RealJukeBox 2.0 Support
(or lack thereof)

I normally run a Windows Kernel Debugger on my Win98 system and find that when I bring up Real Jukebox, my debugger informs me of numerous Parameter Errors to Windows API calls.  Beginning with Beta 2, it got much, much worse.  In particular, when I bring up Real Jukebox beta 2, I run into one Invalid HGDIOBJ and over 375 Invalid HWNDs.  Typically, the invalid HWND is zero, but not always.  Most of the Invalid HWNDs occur after you folks write out to the debugging screen the message "Plugin Loader loading C:\PROGRAM FILES\REAL\REALJUKEBOX\plugins\tdwnmgr.dll".

After the program is up, but before I do anything, I get an unending series of Invalid Function Pointers each about a twenty seconds apart.

These errors all occur at startup before I run anything from the program.  When playing a recording, other Parameter Errors occur, but I figure if you solve the startup errors, you'll also solve the others.

FWIW, I'm running on a LAN through a proxy server by Wingate.

Hello Bob,
Thanks for contacting the RealNetworks Technical Support Team.

Please follow the solution given below.

If you are experiencing frequent General Protection Faults and system freezes while running RealJukeBox, a corrupt or outdated video card driver is most likely at fault.

In order to resolve these issues, we recommend that you update your sound and video card drivers. Please contact your sound and video card manufacturers to verify that you are using the latest drivers.

Prior to installing these updated drivers, we recommend the following preventative maintenance in order to assure that you are running RealJukeBox on the cleanest  possible environment. Please follow the troubleshooting steps given below.

1.  Run Scandisk and Defrag. (Note: Before running the utilities, please make sure that no other applications are running, and that your screen saver is disabled.)

a Click on Start, Programs, Accessories, then System Tools.
b) You will find icons for both Scandisk & Defrag. Run Scandisk first.
c) If the icons are not present, click on Start, Run, and type in Scandisk then click OK.
d) Repeat the process for Defrag.

2. Check for conflicts by temporarily disabling all other applications.

a) Hold down CTRL and ALT keys, and hit the DEL key once.
b) You will see a Close Programs dialog box.
c) Highlight the first listing and click "End Task"
d) Once the dialog box disappears, hit CTRL - ALT - DEL again. You will notice that the highlighted entry now is gone.
e) Keep repeating a-d until all entries except Explorer are gone.
(Note: Do not End Task on Explorer. Doing so will restart Windows and you will have to star
over)

3. Uninstall and re-install RealJukeBox. Please follow the steps given below to uninstall.

a)  Click Start / Settings / Control Panel
b)  Inside Control Panel, double click on the Add/Remove Programs icon.
c)  Make sure that the Install/Uninstall tab is selected.
d)  Select/highlight "RealJukeBox" in from the program listing.
e)  Click on the Add/Remove button on the bottom right.
The uninstallation program will be initiated, and you will be taken step by step through all of the rest of its procedure.

Please install RealJukeBox again by double clicking on the installation file which was previously downloaded.

Again these are preventative measures. After completing the steps above, please pursue downloading and updating your drivers.

RealNetworks released the RealJukeBox Beta 2. If you have not updated your RealJukeBox to beta 2, we suggest you do so now.

To download the full installer file for either the RealJukeBox Beta2 or RealJukeBoxPlus Beta2 , please visit:

http://www.real.com/products/realjukebox/index.html

Once you have installed  this you will have the beta 2 version of the RealJukeBox on your system , Version no : 1.0.0.386.

Please let us know if you want any further assistance.
Thank You . Have a nice day.

Anil Shenoy
Aditi Corporation
RealNetworks Authorized Support Provider

[...]

I find it incredible that you would ignore this obviously helpful advice.  Don't hide your head in the sand.  These are very, very real bugs in your product.  There's no need to be defensive.  Bugs happen.  I am not surprised when I find them in beta code.  However, I am very disappointed when I find them in production code.  Don't let that happen.

This is a golden opportunity to find and fix these bugs while your otherwise excellent product in still in beta.  I am a professional Windows software developer with over thirty years experience programming computers.  Don't dismiss my comments as the vague ramblings of some high school geek who just learned Visual Basic.  And don't tell me to update my video drivers or run ScanDisk.  I am not experiencing GP faults.

