Issue with installing latest version of Pixinsight

P

petermars

Active member
Hi, I am currently trying to install the latest version of Pixinsight on Windows 11

I currently have an older version of Pixinsight, 1.8.9-1
I installed this on another drive another than C drive, I understand that this new version of Pixinsight will install it on the C drive and that is all good.
I have just decided to go in and download the latest version.
I have it downloaded, but for some reason as soon as I click on the download to install, all I get is this Pixinsight display,
Below is a screen shot of what i am seeing.
There was a quick flash of text, no hope of reading it and it just sits on this blank screen.
Just trying to figure out what is going on here.
I closed it off, re opened Pixinsight and i still have my old version, so it hasn't updated to the new version.
I have tried re downloading the new version again, just incase something went wrong, but I still get the same thing, just this white screen with the Pixinsight logo.

I have even just tried leaving it sit there for 10 minutes to see if it did anything, but no change.
Do i possibly have to go back in and manually uninstall my old version?

Just a bit lost at the moment, as i was going to add a few new scripts, but they are only compatible with the new 1.9.2-2 version of Pixinsight.

Any help would be appreciated here.

Screenshot 1.jpg
 
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petermars said:
Hi, I am currently trying to install the latest version of Pixinsight on Windows 11

I currently have an older version of Pixinsight, 1.8.9-1
I installed this on another drive another than C drive, I understand that this new version of Pixinsight will install it on the C drive and that is all good.
I have just decided to go in and download the latest version.
I have it downloaded, but for some reason as soon as I click on the download to install, all I get is this Pixinsight display,
Below is a screen shot of what i am seeing.
There was a quick flash of text, no hope of reading it and it just sits on this blank screen.
Just trying to figure out what is going on here.
I closed it off, re opened Pixinsight and i still have my old version, so it hasn't updated to the new version.
I have tried re downloading the new version again, just incase something went wrong, but I still get the same thing, just this white screen with the Pixinsight logo.

I have even just tried leaving it sit there for 10 minutes to see if it did anything, but no change.
Do i possibly have to go back in and manually uninstall my old version?

Just a bit lost at the moment, as i was going to add a few new scripts, but they are only compatible with the new 1.9.2-2 version of Pixinsight.

Any help would be appreciated here.

View attachment 22348
Click to expand...
You may need to do a full uninstall of PI, keeping just the pixinsight.ini and license files (which should be in %appdata%\Pleiades). It may also be choking on the old INI file as it tries to migrate it, especially with references to another drive. You could try deleting or renaming that file and see if the installation works.
 
Thanks for the reply,
That is a pretty technical answer there and appreciate it.
I am not that technically minded with pc stuff unfortunately.
This INI file that you a referencing to, where would i find this if you don't mind me asking such a basic question here.
And are you saying, just delete the INI file and see if this works?
If it doesn't, dose this also mean that my old version will also no longer work?

The other option, uninstalling Pixinsight and just keeping the pixinsight.ini and license files, i am sorry, but how would i even go about this, I am guessing there is an uninstall option in Pixinight somewhere, dose this give you the option of keeping these files?

About a month or so ago i had issues installing GHS and someone here advised me to rename the file updates.xri. that worked, not sure if i remember how i found it now, and not sure if this is related to my questions or not though.

Sorry for all the basic questions here.
 
petermars said:
Thanks for the reply,
That is a pretty technical answer there and appreciate it.
I am not that technically minded with pc stuff unfortunately.
This INI file that you a referencing to, where would i find this if you don't mind me asking such a basic question here.
And are you saying, just delete the INI file and see if this works?
If it doesn't, dose this also mean that my old version will also no longer work?

The other option, uninstalling Pixinsight and just keeping the pixinsight.ini and license files, i am sorry, but how would i even go about this, I am guessing there is an uninstall option in Pixinight somewhere, dose this give you the option of keeping these files?

About a month or so ago i had issues installing GHS and someone here advised me to rename the file updates.xri. that worked, not sure if i remember how i found it now, and not sure if this is related to my questions or not though.

Sorry for all the basic questions here.
Click to expand...
PI stores your settings in the AppData folder. You can access it by typing %appdata%\Pleiades in the Windows search box. You might want to delete (or move to a temporary folder somewhere else) everything except the file 'PixInsightLicense'. But I'd also make a copy of that license file somewhere safe (like your desktop) just in case the uninstaller deletes it. All of the settings you've made, and your Repository entries, are in the file PixInsight.ini. Unfortunately, that may be what's causing you problems, so you should probably move it out of that folder along with the everything else. If PI installs after that, you'll be starting from scratch, so you'll need to repopulate the Repository with all your third-party tools. So you might want to make a screenshot of the Repository entries from your existing installation before uninstalling it. I'd do that uninstall from the Control Panel applet Programs and Features.
 
