CaseWare CaseView: DRAFT Watermark Not Printing on HP LaserJet Pro M203dw

We hit a very strange situation with a newly set up HP LaserJet Pro M203dw. This was the first printer to go in to replace a HP LaserJet Pro P1606dn that was not behaving well with Windows 10 Enterprise 64-bit at an accounting firm client of ours.

It took a number of installs to get the printer to show up in Printers & Scanners for one. The rip and replace process got to be a bit tedious but we eventually got it to show there.

The catch was when the partner ticked the DRAFT option in CaseView and went to print the file the watermark was so light as to be practically invisible.

Print to PDF then to the printer and the DRAFT watermark would show up but weirdly due to the firm's logo.

Since this was a newly set up machine we tested a few other HP printers in the firm with the watermark showing just fine.

It became apparent that nothing we could do would get it to work.

So, we replaced the printer with a HP LaserJet Pro M402dw and it just worked. In fact, Windows 10 picked up the printer as soon as the USB port was plugged in to the laptop dock and set it as default.

Some observations:

• HP LJ Pro M203dw came with a _tiny_ toner cartridge
• HP LJ Pro M203dw has a separate toner and imaging drum a la Brother
• We do _not_ like this setup at all
• HP LJ Pro M402dw has a recent firmware update
• This took some time but ran flawlessly
• HP LJ Pro M402dw works great via Remote Desktop into the partner's laptop, Remote Desktop Session Host, and RemoteApp
• RD EasyPrint just works with this one

Conclusion

We won't be supplying anymore HP LJ Pro M203dw printers. All of our firms will be getting the M402dw and our cloud clients will get this printer as a recommendation.

Philip Elder
Microsoft High Availability MVP
MPECS Inc.
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
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CaseWare Working Papers Error: Printer not activated, error code -30

We are seeing CaseWare Working Papers choke on a PDF Batch run with the following error:

CaseWare Working Papers - Activation Error

Printer not activated, error code -30

CaseWare has a KB on the issue: Printer issues with Windows 8.1.

Though in our case the OS is Windows 7 Enterprise x64 with the indicated update (2014.00.072) having already been applied to all systems.

As per the KB article we took a look into the registry with the key mentioned missing completely:

The affected systems have the printer though:

Our steps to get things going:

1. Close CaseWare Working Papers and CaseView
2. Create the required key: CaseView PDF 2014
3. Right click on the new key and left click on Permissions
4. Click the Add button
5. Type: Everyone
6. Click Check Names
7. Click OK
8. Check Full Control
• 
9. Click Apply and OK
10. Leave the Registry Editor open
11. Open CaseWare, a client or test file, and run a PDF Batch

We will now see a successful run of the batch:

Once that process has completed have a look at the registry key we created:

We are not 100% convinced that this is a "fix" or a workaround as things have been operating normally until just the other day.

Philip Elder
Microsoft Cluster MVP
MPECS Inc.
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

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CaseWare Working Papers 2011 Install Errors: Error 1904. Module . . . failed to register.

We are working on a problem at our accounting firm client’s sites where we run into the following when installing CaseWare Working Papers 2011  on a freshly installed Windows 7 system:

• Error 1904. Module C:\Program Files (x86)\CaseWare\CWPCore.dll failed to register. HRESULT –2147220473. Contact your support personnel.

• Error 1904. Module C:\Program Files (x86)\CaseWare\cv32.dll failed to register. HRESULT –2147220473. Contact your support personnel.

• Error 1904. Module C:\Program Files (x86)\CaseWare\cw42.dll failed to register. HRESULT –2147220473. Contact your support personnel.

• Error 1904. Module C:\Program Files (x86)\CaseWare\cwdocman.dll failed to register. HRESULT –2147220473. Contact your support personnel.

• Error 1904. Module C:\Program Files (x86)\CaseWare\cwpars21.dll failed to register. HRESULT –2147220473. Contact your support personnel.

• Error 1904. Module C:\Program Files (x86)\CaseWare\taxpars.dll failed to register. HRESULT –2147220473. Contact your support personnel.

• Error 1904. Module C:\Program Files (x86)\CaseWare\tracker.exe failed to register. HRESULT –2147220473. Contact your support personnel.

We checked the CaseWare Working Papers’ support site:

• CaseWare: CaseWare Working Papers System Requirements

And nowhere to be found was a reference to any modules that may be needed by the software in order to work.

What we did figure out was that if we installed the recent Simply Accounting Accountants’ Edition _before_ we ran the CaseWare Working Papers’ installer we had a successful install of Working Papers.