Look up, as I did, the Windows Kernel Debugger specification in the DDK (INC32\DEBUGSYS.INC).  Although that document is hard to read, it outlines the INT 68h and INT 41h API which Windows (3.x/95/98 but not NT) uses to report these parameter errors.

However, you don't need to implement that specification.  There are commercially available tools out there to help you find these bugs.  SoftIce is an excellent debugging tool which can pinpoint parameter error bugs immediately.  I happened to write my own kernel mode debugger, but you can buy commercial programs, such as SoftIce from NuMega Technologies (http://www.numega.com/drivercentral/components/si_driver.shtml).  If you don't want to jump into that right away, try my (free) debugger 386SWAT available from

http://www.sudleyplace.com

I recommend SoftIce because it has a much better interface and documentation.  However, whatever tool you use, use one.

I really like your JukeBox product and would like to recommend it to my friends, however you have to fix these bugs.

Please forward this message to one of your software developers.  Get real.

[...]

Hello Bob,
 Thanks for contacting the RealNetworks Technical Support Team.

I am sorry for my previous mail. I have forwarded your mail to our development team. I am sure that they will find your suggestions very helpful.

Once again ,Thank you for your valuable feedback.

Please keep a look out on our site for new releases and updates.

Please let us know if you want any further assistance.
Thank You . Have a nice day.

Anil Shenoy
Aditi Corporation
RealNetworks Authorized Support Provider

[...]

When running with a resident Windows Kernel Debugger, RealJukebox causes numerous Parameter Errors, for example, Invalid HWND.

These are programming bugs which can be caught by running your program through a debugger which traps Windows API Parameter Errors.

I really like RealJukebox, but these bugs mar an otherwise fine product.

Hello!
Thank you for contacting RealNetworks Technical Support.

My name is Ravi R, I am a RealNetworks Support Engineer. I have been asked to follow up with you on the problem you are reporting.

I understand that you are receiving various system errors while trying to use the RealJukebox.

Please note that I need to know the exact error message that you receive to be able to provide an appropriate solution.

However, I believe the issue you are reporting may be addressed by the following article from our knowledgebase.

How do I fix system errors in RealJukebox 2 and earlier for Windows 95 or 98?  General Protection Faults (GPFs) can be caused by anything from memory conflicts between hardware device drivers, software, and hardware components, to a corrupt installation of RealJukebox. Because several different variables can contribute to a GPF, you must be methodical when diagnosing the cause of such errors.

The information in this document is designed to help you diagnose and prevent further errors.

Common reasons why faults occur are:

A. Insufficient Memory
B. Inadequate free hard drive space
C. Corrupt installation of RealJukebox
D. Outdated Video Card driver
E. Outdated Sound Card driver
F. Fragmented disk, or disk errors
G. Corrupt RealJukebox Database

Each of these symptoms has troubleshooting steps, outlined below. Perform the appropriate solution in order to correct the problem. If the listed solution does not correct the problem, contact RealNetworks technical support for further assistance.

A. Insufficient Memory

If your computer only has the minimum amount of RAM (32 MB) necessary, you may experience errors if you run other programs at the same time as RealJukebox. Since RealJukebox must compete with other programs for available RAM, errors may occur.

To test this condition, try running RealJukebox by itself without any other programs (e.g., web browsers, word processors, etc.) active. If the problem does not repeat, you may need to add additional RAM to your computer or run RealJukebox by itself.

Additionally, you may not be aware of programs that start automatically and run "hidden" in the background, consuming RAM without your knowledge.

To make sure that there are no hidden programs running in the background, use the Windows task manager to stop hidden programs temporarily:

To use the Windows task manager, do the following:

1. Hold down the CTRL and ALT keys and press the DEL key once.
2. In the Close Programs dialog box, select the first program in the list and click the End Task button.
3. Once the dialog box disappears, press CTRL+ALT+DEL again.
4. Keep repeating steps 1-3 until all entries are gone.
5. Start RealJukebox.

Note: Do not use "End Task" on the entries named Explorer and Systray.

B. Inadequate free hard drive space

When your hard drive starts to fill up, there is less space available for Virtual Memory. Virtual memory is space on your hard drive that Windows uses as if it were physical memory (RAM). If your hard drive is low on free space, there may not be enough virtual memory available.

