RH8: project from newer version of program error message

[Guest]

Our IT department recently did a company-wide system upgrade to Windows 7 and ever since then I am receiving the following message when I try to access my project:  This project is from a newer version of the program.  This project is no longer compatible with this version.  Please make sure you have the newest version installed.   What exactly is the message stating?  I have been unable to access my RH project since 3/3/14 since our IT department has been unable to assist me with this error.  They just keep stating to locate where you are saving your files.  I have and am receiving this message.  Thanks in advance for any input.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Where is your project stored? Is there any source control involved?

BTW – with your version of RH, it should be on your local c:\ drive (preferably in a nice short c:\projects\project_name\ folder structure).

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Basically the message is saying that your project was created using a newer version of RoboHelp and you are trying to open and edit it using an older version. Perhaps you were using version 10 of RoboHelp and suddenly after the upgrade your IT staff gave you access to RoboHelp 9. That would certainly cause such a message.

I think I'd contact IT and ask what (if anything) they changed about your version of RoboHelp. Also, I would open RoboHelp and click Help > Updates... (if you can - IT may need to get involved with this) and ensure you don't need to apply a service release. I'm not sure if a service release would cause the message, but could see where it may.

Cheers... Rick

[Guest]

I have it saved to My Documents > My Robohelp Projects folder > and then I named my file.  I receive that error message when I click on the RH icon in this folder since I'm unable to obtain my project under RH's "my recent documents" since the recent Windows 7 updgrade.  To give a little back ground, when I had RH7 i was able to "save" everything in the tortoise SVN repository prior to publishing my project.  Then, when the company upgraded my RH from 7 to 8, I lost that function so I have been unable to "save" the most recently published project .  Therefore, I am already aware that when I get this error message resolved and am able to access the project through this folder that it will not open the most recent publication and will have to "rebuild" everything from that point forward...correct?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

So to get this straight:

- You had a RH7 project in source control

- Your workstation’s o/s was upgraded to Win7

- You now have RH8 installed

- You did or didn’t check out the project and upgrade it?

As Rick says, it sounds like someone checked the project out and upgraded it and checked it back in – that’s why it’s now throwing that message your way. You either need to get your version of RH upgraded or find a backup copy of the RH7 version of the project and upgrade that to RH8.

[Guest]

Yes I had the RH7 in source control and then it was upgraded to RH8 and I lost the tortoise SVN function.  That was a few years back.  As of 3/3/14 our company upgraded to Windows 7.  I was able to access my most recently publshed project through Robohelp's "Recent Projects" homepage - NOT through where the original project was created/saved via SVN on the C drive.  I spoke with IT and they seem to think that it's a server issue?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

So the project was removed from source control several years ago, upgraded to RH8 on your local machine, but you are getting this message when trying to open the project’s .xpj file in your local c:\ drive? Have you a backup copy of the project?

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

IMHO, there's really not much of a chance that it's any kind of "server issue". I know that IT often views things from a higher level perspective, but likely they don't understand RoboHelp.

So let's break this down a bit.

You said:

Yes I had the RH7 in source control and then it was upgraded to RH8 and I lost the tortoise SVN function.

Soooo, were you working with RH8 on projects that were in SVN or not?

You also said:

As of 3/3/14 our company upgraded to Windows 7.  I was able to access my most recently publshed project through Robohelp's "Recent Projects" homepage - NOT through where the original project was created/saved via SVN on the C drive.

And what version of RoboHelp were you using when you did that?

If your workstation was upgraded to Windows 7, it was probably a new "stamp" that was created by IT, no? In case you aren't sure, what I'm meaning by "stamp" is to say that it's been my experience that in the corporate world, IT will create a master image of a hard drive. Then clone that to all the PCs in the organization. So you all begin with the new stuff looking identical. So it would come as no surprise to me that the files and folders that were previously there are now gone. Hopefully you backed those up. But if not, and you are using source control, it may not be a big deal. All you have to do is tell source control where you want the "working folder". That is commonly a folder on your local C drive. So it sounds like that bit isn't configured. At least, not yet.

Cheers... Rick

[Guest]

Source control, I'm assuming, means the tortoise SVN correct?  If so, when I had RH7, and prior to publishing, I "backed" my project up via SVN which, I believe if I understand correctly, would then "upload" it or "save" it under my C drive where I initially created the project (so the C drive would have the most current version as long as it "saved" it using the tortoise SVN function).  Then, I was upgraded to RH8 and the tortoise SVN (or source control?) was no longer functional.  We tried "fixing" the problem to no avail and I was told "let's just hope it never crashes".  Well, it did on a few occasions and what I ended up doing was going to my project located on the C drive, accessing it that way and then rebuilding it from that point forward.  For example, right now it states "last modified 3/21//2012" so if I click on the RH icon in this folder (though I can't due ot the error message I'm getting) and it opened I would need to compare what I recently published on 3/3/14 to what was saved back in 2012 and rebuild 2 years worth of work.  So, since the RH8 upgrade I guess I haven't been "backing it up" or "source controlling" it due to the tortoise SVN function not working.  I always relied on the "recent documents" option that you receive when you access RH as it would always pull up the most recent project.   And yes I'm receiving the "This project is from a newer version of the program.  This project is no longer compatible with this version.  Please make sure you have the newest version installed" message when I'm trying to access the .XPJ file.

