a Window (only full-screen), it does not support copy/paste to import content from the second PPT. I also tried to setup a runas to launch PowerPoint as a different user but this failed with a strange IO error—bizarre.

When the daily Vista backup failed, I expected it was time to throw out some of the older backups and make sure there was room on the backup drive for more—after all it’s only 750GB. Well about this time my system failed to boot. No amount of cajoling or trickery could get it to boot. Safe mode? Nope—blue screen that flashed by so fast I couldn’t read it. So I tried to use the backups that did exist on the drive to restore the system. The Vista Setup disk could not see them. I tore the system down (about midnight) and pulled the drive, tested it (it was fine) mounted it in a USB carrier and told Vista to look for it. No joy. I attached the drive and shared it to the network and told Vista to attach to the network (which it did) and look for the files. Not found.

As a result, I had to totally reinstall the OS. What a PITA. I’ll spend every non-working hour for weeks trying to get this (my primary dev system) back to 100%. Hell, the Windows updates alone take 36 hours to install…

I’m installing Acronis Workstation now and backing up the system so I can REALLY restore it when stuff happens—as it always does.

I just hope V7 works better than this…

ttyl

I'm speaking at VSLive in San Francisco February 25th and 26th for the first time in many (too many) years. This conference promises to be a great way to get up to speed on .NET technology--the stuff you use every day and the new stuff Microsoft keeps pumping out. There are plenty of great speakers there including most of the regulars like Andrew Brust, Rocky Lhotka, Brian Randall, Miguel Castro and many more.

When you get to the site, look for this page:

Enter my special NS9F10 promotion code and you'll receive $500 off of the standard pricing for the VSLive! PLUS package.

There is no deadline for his offer. Sorry, this offer cannot be combined with the Early Bird discount, and in fact it's a deeper discount.

• Standard pricing for VSLive! PLUS package is $1895
• Discounted price for VSLive! PLUS package with speaker blog discount is $1395

Register today to attend VSLive! and join a select group of your peers to:

• FREE admission to the MSDN Developer Conference on Monday, February 23rd.
• Sharpen your skills and stay competitive in the job market — with 80 workshops and sessions to choose from.

• Look into the future with details direct from Microsoft on what's coming in Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4.0, along with Windows Azure, Windows 7 and way more.
• If you work with the .NET Framework and Visual Studio then this is your conference! Join with your peers & other developers — share in their expertise and learn from their ideas, tips & tricks.  You cannot afford to miss this developer community gathering.

Be one of the first 30 to get this deal. I don't expect this to last very long, so if you were thinking of going to DevTeach or a technical conference to get the latest .NET technology act now. No, I won't be there this time but there are lots of other good speakers.

Save 50%  on the price of DevTeach / SQLTeach Vancouver (June 8-12,2009)!

DevTeach has created a secret rebate code that will give you 50% off the regular price of DevTeach/SQLTeach Vancouver (June 8-12, 2009). You will not find this code on the DevTeach or SQLTeach site. It has been given to only friends of the event to be posted in Blogs and sent by email. Plus, this code can only be used 30 times and expires on February 10th.  Still, if you search the web and act quickly you can get a very good deal.  Do you know any friends of DevTeach or SQLTeach?