To check the amount of free space available on your hard drive, do the following:

1. Click Start, choose programs, and then Windows Explorer.
2. Right mouse click on the "C:" drive.
3. Choose Properties from the shortcut menu.
4. Note the amount of "Free space" vs. the amount of "Used space."

If the amount of free space is low (approximately 10-100 MB), consider increasing free space by deleting or archiving unnecessary files.

If you have multiple hard drives, or if your hard disk is partitioned into multiple drives, you can move Virtual Memory to a different hard drive or partition that has more free space.

To move Virtual Memory to another hard drive or partition, do the following:

1. Exit all programs that are currently running.
2. Click Start, choose Settings, and then Control Panel.
3. Double-click the System icon.
4. Click the Performance tab.
5. Click the Virtual Memory button.
6. Click "Let me specify my own virtual memory settings."
7. From the Hard Disk pop-up menu, choose a hard disk with the greatest amount of free space.

Note: If Virtual Memory is already located on a drive partition with the largest amount of free space, click Cancel.

8. Click OK to close the Virtual Memory dialog box.
9. Click Yes when you see the message, "You have chosen not to let Windows manage virtual memory automatically . . ." in the Confirm Virtual Memory Setting dialog box.
10. Click Close in the System Properties dialog box.
11. Restart Windows by clicking Yes in the System Settings Change dialog box.

Moving Virtual Memory to a hard drive or partition with more free space increases resources, providing more memory for programs.

C. Corrupt installation of RealJukebox

If solutions A and B do not resolve your problem, your copy of RealJukebox may be damaged.

To eliminate this possibility, it is best to perform a complete clean install of RealJukebox. Please refer to the article "How do I perform a clean uninstall of RealJukebox?" in our online Knowledge Base.

The RealNetworks Knowledge Base is available at the following address:

http://service.real.com/kb

D. Outdated Video Card drivers

It may be necessary to update or reinstall your video card drivers. Outdated or damaged video card drivers can cause programs to halt. Many device manufacturers update their drivers frequently, so even if you bought your computer or video card recently you may not have the latest driver.

Before you can download the latest driver, you must first identify the manufacturer and model of your video card:

1. Click the Start button, choose Settings, and then Control Panel.
2. Double-click the System icon.
3. Click the Device Manager tab.
4. Click the plus sign (+) next to "Display Adapter."
5. Make note of the manufacturer and model of your video card.

Once you know the manufacturer and model of your video card, go the manufacturer's web site, download the most recent drivers, and install them.

If you cannot locate the manufacturer's web site, refer to the user manual included with your video card or computer for an address or technical support telephone number.

E. Outdated Sound Card driver

It may be necessary to update or reinstall your sound card drivers. Outdated or damaged sound card drivers can cause programs to halt. Many device manufacturers update their drivers frequently, so even if you bought your computer or sound card recently you may not have the latest driver.

Before downloading the latest driver, you must first identify the manufacturer and model of your sound card:

1. Click the Start button, choose Settings, and then Control Panel.
2. Double-click the System icon.
3. Click the Device Manager tab.
4. Click the plus sign (+) next to "Sound Video and Game Controllers."
5. Make note of the manufacturer and model of your video card.

Once you know the manufacturer and model of your sound card, go the manufacturer's web site, download the most recent drivers, and install them.

If you cannot locate the manufacturer's web site, refer to the user manual included with your sound card or computer for an address or technical support telephone number.

F. Fragmented disk or disk errors

With use, hard disks can become damaged or fragmented. If there is not enough contiguous space for Windows to save a file, it saves pieces of the file to different locations on the disk. It takes a program longer to read a fragmented file whose pieces are in several locations.

Use the Scandisk and Defrag utilities included with Windows to keep your hard disk organized and in good health.

Note: These procedures can take several minutes. Make sure you do not have any pending tasks to perform on the computer. Allow up to 30 minutes to run these scans.

Running Scandisk:

1. Exit all programs that are currently running.
2. Click the Start menu and choose Run.
3. Type "scandisk" in the open field and click OK.
4. Select the drive you want to scan.
5. Click Start.