Since discovering this situation we initially did not have any time to figure out exactly what Simply installed that CaseWare needed.

Today we opened a support ticket via phone with the CaseWare technician indicating that a new installer file is available that addresses the above problems.

Note that the installer file is key coded so each firm that requires the updated installer must call support to receive the e-mail with the download link.

Canadian CaseWare Support Options:

• Phone: 416-867-9504
• E-mail: Support@CaseWare.com
• Site: www.caseware.com

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

CaseWare Working Papers – CaseView PDF Printer 2009 Unable to Print Document

When trying to create a PDF document from within CaseWare Working Papers 2010 there may be a hang-up or CaseWare Working Papers

CaseWare Working Papers

Excel or PDF

Unable to print document Document.PDF or Document.XLSX. The file may be locked, may contain restricted macros or the CaseView PDF printer may not be accessible.

So, we fired up the Print Management console on the workstation to verify that there were no PDF jobs caught and sure enough there were:

Once we cleaned up the pending jobs we then deleted the CaseView PDF 2005 printer listed in Print Management.

We could then create a PDF using the built-in PDF generator that CaseWare installs during its own setup routine.

If the CaseView PDF 2009 printer disappears from Print Management then run the most recent release update which is R9 as of this writing.

Once installed the CaseView PDF 2009 printer should be available in Print Management under Printers and the Printers and Devices window.

Note that when both the CaseView PDF 2005 and CaseView PDF 2009 printers are installed that both will be covered by one icon in the Windows 7 Printers and Devices window.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

CaseWare and SMB2 Update – Install A Hotfix

A while back we indicated that we had started to disable the SMB2 protocol at accounting firm sites due to file corruption issues.

• MPECS Inc. Blog: CaseWare Working Papers 2010 – Network File Locations Errors
• MPECS Inc. Blog: CaseWare Working Papers – Disabling SMB2

CaseWare’s KB on the subject has been updated:

• CaseWare Support: File corruption when using Windows Vista/Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 with SMB2

From the updated KB Update on file corruption when using Windows Vista/Window 7 or Windows Server 2008/Windows Server 2008 R2 with SMB2:

We recommend that clients working in this environment install the hotfix (documented here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2028965), to limit their exposure to file corruption.

If you require assistance implementing the hotfix, please contact our support department for assistance.

Windows 7

Microsoft has acknowledged that data corruption can occur when multiple users perform read and write operations to a shared file in the SMB2 environment. Microsoft has issued a hotfix (mentioned above) which we have tested on Windows 7 workstations and confirmed that the potential for corruption no longer occurs. As long as the hotfix has been applied to all Windows 7 workstations running Working Papers, and there are no Vista workstations accessing Working Papers engagements, SMB2 can be enabled.

Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008/Windows Server 2008 R2-based Terminal/Citrix Servers running CaseWare® Working Papers

The hotfix outlined above has reduced the potential for file corruption for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008/Windows Server 2008 R2-based Terminal/Citrix servers running CaseWare Working Papers environments. However, we have still noticed crashes of our application even with the hotfix applied.

Microsoft has acknowledged that SMB2 may cause problems with applications that require our level of performance/access to data files and have recently provided a number of possible recommendations. We are in the process of testing these recommendations to confirm whether they address the Working Papers corruption issues in these additional environments.

We expect to provide an update for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008/Windows Server 2008 R2-based Terminal/Citrix Servers running CaseWare Working Papers environments in early January. Until that time, we still recommend disabling SMB2 for these environments to avoid any potential data corruption.

Note the exception for the server OSs as well as Windows Vista.

This looks to be a client based hotfix at this time, so we will start updating the problematic Windows 7 machines and wait to see what CaseWare has to say in January.

Here is a direct link to the Request Page:

• Hotfix KB2028965 Request Page

A link has been placed in our Hotfix Quick Links in the left hand column of the blog for later access.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

CaseWare Working Papers – Disabling SMB2

We have a small 5 seat accounting firm that is having nothing but grief with their CaseWare Working Papers 2010 accounting application.

• Previous Post: CaseWare Working Papers 2010 – Network File Locations Errors

We had them update their systems to CaseWare’s R7 update but that did nothing to improve the product’s stability.

So, we disabled SMB2 on their relatively new SBS 2008 setup.

We had a bit of a nervous time after making the change and rebooting the server. It took almost 10 minutes for us to see the logon request!

