Unable to create database error

[brokenfjord]

Hello all-

I've been working on a project in Robohelp7/HTML for about a week. I come in today and try to open my project and receive the error "Unable to create database. Check that the directory is not read-only.". I've done the obvious of checking the folders and files within and they are not marked read only. When I create a new project, I receive the same error. I'm stuck at a standstill and can't figure out why Robohelp has decided to deny me access to my project or the ability to create new ones. I went so far as to uninstall and reinstall, to no avail.

Has anyone encountered this? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Peter Grainge]

Welcome to the forum.

Intrigued to know what a broken fjord is?

As to your broken project, just create a backup and then trash the CPD file. Chances are when you reopen the project, it will be OK.

[brokenfjord]

Wow, a reply from the Peter himself (your website has been instrumental to me the past week).

I killed the .spd file and robohelp thinks a bit longer when trying to open, but goes to the same error. Any other suggestions? I really appreciate it.

Broken Fjord was a nickname of a Fjord-are in Iceland where a geothermal powerplant was built. One of the first ever made. I just thought it was a cool name :)

[brokenfjord]

Also, it does appear the issue is at the .cpd file. When trying to open one of the tutorials (Clownfish_School) I receive the error "Open project was cancelled or the application was unable to load database for %docsandsettings%\clownfishschool.cpd.

I deleted that file and tried again and received same error. Frustrating!

[Peter Grainge · Accepted solution]

Something fundamentally wrong there if Clownfish is throwing the same error.

My inclination would be to straight for an uninstall and reinstall.

If you have installed the patches, you will see RoboHelp 7.0.2. Uninstall that and go back to Add Remove Programs (ARP). Uninstall 7.0.1 and then go back again to remove RH itself.

When you reinstall, you will have to apply the patches again.

I have ruled out firewall issues as you were working OK for a week. On the same basis, and because Clownfish throws the same error, I have ruled out working across a network. I guess one last thing to try would be creating and reopening a new project.

Are you based in Iceland? There are a couple of pages about Iceland under Serendipity on my site.

[brokenfjord]

I did do an uninstall but I'm not sure it was as thorough as your description. I'll give that another go. I'm doing all of this locally but am keeping the projects code checked in/out on a repository server. The page files are being kept locally on c: (and I started a new project locally to ensure this wasn't the cause of the break).

No, I'm based in the U.S. I am fairly well traveled but have not made it to Iceland (yet).

I"ll give the uninstall another go and see where it gets me. Thanks so much for the help, Peter.

[Peter Grainge]

Hold up. You just introduced source control.

There are certain files you don't check in and out and the CPD is one.

What bothers me though is I wouldn't have thought you would have put Clownfish into source control.

Do some testing first with a project not under source control.

[brokenfjord]

I didn't. Clownfish and the other tutorial are local and are in no way associated with the repository (but I have checked in my projects cpd).

Still, doing this without source control, I get the error. Doesn't seem to differentiate between local or repository.

[Peter Grainge]

OK. I just wanted to be sure it wasn't a source control thing. Let us know how the reinstall goes.

[brokenfjord]

Well, I'm not sure what happened. After uninstalling and reinstalling again I was still receiving the same error. I deactivated Robohelp and installed it on a fresh box I have sitting here, and it works just fine (can create a new project, open clownfish, etc). However, I cannot open my old project. I get the same error on the new box. I guess something got corrupt in that project- corrupt enough to make Robohelp not work on my box at all, as well as make the project not open on another box.

I'd put more time into this but the project is already behind schedule (when aren't they) and is due Friday. I'm going to start again from scratch and work on the new box. I'll be pulling some late nights, that's for sure.

Thanks for the help Peter.

[Peter Grainge]

Understand. Post back when you are ready to try again.

[lskout23]

Hello, I'm currently facing the same problem as brokenfjord. I have Win7 and using Robohelp 7. I can no longer open a specific project and I get the error "Unable to create database. Check that the directory is not read-only." I have installed RH on another machine which has WinXP and tried to open the project lovally but that did not work either. I installed Robohelp 10 (on a trial period) but stil I cannot open the project. I have run out of ideas so I'm asking for your help/suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

[RoboColum_n_]

Can you go through the same steps mentioned in the other posts (e.g. opening a existing project, installing patches, etc.) and let us know if you get the same error.

[lskout23]

I'm able to open other existing projects without getting any error so I suppose that the problem concerns the specific project that I need to open. I uninstalled RH7 and installed it again but with no luck. The project does not open and I still get the same error. After trying to open the project via the .xpj file several times without success I then tried to open the .hhp file. That did not work either and in addition I also cannot see the .xpj file anymore. Is there any way I could open this problematic project via the .hhp file? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Peter Grainge]

There is a topic on Opening RoboHelp Projects on my site. Rh allows you to browse to either an XPJ or HHP file but that is only as good as the last time you generated an output.

When you open with an HHP you get an option to use the XPJ or not, in which case one is created. Either way there should be an XPJ. Not sure how you have lost it.

Backup?

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[SusanBig]

I have encountered the same issue as brokenfjord while trying to import a word document. I don't have a cpd file yet so I will try the uninstall/install option.

[Peter Grainge]

The CPD is created as you create the project so there must be one.