"Invalid TLV record" error after installing VB6/Crystal XI app package 1

[gkeene]

I am having a problem with Crystal XI deployment. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.


I am using VB 6.0 and Crystal XI. My VB application is tiny and the Crystal report (.rpt file) is simple.

Everything works just fine on my PC.

I and all of my users already have access to the database which is Oracle 8i.

I am trying to use the VB Package and Deployment Wizard so that my users can view the report with fresh data whenever they want (pull method).

I am adding the file UFManager.dll to my Package.

I am adding the file crqe.dll to my Package and making sure it is registered on my users' PCs.

My users' PCs have the CommonFiles registry subkey.

My users' have never previously had Crystal Reports of any version on their PCs. If I install Crystal XI on their PCs the application works fine. I don't want to have to get more licenses so I then removed Crystal XI from their PC.



When I install the application to my users' PCs I do not get any error messages. When I start up the application I do not get any error messages. As soon as I try to execute the .rpt from within the application I get the error message of "Invalid TLV record" and the application shuts down.

I have spent quite a bit of time searching the forums on this web site and tried all the relevant solutions I can find to no avail.

I suspect there is something(s) that I need to include in my Package but I don't know what it is. Also, I may be using the Package Wizard incorrectly. When I am including .dll files in the Package I am telling them their install location on the users' PCs is going to be $(AppPath). Should I be doing it this way or accepting the defaults that the Packager gives me? This is my first time using the Packager.

I have searched for a file called Runtime.chm on my PC but it is not present. I understand it has a list of all the files I need to include in my Package. Is there a comprehensive list somewhere for Crystal XI that tells what files I need?


Thanks in advance for any ideas/suggestions/speculations.

 

[synapsevampire]

Here's a generic whitepaper (for CR 9 but it should help):

http://support.businessobjects.com/library/kbase/articles/c2012064.asp

-k

 

[vidru]

I'd suggest reading one of the whitepapers on deployment (like this one) for some tips on building your installer package. If possible, I'd avoid the P&D wizard and download Visual Studio Installer, which would allow you to use the RDC merge modules in your VB package.

-dave

 

[gkeene]

Thanks for the suggestions. I downloaded and have been using the Visual Studio Installer. I found a white paper that helped a lot. It is:

http://support.businessobjects.com/fix/merge_modules.asp#05

Business Objects suggests using the Visual Studio Installer with Merge Modules instead of the P&D wizard.

I'm still getting hung up on an error message that says "Failed to open the connection" but I think I'm pretty close to figuring it out.

-gkeene

 

[gkeene]

I got it to work.

The white paper says that some Microsoft Merge Modules are needed but it doesn't say which ones. After several failures I decided in frustration to include every single .msm file in c:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\Common\Tools\VSInst\BuildRes in my installer package. Other than that the white paper gave really good directions.