Running Defrag:

1. Exit all programs that are currently running.
2. Click the Start menu and choose Run.
3. Type "defrag" in the open field and click OK.
4. Select the drive you want to defragment and click OK.
5. If you want to change the settings that Disk Defragmenter uses, click Advanced.
6. Click Start.

If the above solutions did not work for you, please contact RealNetworks technical support with answers to the following questions:

1. What is the exact wording of the error message as it appears on your screen? Sometimes, errors have a "details" button. When you click on this button, you get more information about the error. You can copy and paste this detailed information into a word processor or email message.

Is the error an "Invalid Page Fault in module file name" or is it a "General Protection Fault"? In which module did the error occur? (For example, "Invalid Page Fault in module pnen3260.dll")

2. When does the error occur? It helps if you tell us the last thing you did in RealJukebox, before the error occurred. For example, did you click the record button, choose a menu, or download a skin? The more descriptive and precise your description, the better.

3. Which version of RealJukebox are you using? (In RealJukebox, click the Help menu and choose About RealJukebox)

4. Is there anything unusual about the configuration of your computer that you would like us to note? Specifics such as multiple sound cards, dual processors, laptop docking system, any installed beta software, etc. can be important.

G. Corrupt RealJukebox Database

A corrupt Database can cause problems in RealJukebox that may look like system errors. If none of the previous steps solved the problem, try deleting your RealJukebox database and then use the Import Wizard to re-import all of you music files.

First, delete your RealJukebox database:

1. Exit RealJukebox.
2. Click the Start button, choose Programs, and then Windows Explorer.
3. Open the C:\Program Files/Real/RealJukebox folder.
4. Click once to select the folder named "DB".
5. Click the File menu and choose Delete.
6. Close Windows Explorer.

Next, use the Import Wizard in RealJukebox to re-import your music files:

1. Start RealJukebox.
2. Click the File menu and choose Import Wizard.
3. Select Import Wizard.
4. Click the Start Search button.

Please let me know if you need further assistance.

Thank you,

Ravi Rai
Talisma Corporation
RealNetworks Authorized Support Provider

[...]

Thank you for your response, however this is a problem which needs to escalate to a developer who is familiar with the concept of Windows API Parameter Error.

Please also see Incident ID #4397352 which I reported to you in mid-August of 1999 on the exact same problem.  Then, as now, you gave me the GPF, bad driver, corrupt installation, etc. response.  It had no bearing on the problem then as it doesn't now.  I had hoped that the span of 18 months would have improved your understanding of how to handle such problem reports.

I am disappointed you folks put such a strong barrier between your customers who report problems, and the developers who solve them.

Good luck.

[...]

Hello!
Thank you for writing in.

I am sorry if I have been misunderstood or mistaken.

Please note that you did not provide us with enough information to troubleshoot the problem appropriately.

To confirm the problem, it would be helpful if you could provide us with the following information about the problem and your system.

1) What is the exact error message that you receive?
2) When does the problem usually occur?
3) What version of RealJukebox do you have? You can check this by Clicking on the Help menu in RealJukebox then selecting About RealJukebox.
4) What version of Windows do you have? You can find this out by right clicking on My Computer then selecting Properties. This is the number listed under System.
5) What type of Sound Card do you have?
6) When was the last time the drivers for that card were updated?
7) Does this problem occur when playing Playlists or only when playing from the All Tracks list?
8) Does this problem happen with tracks that are not recorded as MP3's?
9) What is the location of the files that have this problem?
10) What other applications are usually open when the error occurs?
11) Have you installed any new devices recently?

Thanks for your cooperation in this matter.

Regards,

Ravi Rai

[...]

Actually, I did provide everything you need to resolve the problem, as I did 18 months ago.  However, the information is meaningful only to a Windows API programmer.

I understand that you need to fill in the blanks on your Tech Support form, so here are answers to your questions:

1.  The error message is not from your program, it is from Windows.  Moreover, it is not a textual error message, but a programmatic one.

That is, when Win9x encounters an API Parameter Error (from your program, or any other program), it calls INT 41h with certain registers set to indicate the type of error.  For example, for an Invalid HWND, the error code is 6040h and another register gives the value of the Invalid Window Handle, e.g., 0000h.