[Captiv8r]

You are correct that SVN is a source control system. At least, that's my understanding.

So when you had it and "backed" your project up, how exactly did that happen? I ask because there are different ways of working with these systems. You may work with them independently (as in using the system separate from RoboHelp - Checking out a project's files and folders, then exiting from the system and opening RoboHelp) or you may use them as integrated directly into RoboHelp (as in allowing RoboHelp to manage checking files in and out as you need them)

From what you are describing, you appear to have two different versions of your projects. One version is accessed via the "Recent Documents" and another version accessed by looking at your Windows Explorer (the file manager, NOT the internet browser). My guess is that what you are seeing is in two distinctly different places.

What you likely need to sort is what is exactly where the "real" project is living. Once you identify that, you then will need to turn your eye toward RoboHelp and sorting the version. Again, I'd start by clicking Help > Updates...

Cheers... Rick

[Peter Grainge]

I think I may know the answer here. You have Rh8 projects that since going to Windows 7 report they are from a newer version, right?

Rh8 had a nasty bug on first release and the fix effectively treated projects as being upgraded. I suspect IT have reinstalled Rh8 but not patched it, hence these projects are reporting they are from a new version.

Apply the patches and I think all will be well.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

@Peter – never would have thought of that one in a bazillion years ;>)

[Captiv8r]

LOL Jeff - I only mentionrd it twice earlier...

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

@Rick – sorry, I wasn’t getting that from your posts at all – they were leading me into thinking that somebody had upgraded the RH7/8 project up to RH9/10/11 or something & the OP was trying to open the version-upgraded project (which wasn’t the case from their responses).

[Captiv8r]

LOL, no biggie. Happy Peter hopped in. Because if you weren't getting that (despite my mention of ensuring things were up to date by clicking Help > Updates) then it's likely Erica wasn't getting it either.

Cheers... Rick

[Guest]

Thanks Peter (and everyone else) for you input - as you can tell, I'm not too RH saavy but I will let IT know what you advised Peter...as far as "patching" it how exactly is this done as I know IT will ask me and I don't know. 

[Captiv8r]

LOL, one last time...

Open RoboHelp.

Click Help > Updates...

This may require your IT staff to be logged in as admin in order for the update to be installed.

Cheers... Rick

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Help > Updates or go to http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates.html

[Guest]

Ok well I did do that just now and yesterday per your suggestion and it a pop up appears stating "there are no updates available at this time please note that some updates for the following products cannot be determined at this time: Adobe Robohelp 8" and then it gives a "quit" and "preferences" option.  Maybe I'll suggest IT to use the web link you provided.  Thanks

[Guest]

So I went ahead and did the patches (was missing the 8.0.1 and 8.0.2 updates) and then I renamed the cpd file with the date modified of 2.7.14 and opened the xpj file and it is pulling my project dated back to 2011 (there has been several modifications to it since then).  I thought renaming the CPD and opening the xpj would create the most recent project?  At least I'm able to pull up my project (although "outdated").  I'm no longer getting that error message.  Now, how do I retrieve my most recently published project?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Nope, not if the copy of the project you opened was from back then. See if you’ve got a “fresher” backup copy.

[Peter Grainge]

If you did this with the copy taken out of source control before applying the patches, that copy may have been damaged by the bug the patch fixed. As Jeff says, take a fresh copy.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Guest]

Again, I'm showing you my computer illiteracy, but what is meant by "take a fresh copy"? 

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Find a newer version of the project – hopefully you were making backups of your project as you went along.

If not, you’ve got two options – start with your 2011 project and add stuff back into it or find the most up to date copy of your help output and use a process described on Peter & Willam’s sites as “reverse engineering” – creating a RH project from scratch out of the help products it originally produced.

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

When the term "take a fresh copy" is used, it generally means that you should make a copy of the project and work with that.

While you are working in RoboHelp, open the Project Manager pod. Right-click a file there and choose Explore from the context menu. This should open the Windows File Explorer at the project location. You may be in a folder, depending on exactly how you have elected to organize your project.

From Windows Explorer, you need to copy the folder the project is in and paste it into a new location. That will be the copy. You would then close the project in RoboHelp and open it from the copied project.

Hope that helps a bit... Rick