Database won't open without firefird

[deazo]

 Hi all,

 I have tried using the pvdimport plugin with media center 14 recently. This required the installation of firebird and I had to use the "connect to server" fonction in PVD.
 Now that I've finished testing and decided not to use this plugin I wanted to remove firebird so I uninstalled it from my computer.
 And PVD gives me an error everytime I want to open my database (unsupported on-disk structure...error code 59)
 I'm thinking of re-installing firebird but I don't want to have to have firebird services running in order to use PVD, especially when transferring the database to be used on another computer that does not have firebird.
 I know there must be a simple option somewhere in pvd but can't find it:
How do I tell PVD not to try to connect to a server anymore?
Thanks for your help, my database is unusable right now 

[rick.ca]

On the File menu, just use the Open (rather than Connect) command to open your database. If the error condition is preventing access to the File menu, close the program and edit your configuration file to remove the reference to the server connection. Then restart the program and use File - Open.

[deazo]

 I went to the config file because database would not open with the "open" command, I removed what I thought might be the right stuf to delete (correct me if I'm wrong) so that it looked like this:

[DataBase]
FileName=
Mode=0
RecentFiles=
Network=0
RecentTypes=

I still get the error when opening my database.
The only way to open it is to connect to it through "connect to server" which I don't want to do because I just do not have any use for it.
Don't know what to try next.

[rick.ca]

I can't imagine the problem being with the database itself, so...

1. Delete any configuration file in the program directory and run the program with the -portable switch. This will force it to use the default configuration (which it will save in the program directory).

2. If that doesn't work, reinstall the program and run with the -portable switch.

If you still have the problem, then maybe it does have something to do with the database.

[deazo]

 It's driving me crazy, I have uninstalled PVD, (deleted settings) then re-downloaded it, re-installed it, and started the portable.bat.
 I then used the Open to point it to my database, and it still gives me the error.

 If I use "connect to server" and point to it, it's opening fine...

 What are we missing here? I would like to save it "as" but the option is greyed out.
 I have copied it somewhere else, renamed it, and tried opening it and I got the same error message.

 By the way there are two successive error messages: "1:unsupported on-disk structure for file..... found 11.1, sipport 11.0 wrong or obsolete version. Error code 59

AND after I click OK

unsupported on-disk structure for file... found 11.1, support 11.0
Wrong or obsolete version
Error codeL 59

I have been using version 14 for a while now., amd never had any problem with the update to it.

Any idea?
 

[rick.ca]

Did you originally create or restore your database using Firebird Server 2.1? If so, maybe the database is not compatible with Firebird Embedded 2.0. Just a guess based on this comment on the Firebird website...

Firebird 2.1 creates databases with an ODS of 11.1. It can read databases of lower ODS but most of its new features will be unavailable to such databases.

"It can read databases of lower ODS" suggests it doesn't convert existing databases, but will create new ones in the new format. My understanding doesn't go beyond these words—I don't even know what "ODS" is. Hopefully nostra will comment.

[deazo]

 I'm using firebirds 2.1, but I can actually open the database with this service running.
 It's once I unisntall firebird or if I try to just open my database like any regular file that I get the error message.
 
 Maybe I should install the previous firebird version and see if once I have opened the database with it I can then open the file?
 
 I'm completely lost, I'm not even sure of what i am talking about here... I just hope someone can actually tell me how I can get rid of firebird with no risk of loosing access to me PRECIOUS pvd database.

[rick.ca]

I don't think it will help to use the earlier version of Firebird. If my theory is correct, it won't work either. At the very worst, you'll just have to continue using Firebird Server until an updated version of Firebird Embedded is available. Other than the time it takes to install it, I don't believe that's "costing" you anything in terms of performance.

I suggest you do nothing until nostra comments. I don't know what I'm talking about!

[nostra]

It is most probably a problem of some libraries from the firebird server installation still being somewhere in your system.
Fully uninstall the firebird server removing all shared libraries. If this does not help, then try to copy all the .dll files (except lang.gll and mediainfo.dll) from PVD installation directory to your windows\system32 directory.

[deazo]

 

  Thank you for your help Nostra,

  I will try to completely uninstall firebird cleaning the registry etc... however before I start, can you tell me where I can find the shared libraries to delete?
 

[nostra]

windows\system32 the libraries must have the same names as the ones in PVD directory, but different versions...

[deazo]

  OK I have removed firebird the shared libraries, now every time I try to open ANY database, even the TEST one that I use to test various things (and with which I had never used the "connect to server"), I get an error saying "can't find fbembed.dll".

  I have then uninstalled pvd, and re-installed it. I am now back to the same error than before. (my TEST database works fine)
   
  This is beyond me...any suggestion?

[nostra]

What is your OS?
Can you upload your database for testing?

[deazo]

 Hi Nostra,

 Sorry for the late reply, I was away in a No-Internet connection zone (yes it's possible).
I'm using XP Sp2.
 My database is about 500Mb so in order to attach it here i am trying to reduce its size by removing 99% of the movies (after backing it up of course), the size does not seem to have been reduced one bit. I have removed all people info and all movies (invisible and visible) except about 10.
 How can I send this to you? Rapidshare?