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Appreciate the reply and going over this basic stuff with me,
I did make a copy of all me repositories and saved them to a word document a few days ago.
I tried searching for %appdata%\Pleiades just by going to Windows, selecting this pc and in the top right hand corner there is a search section, i just typed it in there and nothing came up.
I am sure it is just me and the way i am doing things.
So, it is sounding like i need to find this file 'PixInsightLicense' save this somewhere like desktop or usb stick.
Then go to the control panel and uninstall Pixinsight.
Then restart the pc and try to install the recently downloaded version, so close to correct so far?

Then i am guessing there is a way to take the license file that i just made a copy of and re install it into the new version of Pixinsight somehow?
All this information is greatly appreciated.
 
Apologies if you have done this already but have you tried right clicking in the view menu in file manager and allowing the hidden files to be seen? Then again in file manager opening up the Users folder and then your personal folder - with your windows name then AppData, which is a hidden folder, and searching the 3 folders that then appear - named something like local / roaming and one other that escapes my memory. There will be a Pleiades folder in there with the files. In the past I have deleted all of the files except the license.
 
petermars said:
Appreciate the reply and going over this basic stuff with me,
I did make a copy of all me repositories and saved them to a word document a few days ago.
I tried searching for %appdata%\Pleiades just by going to Windows, selecting this pc and in the top right hand corner there is a search section, i just typed it in there and nothing came up.
I am sure it is just me and the way i am doing things.
So, it is sounding like i need to find this file 'PixInsightLicense' save this somewhere like desktop or usb stick.
Then go to the control panel and uninstall Pixinsight.
Then restart the pc and try to install the recently downloaded version, so close to correct so far?

Then i am guessing there is a way to take the license file that i just made a copy of and re install it into the new version of Pixinsight somehow?
All this information is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Windows 11 should have a search feature in the taskbar... either a search box or a search icon. If you type '%appdata%\pleiades' in there it will open the folder where the PI settings are stored. Normally the files in this folder survive a PI update, but there might be problems when the old version isn't in your Program Files directory structure.
 
Appreciate these replies and advice.
Sorry for the delay in response, I am not the best a PC work and had to go off searching for a basic version on how to find this %appdata%\Pleiades
Basically I just did the windows+R and then typed in %appdata%\Pleiades
I got two files that came up
Pixinsight and PixinsightLicence are these the two files that everyone is telling me about?
Once again sorry for all these basic questions.

So i just need to copy these two files somewhere safe like desktop or USB stick
Once i uninstall Pixinsight, how do i go about putting these two files back in assuming these are the two files that i am looking for?
 
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petermars said:
If someone had a screen shot on these options it would be appreciated, just still working trough trying to find this file / folder %appdata%\pleiades
Click to expand...
It is here (Windows 11):

C:\Users\<your_user_name>\AppData\Roaming\Pleiades

Bernd
 
Appreciated, I was editing my original post when i found it using youtube.
Just now working on how to put this file back into the latest version of Pixinsight ( I haven't yet deleted my old version just yet )
I also have Blur Exterminator, Noise exterminator, Star Exterminator aswell, dose this %appdata%\Pleiades file have the details for these in it as well, or is it something that i will have to go back and find the access codes for as well?

As for the uninstall, is it just a matter or using the Windows 11 add/remove program to uninstall Pixinsight?
 
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So the two files that showed up were:
Pixinsight and PixinsightLicence
Dose this sound correct, and are these the ones that i need to keep safe ( make a copy of )
If this is correct, how do i go about putting these files back into the new Pixinsight if needed ( just in case something doesn't go as planned)
To uninstall my old version, is it best to use Windows add / remove program to uninstall it?
I think i am getting the general understanding of all this now, just taking a bit as i am not that good with PCs
 