This particular server has an Intel Remote Management Module 3 installed so we were able to make the change and watch the entire reboot session as though we were sitting right in front of the server.

Now that the change has been made we will be monitoring their network performance especially when they are working on their own client’s larger QuickBooks files we believe that QB performance will be a pain point once SMB2 is disabled.

We are working on a NAS based solution for our larger clients if we cannot get any kind of stability out of Working Papers 2010 as disabling SMB2 would take too high a cost in network performance.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

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CaseWare Working Papers 2010 – Network File Locations Errors

Just lately we have been seeing a lot of problems with CaseWare Working Papers 2010 and the files associated with the program being located on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (including SBS) file shares.

CaseWare has this to say:

• File corruption when using Windows Vista/Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 with SMB2

CaseWare International highly recommends disabling SMB2.

Specifically, the problems have reared their head with the Working Papers R2 and R3 updates applied.

This situation really gives us cause for pause.

Why, you might ask?

Because CaseWare’s recommendation to disable SMB2 (the network sharing protocol that gives us 100MB+/Second file copies on the network) takes us a huge step backwards in network performance.

Now, for a small accounting firm this may not be a big deal . . . depending on how many QuickBooks and Simply clients they are bookkeeping for. Or, how many large files are moving around on the network.

As soon as we disable SMB2 we are at a disadvantage for any large data sets moving around on the network. So, for our larger accounting firm clients with quite a number of QuickBooks files open simultaneously plus their regular network traffic we may start to hear complaints about poor network performance.

In our opinion, the suggestion to disable SMB2 comes at too high a cost for most accounting firms.

With the just released R7 for CaseWare Working Papers 2010 we are hoping that we will see things settle down to the same level RTM had (virtually no issues).

If not, we may be looking at setting up a small NAS appliance with a folder share _just for CaseWare files_ so as to not impact the overall performance of the network.

BTW, our last attempt to contact CaseWare support took 5 days before their initial response which was to e-mail another department and then _another_ 3 days before the answer finally came through. Eight days to straighten out an activation issue with CaseWare Working Papers 2010 . . . ouch.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Exchange Public Folders – Changing A Root And Subfolder Permissions

One of our clients hired on a new person to work the front desk. This position involves managing the firm’s time data in Caseware Time.

Caseware Time, a proprietary time/billing management application, stores all of its shared data in an Exchange Public Folder.

So, we needed to add the new username and publish Owner permissions to the Today root folder and all subfolders under it.

To do this, we open the base folder’s properties in the Exchange System Management console. We add the username and set Owner permissions for it.

From there, we open PFDavAdmin (download page) and connect to the Public Folder store.

We then right click on the root Today folder and click Propagate Folder ACEs.

Tick the new username and make sure the Add/Replace radio button is chosen. Then, click OK and watch the changes being made:

Once done, the user will now have the necessary permissions to the folder.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Caseware Working Papers 2008 - Data Store Error 0x80070035

Most of our accounting firm clients have updated to the newest version of Caseware Working Papers 2008.

Today, we were setting up the remote data/printer sharing package we put together for them and did some last minute checks.

A strange error came out of Caseware which was the critical application for their two or three week stint at their client.

This is what we saw:

Working Papers

Working Papers cannot run because the Data Store is not functioning correctly. Please contact technical support.

Information balloon: Data Store: There was an error creating the Data Store (0x80070035).

All three laptops had the same error when trying to start Caseware 2008. The error happened both before and after hooking them up to the data sharing network.

Since we did not have the install files with us, we needed to talk to Caseware support.

They emailed us the following:

@echo off

rem
rem Constants:

rem
rem Local variables:

set showhelp=n
set deltypelib=n
set batchdir=%~sdp0
set buildname=
set buildversion=
set builddir=
set regdir=

rem
rem Determine the actions to take based on the parameters specified.

:getparam

set curparam=%~1

if /i "%curparam%"=="/?" (
set showhelp=y
)

if /i "%curparam%"=="/deltypelib" (
set deltypelib=y
)

if /i "%curparam%"=="/v" (
set buildversion=%~2
shift
)

if /i "%curparam%"=="/d" (
set builddir=%~sf2
shift
)

shift
if not "%curparam%"=="" (goto getparam)

rem
rem See if we need to display the help.
if "%showhelp%"=="y" goto showhelp

rem
rem Determine the directory we will try to registry the dlls and exes in.

