MS dial home crash with Plan-G 0.8.0

[mhl]

I was hoping to try Plan-G v0.8.0 across my network to my FSX machine.  Unfortunately it won't even open and gives a Microsoft dial home error.  The same download of Plan-G installed on my FSX PC seems to run OK - well, at least it opens and allows me to compile the database: haven't had time to fly with it yet.

Any suggestions why Plan-G should crash on launching from my laptop?  Both it and my FS machine run XP SP3.

[tim arnot]

Have you installed DotNet3.5 SP1 on the laptop?

Is there any further information in the Plan-G logfile? (Plan-G_Log.txt)

[mhl]

Tim

Thanks for speedy reply.  I was just checking on .NET version installed on the laptop and it is an earlier version than the required 3.5 SP1 - ooops, sorry.  The other PCs on my network are running 3.5 SP1, and I thought I had updated all of them.  Am currently installing the correct version and hopefully this will do the trick.  A warning that the correct version of .NET is missing, instead of the unhelpful standard MS 'dial home', would have prevented me making a prat of myself ... :-[

[TangoEcho]

Quote "This software requires DotNet 3.5 SP1 to run. See the readme for further details.
Windows 7 users: Note that DotNet 3.5sp1 is already installed as part of your operating system."

This is clearly stated at the download instructions.

[mhl]

Tom

I did read the download and installation instructions.  As stated above, I was under the impression that my laptop already had the correct version of .NET installed, in common with my other PCs.  When I ran into the problem described, I fired off my request to the forum, then thought to check the .NET version installed.  Tim's response appeared just as I realised my mistake.  I have acknowledged my carelessness already: having you gratuitously rub my nose in it is not a great welcome for a newcomer.

[RuthMcT]

I'd also add that many less techy users won't have the foggiest idea what DotNet 3.5 SP1 is, let alone whether they've got it installed.  I found out that I'd got it by looking in the "add/remove programs facility" - maybe something for a FAQ in the user manual?

Tim, is there any way Plan-G could detect which version of .net the user has?

Ruth

[tim arnot]

I was thinking about that...

Problem is, you can't have it inside Plan-G, because if it's not installed, it simply won't run (I guess that's a detector in its own right...    :-\) So you'd have to put it into a custom installer, which would mean having a custom installer, and I rather don't want to do that (you'd lose the simplicity of just unzip and run)

The FTX guys had a detector of some sort in their scenery installer. But that rather blew up under Win7 non-English and they had to take it out. So it has its own risks too.