petermars said:
So the two files that showed up were:
Pixinsight and PixinsightLicence
Dose this sound correct, and are these the ones that i need to keep safe ( make a copy of )
If this is correct, how do i go about putting these files back into the new Pixinsight if needed ( just in case something doesn't go as planned)
To uninstall my old version, is it best to use Windows add / remove program to uninstall it?
I think i am getting the general understanding of all this now, just taking a bit as i am not that good with PCs
Click to expand...
Presumably you have fallen victim to one of Microsoft's greatest insanities, which is hiding file extensions by default. I'll assume that "Pixinsight" in this case is actually "Pixinsight.ini". That is the setting file that existed prior to the -2 versions. It is obsolete. Theoretically, upgrading from -1 to -2 will read that file and migrate it to the new format settings file. In practice, it sometimes fails (sometimes badly) and that may be why your installation is failing. So as I noted above, I'd get rid of it (move or rename) and try the installation. The only file you really want to make sure you have backed up is the license file, since restoring a license is sometimes difficult and when it doesn't work can take days for somebody at PI to correct.

Yes, I'd use the Control Panel applet to uninstall.
 
I did a properties check on that Pixinsight file and it comes up as a ini file.
I went in made a copy of those two files as a back up.
I renamed the Pixinsight file to Pixinsight1
Tried the installation but still no change.
I think now i may have miss read what you were trying to explain to me ( sorry, a bit slow on picking all this up ) I think you are saying to rename that Pixinsight file just like i have done, but also uninstall Pixinsight and try installing the new version, not just rename that file and try the new installation.

I think that is correct, I really am slow at getting all this, Apologies to everyone that is trying to help me out here.
Just worries that once uninstalled and trying to get the new up an running and have key issues, it is going to be very hard to get in contact with the Pixinsight team.
 
Hi,
I would like to revive this thread. I have 1.8.9-2 build 1597.
  • I am trying to load the latest version, PI-windows-x64-1.8.9-2-20240323-c, but I get an error. It tells me to come back later and try again.
  • I then tried to uninstall PI-windows-x64-1.8.9-2-20240119-c ( I think this is the latest I have installed, the file name does not correspond to the build number. I still get the same error trying to uninstall!
  • I do not have the folder appdata\Pleiades (to save the lic data. Yes, I searched the entire user folder for Pleiades).
  • I went back to older versions, they seem to be OK, but I did not move forward with the install (no uninstall option.
Should I use a windows uninstall? Where is my Lic data? What will happen to the info for my plugins (RC-Astro)?

Thanks for any help you can provide.
 
Bob11746 said:
Hi,
I would like to revive this thread. I have 1.8.9-2 build 1597.
  • I am trying to load the latest version, PI-windows-x64-1.8.9-2-20240323-c, but I get an error. It tells me to come back later and try again.
  • I then tried to uninstall PI-windows-x64-1.8.9-2-20240119-c ( I think this is the latest I have installed, the file name does not correspond to the build number. I still get the same error trying to uninstall!
  • I do not have the folder appdata\Pleiades (to save the lic data. Yes, I searched the entire user folder for Pleiades).
  • I went back to older versions, they seem to be OK, but I did not move forward with the install (no uninstall option.
Should I use a windows uninstall? Where is my Lic data? What will happen to the info for my plugins (RC-Astro)?

Thanks for any help you can provide.
Click to expand...
What is your operating system? OS, version, build. Assuming Windows, the appdata folder is hidden. You can access it by typing %appdata%\Pleiades into the search box. That should have your PI settings, including the license file. I would not uninstall your current version. The installer for the latest version will manage things for you. When I go to the distribution page I don't get any error trying to download the latest version.
 
Hi Chris,
Windows 11, updated automatically. I did read the previous posts, and %appdata%\Pleiades starting at "C:users" yields nothing. My problem started with the latest installer. It generates an error and won't install.
 
Bob11746 said:
Hi Chris,
Windows 11, updated automatically. I did read the previous posts, and %appdata%\Pleiades starting at "C:users" yields nothing. My problem started with the latest installer. It generates an error and won't install.
Click to expand...
What happens if you just put %appdata% in the search box? If that doesn't open an Explorer window (most likely C:\Users\{your user name}\AppData\Roaming then I'd say your Windows installation itself is damaged.
 
Hi,
Maybe I am misunderstanding you, but I did a search just on Pleiades, and it would not find it until I was in the appdata folder or lower. It would not search in the "users" folder, and the %appdata%\Pleiades did not work either, whether at appdata or higher. I assume when I am searching I have a folder selected on the left, and put %appdata%\Pleiades in the search box? Strange.

OK. I copied the folder to save the Lic. How do I delete Pixinsight? Should I just do it from windows or is there a work around t these errors I'm getting?
 
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