if "%builddir%"=="" (
set regdir=%batchdir%
) else (
set regdir=%builddir%\
)

rem Determine which application we are trying to register.
if exist %regdir%pa.exe (
set buildname=Time
set dlls=cwatl2 cwpproto cwp42 cvp32 foxstore
set exes=cwcs
) else (
if exist %regdir%cwin32.exe (
set buildname=Working Papers
set dlls=cwatl cwascii cwproto cw42 cwdocman foxstore cv32
set exes=cwcs
) else (
echo.
echo Could not determine which application to register in
echo %regdir%
goto fail
)
)

rem
rem Ensure that all cwcs processes are terminated before registering.
echo.
echo Terminating all running cwcs processes:
for /F "skip=3 tokens=1,2*" %%a in ('tasklist') do (
if /i "%%a"=="cwcs.exe" (
echo terminating %%a (%%b^),
taskkill /PID %%b /T /F
)
)
echo.
echo done.

rem
rem Delete the Central Data Store's registry key.
if "%deltypelib%"=="y" (
echo.
echo Deleting the Central Data Store's typelib registry key.
reg delete "HKCR\TypeLib\{D90A9BF8-9429-4124-996C-937EC05C9116}" /f
)

echo.
echo Registering %buildname% components in
echo %regdir%

for %%n in (%dlls%) do (
if not exist %regdir%%%n.dll (echo %%n.dll does not exist.) else (
echo %%n.dll,
regsvr32 /s "%regdir%%%n.dll"
)
)
for %%n in (%exes%) do (
if not exist %regdir%%%n.exe (echo %%n.exe does not exist.) else (
echo %%n.exe,
%regdir%%%n.exe /regserver
)
)

echo.
echo done.

rem
rem Set the Install Dir registry key to the application path. NOTE: The reg add /d parameter needs the backslash
rem before the closing double quote because otherwise the trailing backslash of the regdir combines with the closing
rem double quote to tell reg add to escape the double quote (so the registry key would be saved as d:\combined\run"
rem for example).
echo.
if not "%buildversion%"=="" (
echo Setting "Install Dir" for %buildname%\%buildversion% registry key to
echo %regdir%
reg add "HKLM\Software\CaseWare International\%buildname%\%buildversion%\Directories" /f /v "Install Dir" /d "%regdir%\"
) else (
echo Skipping setting "Install Dir" registry key.
)

:success
echo.
echo Registration successful.
pause
goto end

:fail
echo.
echo Registration failed.
pause
goto end

:showhelp
echo.
echo Registers the Working Papers or Time components.
echo.
echo REGSVRALL [/d path] [/v version] [/deltypelib]
echo.
echo path An absolute or relative path to a directory where either
echo Working Papers' or Time's components exist. If this parameter
echo is not supplied the current directory is assumed.
echo.
echo version The full string value of the version being registered. Used
echo for setting the Install Dir registry key. If empty the
echo registry is not modified.
echo.
echo /deltypelib Use this option to force the Central Data Store's typelib
echo registry key to be deleted.
echo.
echo.

:end

Please copy and paste the above text into a batch file called Regsvrall.bat.

Copy that batch file into the C:\Program Files\Caseware folder. You can then run the batch file via Windows Explorer and a double click or via the command line.

It is our preference to run the batch file via the command line to verify that it does what it is supposed to without a window flash then its done.

It is a good thing that we ran the batch file from the command line because one of the laptops had a DLL registration failure. That presented a bit of a pickle since we did not have the install files.

So, we copied the contents of the Caseware folder off of one of the known good laptops onto the NAS then over top of the Caseware folder on the laptop that was hiccupping. Answering Yes to All, we made sure that all of the files were copied before proceeding to the next step.

We reran the batch file in the affected laptop's Caseware folder, and this time we saw the DLL with the previous error successfully registered.

Caseware 2008 ran fine after that on all three.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Windows Vista - Caseware Working Papers 2006 Compatibility

We are in the process of installing our first Windows Vista based laptop at one of clients that run a large accounting practice.

Other than the usual fight to get QuickBooks 2007 installed on Windows Vista, we ran into an interesting error during the install of Caseware Working Papers:

The following files did not self-register or unregister

Once we were into the Caseware 2006 program though, everything seemed to start up as it should.

We opened an existing file, worked through its contents and previewed the reports in Caseview with no issues.

It does turn out that there is an update that addresses any Windows Vista compatibility issues:

• Caseware International: CaseWare Working Papers - Minimum Supported Configuration - IMPORTANT · Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007.
• Caseware Working Papers Support Downloads

Download the version recommended and update Caseware for Vista compatibility.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.