photo express 6 crashes before it starts

[pmpm]

i have photo express 6 when i got it i could only use it the first time, after that it always crashes unless i re-install it and then it will work for the first time and then crash subsequent times. i have tried the patch on the website and tech support game me a new download nothing worked. i tried re-formatting my computer and it worked!.. for a short while anyhow, now its crashing again and i have no idea why, before i had installed Microsoft office 97, so i tried removing that but that didn't help. i don't know what else to try, (oh and i tried the removal procedure recommended in the forum) i would be grateful for any suggestions, tech support a very slow getting back to me and i would really like it sorted soon.

[Ron P.]

Hi Pmpm, and welcome to the forums,

First in order to help, we need more information.

1. Please complete your system information in your profile.
2. Can you provide details on what you are doing when it crashes?
3. Are the crashes random, or do they happen while doing the same function?
4. Do you have crashes while running any other software?

Ron P.

[pmpm]

I have filled in the system info to the best of my knowledge. It happens every time i try to run the program, i click on the shortcut to it and then the splash screen comes up which takes a while then i get an error message saying windows has to close the program because of an error, when i click on more info it says ... error signature - appname: ipexe appver:6.0.0.0 modname:treectl.dll modver:6.0.0.0 offset: 000061a3

if i then view the report it is a huge 505kb long...!
i am not running any other software other than what normally runs in the background.. eg Norton internet security.. printer monitor etc. these where all running when photo express did work so i doubt if they are the problem, though i did try removing the Norton to see if that helps but it didn't so i have put it back again.
and no... no other software crashes. in fact this is the only software i have had problems with in a very long time.

[Ron P.]

Your system is certainly up to the task of running an imaging editing program.

I used to use Norton, however dumped it over a year ago. I just use a freebie Grisoft's AVG. What I'm leading to is that, Norton may have interfered with the install of PE. I know you said that you uninstalled it, and still had the problem. However if Norton corrupted or blocked something during the installation, it may still be there even when you removed Norton.

Anytime I install software (especially large imaging or especially video editing) I disable everything, firewall, antivirus etc.. that will not be needed. If I bought the sofware from a legit company, then there should not be any virus with the program. By disabling antivirus and firewall, then the installer doesn't have to deal with them. So anyway if you haven't already you might try uninstalling (clean complete un-install, re-install) of PE with those disabled. You shouldn't have to remove them, just disable them during the installation.

One other issue that has been noticed is Windows Installer causing problems with VS9. I don't have PE, so I don't know if there might be an issue with Windows Installer, but it could be worth investigating..

Ron P.

[pmpm]

I have already tried this before, but i just tried it again and checked id close all programs and disabled Internet security and anti virus. the same thing has happened as always does, after removing it then re-installing it, it works for the first time, but after closing it, then opening it again, it crashes and I'm back to square one.
Your comment on Norton... I wish i could remove the thing its nothing but a pain it causes me network problems with my kids computers, it slows my computer down pops up annoyingly. believe me if i wasn't on a 'always on' broadband connection and it hadn't saved my computer from various Trojan attacks and viruses, i would gladly drop the thing in the bin. but because of people who have nothing better to do than write malicious software for thrills, i and many others have to put up with it.
(sorry for letting off steam there!)
appreciate any help on photo express..

[Ron P.]

I am getting like you, at a loss as to why PE is doing this. In reference to Noron, why I think it still might be the culprit, after dumping it, I was still finding remants of Norton on my system a year later. I dumped it because when my system crashed and I had to reformat, reinstall, I was almost required to provide them with my birth certificate in order to reinstate my antivirus subscription. With that I thought, I don't think your program is worth it, and trashed it.

The only firewall I use is the built in WinXP firewall, however I have a hardware router that is also a firewall. I have always on broadband (DSL), however I shut off the modem when I'm not using it. Let's see a hacker get through that. I do have a second computer that my wife uses, that is on the network, and so far no problems.

I don't know if a combination of WinXP firewall and Norton's could be adding to the problem, but it still seems that something on your system is shutting PE down. I keep going back to something like your firewall, because if PE starts up, then proceeds to access the internet, and Norton sees this then says Oh no you don't, it will shutdown the application. Then when PE starts again, Norton will be doing its job, and keep it from trying it again. When you do a reinstall, it removes any record of this attempt, so the cycle starts over. Just a thought...

Is there a Preferences setting where PE checks Ulead's site when starting up?

[pmpm]

I'm not so sure it is Norton, i have tried disabling Norton then clicking on PE and i still have the same problem. windows firewall is turned off because of having Norton. I think the only way to get rid of Norton is to re-format. in fact re-formatting seems to solve the unsolvable at times. which it did with PE, (for a short while!) something iv done or a programs done has set the problem off again. I'm at a loss to what it is. I just hope tech support know.

[jdb]

I have the same problem as described by pmpm. After installation, the program works only once.
I noticed that the same happened when I logged on to my computer with another user account. This showed me that the problem was probably related to the user-settings of Photo Express 6 (PE).
Therefore I checked the PE user-settings in the registry and found that after I ran the program once there were faulty entries in the registry which made treectl.dll to crash when it was run the second time.
The faulty settings can be found in the following folder: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Ulead Systems\Ulead Photo Express\6.0\Tree Control]. The entry "Current Directory" gets a value of "Bureaublad\Mijn documenten\Mijn afbeeldingen\". The same value can be found twice in the submap History. When I change this value to e.g. "C:\\Documents and Settings\\Johan en Ann\\Mijn documenten\\Mijn afbeeldingen", I can start the program again, without need for complete reinstallation.
So a workaround for this error is to export the Tree Control registry folder to a .reg file and to change these faulty registry entries in that file. Then you should run this file every time prior to executing the PE program.
Remains that the program crashes when I go to browsing mode and open a folder in "Bureaublad\Mijn documenten\Mijn afbeeldingen\". I can circumvent this crash by browsing to the same map, starting from "C:\".