2.  The problem(s) occur upon starting RealJukebox.

3.  The version # is 2, Build 1.0.2.340.

4.  Windows version is Win98 4.10.1998 with all updates applied.

5.  Sound card is Creative Labs SoundBlaster AudioPCI 128.

6.  Recently.

7.  The problem occurs when RealJukebox is run without any arguments and without clicking on any button.

8.  There are no MP3 files on my system.

9.  There are no files which cause this problem.

10.  There need be no other applications open for this problem to occur.

11.  No new devices have been installed for quite some time.

Hello!
Thank you for writing in.

Please note that the problem you are experiencing is generally system related. However, I suggest you to perform a clean installation of the RealJukebox and check if it helps. Please refer to the following knowledgebase article for the same.

In some instances, it may be necessary to remove your RealNetworks software and reinstall in a clean environment. The ".g2cln.exe" program, included with RealPlayer, is designed to remove all RealNetworks G2-based programs from Windows and provide a clean environment in which to reinstall RealNetworks products.

In this process, you will do the following:

A. Backup your RealJukebox Security Key
B. Backup custom or downloaded RealJukebox Skins
C. Record your serial number(s) for RealJukebox and RealPlayer Plus
D. Uninstall RealDownload
E. Run the .g2clean uninstaller
F. Reinstall RealNetworks software
G. Restore your RealJukebox Skins

If you have trouble during any part of this process, please contact RealNetworks technical support for assistance.

Note: When you run .g2cln.exe, the following RealNetworks products will be removed from your hard drive, if present:

1. RealPlayer G2, RealPlayer 7, RealPlayer 8
2. RealJukebox 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0
3. RealSlideshow
4. RealProducer
5. RealEncoder
6. RealSDK
7. Any programs stored in the C:\Program Files\Real folder, including RealDownload and any RealGames installed in that folder. These programs will not be completely uninstalled but will no longer work after running the g2cln program.

Note: RealServer and the "My Music" folder are not removed by this program.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STEP A - Backup the security key.

To ensure playback of all secure and encrypted music files, backup the RealJukebox Security Key. You will need a floppy disk for this task.

RealJukebox 1.0:

1. Start RealJukebox 1.0.
2. Click the Options menu and choose Backup Security Key.
3. Insert the floppy disk and click OK.

RealJukebox 2.0:

1. Start RealJukebox 2.0.
2. Click the Tools menu and choose Preferences.
3. Click the Music Files tab.
4. Click the "Backup Security Key" button.
5. Insert the floppy disk and click OK.

STEP B - Backup custom or downloaded RealJukebox Skins

1. Open the C:\Program Files\Real\RealJukebox folder.
2. Click once on the Skins folder.
3. Click the Edit menu and choose Copy.
4. Right mouse-click anywhere on the Windows Desktop and choose Paste from the shortcut menu.

STEP C - Record the serial numbers for any Plus versions of products you have purchased from RealNetworks.

(For example, if you have RealJukebox Plus, write down the serial number before proceeding. The serial number can be located by choosing "About RealJukebox Plus" from the Help menu in RealJukebox Plus.)

STEP D - Manually remove RealDownload

1. Click the Start button, choose Programs, Real, RealDownload, and then Uninstall RealDownload.
2. Click Yes when prompted to continue.

STEP E - Run .g2cln.exe

In order to run .g2cln.exe, you must first enable the "Show all files" option in Windows Explorer.

To enable the "Show all files" option, do the following:

1. Click the Start button, choose Programs, and then Windows Explorer.
2. Click the View menu and choose Options.
3. Click Show all Files.
4. Click the OK button.

The .g2cln.exe program is a hidden file located in the C:\Program Files\Real\RealPlayer\Setup folder. Double-click the .g2cln.exe icon and a MS-DOS window with the following warning will appear:

Warning: This application removes all RealNetworks G2 applications and files from your computer. If you wish to delete ALL RealNetworks application files, enter "Y" to continue or "N" to exit.

Press the "Y" key and then press Enter to start the uninstall process. When the uninstall process is finished, delete the C:\Program Files\Real folder and empty the Recycle Bin.

RealNetworks products have now been removed from your computer.

