Lacerte 2010 Error: Error initializing config. Datapath cannot be blank

We ran into one of the most challenging problems with Intuit’s Lacerte that we have dealt with in a while.

After a few hours of trying to get things working Intuit’s support concluded that our client’s data must have been corrupted. Yet there were 9 other Lacerte 2010 clients installed and connected without issue.

Lacerte 2010

Error

Error initializing config. Datapath cannot be blank.

When we opened Lacerte 2009 and brought up the data path properties everything looked as it should. Trying to open Lacerte 2010 brought the above error with no recourse but to close the program.

We ran the gamut of troubleshooting this problem from .NET through to a complete registry and drive wipe of Lacerte 2010 content to no avail. Note that the drivepath value was nowhere to be found in the registry.

Lacerte 2010 did not have any .INI files with the relevant settings in them either.

So, the only thing we had left was to check the install folder for a non-standard file with the most recent Modified Date to see if there were any clues contained therein.

In the Lacerte install folder for 2009 was a file called NetDir.w9. In the Lacerte install folder for 2010 there was a file called NetDir.w0. Both files were the most recently modified and both had the path setting in them:

Now, what did not make sense was the fact that the Lacerte 2010 settings _were correct_ as shown in the above screenshot!

Note that by this time we had run through a number of clean installs of Lacerte 2010, .NET, and other related software.

On a gamble we changed the NetDir.w0 paths by appending an additional iData subfolder:

• SharedPath: J:\Data\Lacerte\10tax\iData\iData
• SharedUNC=\\SBS\Company\Data\Lacerte\10tax\iData\iData

We went to start Lacerte 2010 and sure enough the program started!

When we checked the settings the path reflected the one we set in the file:

We made the necessary path changes for Data Path and K1 and closed the program.

We then opened it and were greeted with:

Their full client database was alive and well with all of the data available to the user to work on! From there on in Lacerte 2010 started and was able to be used without a hiccup.

Note the ProcessMonitor folder on the Task Bar. We used the SysInternals process utilities to help us narrow down where the path problem was coming from. They gave us the clue we needed to start digging into where those settings were.

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