We'll be responding to technical issues over there.
Help!!!! I really really want to run the program. My Dragonborn is getting rather agitated and mumbled something about Honor be damned while brandishing his double axe at the computer.
Everytime I go to download the program says initialising and then "unable to connect please try again later" in very scrunched up writing.
I have got .NET 3.5 SP1 installed. I have disabled both the computer firewall and the router firewall.
I am thinking it is the parental control software but without a web address to exempt from the program I will be unable to try my theory out.
Can a download address be provided? Or do you think it is something else?
I have been trying on and off for over twelve hours now.
Running Vista Home Premium 64-bit.
Downloads complete, and SETUP.EXE runs. It then starts "Preparing to install" the Microsoft .NET framework, and after 15 minutes of nothing I gave up.
If a modern application cannot run on a modern OS, then why even bother releasing it as beta? This isn't even "alpha" code if this is the current state of affairs. This must be fixed ASAP. as I am sure I won't be alone with this problem.
Sorry for the rant.
There is no support for non-Windows platforms for the Beta or for the Final product at this time.
That doesn't mean there won't be future iteratinos for other platforms, but it isn't a current production piece.
Running Vista Home Premium 64-bit.
Downloads complete, and SETUP.EXE runs. It then starts "Preparing to install" the Microsoft .NET framework, and after 15 minutes of nothing I gave up.
If a modern application cannot run on a modern OS, then why even bother releasing it as beta? This isn't even "alpha" code if this is the current state of affairs. This must be fixed ASAP. as I am sure I won't be alone with this problem.
Sorry for the rant.
I had the exact same problem. I'm hoping that this will be fixed soon. I'm not paying $8 a month for a suite that doesn't work.
The .Net framework download and install took about 10 to 15 minutes (this happened around 1:00 PM CST).
I was able to start using the Character Builder around 1:22 PM CST.
I have built a couple characters so far, one I created by starting from the left with Race, then Background, then Class, then Ability Scores and so on.
The second character I created by jumping around, starting with Ability Scores, then Class, then Race, then Background just to see if the program could handle a chaotic approach to character building. It did.
It is possible that I missed something during my use of Character Builder so far, but the old e-Tools program listed all of your carried and equipped items, both magical and mundane, along with their respective weights and monetary values on a page of your character printout. If you were overly encumbered, both the printout and the GUI explicitly pointed that out. The Character Builder feels like a throwback to the 1st edition days when one of my player characters walked around with 10 to 20 bastard swords hanging off his back while not suffering any encumbrance penalties.
Running Vista Home Premium 64-bit.
Downloads complete, and SETUP.EXE runs. It then starts "Preparing to install" the Microsoft .NET framework, and after 15 minutes of nothing I gave up.
If a modern application cannot run on a modern OS, then why even bother releasing it as beta? This isn't even "alpha" code if this is the current state of affairs. This must be fixed ASAP. as I am sure I won't be alone with this problem.
Sorry for the rant.
I had the same problem, however, when I restarted my computer, clicked on the install program, it installed correctly and I've been using it ever since. I am not sure what caused it, but it happened exactly the same on my Desktop AND my laptop. The program works fine on both - now.... about all the OTHER issues.... :P
I don't know about the character builder because I can't get the .NET program to down load. It always starts and then after about 10% down loaded it suddenly says it has missing files and then deletes them all. So frustrating. So far I and my microsoft wiz friend have spent two nights working on it with no success. I've taken tonight off, but I will try again tomorrow. I'm stuck now because it says that it can't access the install client because there is another instal running and I need to finish that install first...If only!
I don't know if you have had any luck with getting the install, but for myself, I had the problem of the computer say it needed to finish the first install. A simple reboot of the computer (Steel Toes work best :P) fixed that problem. Of course then I had other problems, but got them all worked out too. I'm sure you've tried that, but in case you haven't - it worked for me, and with Microsoft - what works once probably was a fluke, but JUST MIGHT work again.
That's what I get when I try to run it. I've installed the .net framework directly from microsoft since the installation through your online installer program hung for about 15 minutes at the last part of the progress bar before I gave up and shut it down.
Could not load type "System.Windows.SplashScreen" from assembly "WindowsBase, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture = neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35."
That's what I get when I try to run it. I've installed the .net framework directly from microsoft since the installation through your online installer program hung for about 15 minutes at the last part of the progress bar before I gave up and shut it down.
Usually a message like that means that the dll hasn't been registered in the GAC or more than one version is registered in the GAC.
Ok, now the last sentence in layman terms. For some reason Windows can't find the .DLL file or it is finding more than one of it.