STEP F - Reinstall RealJukebox and other RealNetworks applications

If you do not have your original installer files, you may download them directly from RealNetworks:

RealPlayer, RealJukebox, RealDownload, RealGames:
http://www.real.com

All other RealNetworks products:
http://www.realnetworks.com

Note: A serial number is required to download Plus versions of RealNetworks products. If you have difficulty downloading an installer, please contact technical support for assistance at the following web site:

http://service.real.com/help/call.html

STEP G - Restore skin files after reinstalling RealJukebox.

To restore custom RealJukebox skins, do the following:

1. Locate the Skins folder copied to the Windows Desktop.
2. Right mouse-click the Skins folder and choose Cut from the shortcut menu.
3. Click the Start button, choose Programs, and then Windows Explorer.
4. Double-click the C:\Program Files\Real\RealJukebox folder.
5. Click the Edit menu and choose Paste.
6. Click Yes if prompted to replace the existing folder.

After following these steps, you will have cleanly restored RealJukebox and RealPlayer to your system.

Please let me know if you need further assistance.

Thank you,

Ravi Rai

For some reason you are unable to accept the fact that your program has bugs.  It's not something to be ashamed of.  I have released software used by millions of people with bugs in it.  Get over it.  Find 'em, fix 'em, move on.  Just get a decent debugger (try WinDbg from Microsoft, or SoftIce from NuMega) and these bugs will jump right out at you.

Perhaps you have the idea that bugs are very hard to reproduce and even harder to find.  Normally that's the case except for these bugs.  They are trivial to find (Windows has already done that for you), and usually easy to fix.  They are rock solid reproducible on any system running Win9x out of the box (Win NT/2000 took out the reporting mechanism in the retail build -- use the debug/checked build to find the same bugs).

You seem to be going to great lengths to hassle the customer perhaps hoping they will go away.  The bugs will still be there.  I like your product, so much so that I'd like to see it get better.

Get it through your head -- I'm on your side.  Don't shoot the messenger.  Forget about my system -- these bugs are being reported by Windows every time you run your program on your system.  You don't see them because you don't have a debugger installed to view them.

Get real!

We appreciate your email and apologize for your dissatisfaction in our product.  My name is Kavitha. I am first tier Escalation Engineer for RealNetworks. We recognize your dissatisfaction in our product, and can ensure you that we will address your issue, and forward your issue to all parties that need to be aware. I apologize that your issue has taken a substantial amount of time to resolve.

After reviewing your mail, I understand that you are experiencing “Windows API Parameter Errors” when launching RealJukebox.

You might be experiencing this error if you have some of the required dlls missing on your system. Please perform a clean install of RealJukebox and let me know the results.

Problem: How do I make sure that I have a correct installation of RealJukebox?

Product: RealJukebox,RealJukebox Plus

Recommended Solution:
In some instances, a clean installation is recommended when attempting to resolve problems with RealJukebox. Please follow the steps below to remove the currently installed components and reinstall a fresh copy of RealJukebox.

Cleanly removing RealJukebox from your computer involves the following steps:

1. Back up your Security Key.
2. Back up your music files and skins.
3. Run the RealJukebox Uninstaller.
4. Delete all remaining RealJukebox files.
5. Edit the Windows registry to remove RealJukebox entries.
6. Reinstall RealJukebox
7. Restore your music collection and custom skins.

If you experience difficulties during any part of this process, please contact RealNetworks technical support for assistance.

STEP 1 - Back up your security key.

To ensure playback of all secure and encrypted music files, backup the RealJukebox Security Key. You will need a floppy disk for this task.

RealJukebox 1.0:

1. Start RealJukebox 1.0.
2. Click the Options menu and choose Backup Security Key.
3. Insert the floppy disk and click OK.

RealJukebox 2.0:

1. Start RealJukebox 2.0.
2. Click the Tools menu and choose Preferences.
3. Click the Music Files tab.
4. Click the "Backup Security Key" button.
5. Insert the floppy disk and click OK.

STEP 2 - Back up your music files.

If you have been using RealJukebox for some time, you may have a fairly extensive music database and collection of custom skins. These steps make sure that the files are still available once you reinstall RealJukebox.

1. Click on Start, choose Programs, and then Windows Explorer
2. Locate the "My Music" folder (by default, located on the C: drive).
3. Right mouse click on the folder and select Rename from the shortcut menu.
4. Rename the "My Music" folder to a simple, easily recognizable folder name (e.g., "My Music Backup").
5. Locate the "Skins" folder in C:\Program Files\Real\RealJukebox.
6. Right mouse click on the folder, and choose Copy from the shortcut menu.
7. Right mouse click anywhere on the Windows desktop, and choose Paste from the shortcut menu.

