Unable to install 1.8.6 after 1.8.4 on Windows 7

[Mlyttelton]

I am currently still running Win7 on my remote observatory PC with the intention of upgrading to Win10 later this year. I had stuck with 1.8.4 till now as it ran well, but have just tried to change to 1.8.6 because I was very keen to access the Gaia DR2 elements, and because 1.8.6 was the last version not listed as Win7 "incompatible". I have already done all the upgrades on my Mac at home, and have copied the new license into the appropriate folder of my remote PC.

I have uninstalled 1.8.4 using Windows uninstaller, apparently successfully. I have then apparently successfully installed 1.8.6. However attempting to load PI gives the message "1.8.6 Ripley has stopped working" with details as shown in first two attached files. I have then tried "repair" within the 1.8.6 uninstall window which fails with the message shown in attached JPEG "After 1.8.repair". I have then uninstalled 1.8.6 and deleted everything in the Registry with the string "Pixinsight". However reinstalling 1.8.6 after this fails in exactly the same way.

I should also add that the PI folder within "All Programs" shows, after 1.8.6 installation, three tabs reading "New Instance" "Reset Settings" & "Pixinsight". I assume this suggests problems with incomplete uninstallation of the previous PI. "Reset Settings" fails in the same way as trying to load PI.

I do not appear to be able to reinstall 1.8.4 as it is no longer listed on the PI site.

I have been through the previous threads as I know this has caused problems, but can't see anything else suggested (short of reformatting the drive).

What does the message shown in  JPEG "After 1.8.repair" tell us?

Any suggestions gratefully received.


Matthew

[John_Gill]

Hi,

Windows 7 and 8 is not supported and only Windows 10 is supported. You will either have to upgrade your remote pc to Windows 10 or go back to the earlier version of PixInsight that worked.

space is not black
John

[dave_galera]

But I thought 1.8.6 was supported on Windooooze 7 and that is what Matthew is trying to install

[Mlyttelton]

Dave - that was my understanding. I went through the release notes and checked that the statement that Win 7 was not being supported only appeared from 1.8.7 onwards. And presumably there have been quite a few people who have successfully installed it on Win7 in the course of the last year.

[John_Gill]

Hi,

This is from the PixInsight website :

Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 are no longer supported. Many users report that they are using current 1.8.6 and 1.8.7 versions of PixInsight on Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 without problems, but we no longer test the application on these Windows versions. This means that we cannot guarantee that current PixInsight versions will still work correctly on Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1.

John

[Mlyttelton]

Thanks John, it doesn't sound like I am going to get anywhere with 1.8.6.

It will be about 3 months until I will be on site at the remote observatory and able to do the Windows 10 update. Meantime I need to reinstall 1.8.4, but this is no longer listed on the Pixinsight download site.

Could anyone in the PI team advise whether I can get hold of 1.8.4 and how?

Matthew