To resolve this problem try the following (Note this is on XP I'm not sure if Vista has these in the same locations):
First go to C:\WINDOWS\assembly. Scroll down and make sure there is only one "WindowsBase". Double check that it's version and Public Key Token matches what you have listed above. If there is no entry under "Assembly Name" for WindowBase try and reinstall the .NET 3.0 Framework and .NET 3.5 Framework. I would do this by trying the following:
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01. Go to Windows Update page.
02. Choose "Custom" (instead of "Express")
NOTE!!! If you are using XP and you didn't install SP3 choose "Review Other Updates" after clicking on "Custom".
03. On the left you should see "Software, Optional" under "Select by Type". Click on that.
04. If you See both .Net 3.0 Framework and .Net 3.5 Framework Proceed to step 5.
If you only see .Net Framework 3.5 go to step 6.
05. Install .Net 3.0 Framework first then restart your PC and head back to windows update.
(I know that it seems like installing 3.5 would do 3.0 but it is better to be safe.)
06. Install .Net 3.5 Framework then restart your PC and head back to windows update.
07. If you did step 4 and/or 5 this time in Windows Update you should see security and/or functionality updates for the .Net Framework in the "High Priority" section. If you see them, install them.
08. Yup you guessed it, restart...
09. Now, go to C:\WINDOWS\assembly see if WindowsBase is listed. Make sure version and Public Key Token are correct.
10. You should now be able to install and run the Character Builder.
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I know this is tedious but it should help out. I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds on this forum. If so please let me know and I will refrain from these instructions in the future.
The software is designed for use with Windows.
There is no support for non-Windows platforms for the Beta or for the Final product at this time.
That doesn't mean there won't be future iteratinos for other platforms, but it isn't a current production piece.
BTW, I have it running on my OS X, through Parallels (not Bootcamp) with Vista, and all works seamlessly from a technical standpoint.
I would though encourage the team to get a native OS X program out there, there seem to be many more players and potential players who run OS X exclusively without the privilege of owning a copy of Windows and some emulator. At this point I would say its a good business model to get a Mac version out there within the first year.
I downloaded the beta to my Compaq laptop and then ran the installation. Everything seemed to be fine, until I tried to open the builder. The Title screen/logo with the emblem stating beta appeared, and then it said "Configuration system failed to initialize". When it tried to send you an error report, it then stated that it could not send a report to Wizards of the Coast - ERR 2001: Configuration system failed to initialize
I am having this exact issue. Can anyone shed any light on this for me?
What is the solution for it?
I downloaded the beta to my Compaq laptop and then ran the installation. Everything seemed to be fine, until I tried to open the builder. The Title screen/logo with the emblem stating beta appeared, and then it said "Configuration system failed to initialize". When it tried to send you an error report, it then stated that it could not send a report to Wizards of the Coast - ERR 2001: Configuration system failed to initialize
Help!!!! I really really want to run the program. My Dragonborn is getting rather agitated and mumbled something about Honor be damned while brandishing his double axe at the computer.
I have the exact same problem and it's irritating me. I'm going to start rocking back and forth in a dark corner because of depression.
I would though encourage the team to get a native OS X program out there, there seem to be many more players and potential players who run OS X exclusively without the privilege of owning a copy of Windows and some emulator. At this point I would say its a good business model to get a Mac version out there within the first year.
I would have love to have done a mac version. I have a mac. I also have an iphone.
When I originally joined the project though I was given a 6 month time frame to full release, 3 months to beta, and by the way, that includes the time I could spend hiring a staff. Staff was, fortunately, hired in short order, and I was lucky to get some great people on the team. With the short schedule though we were making decisions between releasing it as a web app, or perhaps winforms. We mocked up a web app and it wasn't responsive enough, we mocked up a winforms prototype, and it was slow and lacked the ability to do all the things we wanted to do so we ported to WPF which set us back a week but was so worth it. We were able to do more things, have better control of the UI and development time was very fast.
Given the short schedule that we had it wouldn't have been reasonable to make a multi-platform version. Once we were done with the initial build I did cost out what it would take to make a mac version, as I think it is short sighted not to make one. The problem being that Wizards just doesn't have enough mac customers yet. They would need something like 10 times as many in order for it to break even, and that's not counting the fact that the majority of mac users can run windows apps in some sort of vm setup.
It's also entirely possible that by the time there are enough mac customers there will also be either native osx support for wpf, or some sort of rapid development tool for mac/iphone that could be trivially ported too. It's also possible that with the coming release of windows7 that XP will drop in price so much that it doesn't make sense not to have a copy running in a vm with your mac.
I have the exact same problem and it's irritating me. I'm going to start rocking back and forth in a dark corner because of depression.
Try running as admin?