STEP 3 - Run the RealJukebox Uninstaller.

1. Click on Start, choose Programs, and then Real.
2. Out of the Real menu, choose "RealJukebox Uninstaller".
3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

STEP 4 - Manually remove any remaining RealJukebox files

Do not delete the entire "Real" folder as it may contain components that are necessary to run other RealNetworks programs. Please manually delete only these specific entries:

From the C:\Program Files\Real folder, delete the RealJukebox folder.

From the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Plugins folder, delete the following files:

   Ap3p3260.dll
   Mp3f3260.dll
   Mp3m3260.dll
   Mp3r3260.dll
   Rmxrend.dll
   Security.dll
   Tfilesys.dll

From the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Codecs folder, delete:

   Mp3c3260.dll

STEP 5 - Edit the Windows registry to remove RealJukebox entries.

DISCLAIMER: The Windows registry contains information that is crucial to your computer and programs. Mistakes made while editing the registry may damage Windows and require reinstallation of the operating system. We recommend that you have experience editing system files and that you make a backup copy of the registry before modifying it. For more information on the Windows Registry Editor, refer to your Windows User Guide or contact Microsoft Technical Support.

First, create a backup copy of the registry:

1. Click the Start button and choose Run.
2. Type "regedit" in the Open text box and click OK.
3. From the Registry menu, choose Export Registry File.
4. Use the current date as your filename (e.g., 092299), then select the Desktop from the Save In menu.
5. Click Save and exit the Registry Editor.

Once you have made a backup of your registry, delete the RealJukebox entries from it:

1. Click the Start button and choose Run.
2. Type "regedit" in the Open text box and click OK.
3. Click the plus sign (+) next to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.
4. Scroll down the list of folders until you locate the Software folder.
5. Click the plus sign (+) next to the Software folder.
6. Scroll down the list of folders until you locate the RealNetworks folder.
7. Click to select the RealJukebox folder.
8. From the Edit menu, choose Delete.
9. Click the Yes button to confirm the deletion of the RealJukebox registry key.
10. Scroll back to the top and click the minus sign (-) next to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.
11. Click the plus sign (+) next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER
12. Click the plus sign (+) next to the Software folder and double-click the RealNetworks folder.
13. Click once to highlight the RealJukebox folder.
14. From the Edit menu, choose delete.
15. Click Yes when prompted to delete the RealJukebox key.
16. Exit the registry editor and restart Windows.

Once you have completed these steps, restart Windows.

STEP 6 - Reinstall RealJukebox
 
You can now safely re-install RealJukebox. Visit the RealNetworks web site (at  http://www.real.com) to download the most recent RealJukebox installer. Once the download is complete, double-click on the downloaded file to run the installation.

STEP 7 - Restore your music and skin files after reinstalling RealJukebox.

To restore your music files, do the following:

1. Click on Start, choose Programs, and then Windows Explorer.
2. Locate the "My Music" folder (by default, located on the C: drive).
3. Right mouse click on the folder and select Delete from the shortcut menu.

Note: This "My Music" folder is empty. Remember that you renamed your original "My Music" folder in STEP 2.

4. Locate the "My Music Backup" folder.
5. Right mouse click on the "My Music Backup" folder and choose Rename from the shortcut menu.
6. Change the name of the folder to "My Music".
7. Start RealJukebox.
8. From the File menu, choose "Search Disk for Music".
9. Select the C: drive from the "Look for music in" list.
10. Click the Browse button and locate the My Music folder.
11. Click OK and then click Start Search.

To restore your custom RealJukebox skins, do the following:

1. Exit RealJukebox.
2. Locate the Skins folder you copied to the Windows desktop in STEP 2.
3. Right mouse click the Skins folder and choose Cut from the shortcut menu.
4. Click on Start, choose Programs, and then Windows Explorer.
5. Locate the C:\Program Files\Real\RealJukebox folder.
6. Right mouse click the RealJukebox folder and choose Paste from the shortcut menu.
7. Click Yes if you are prompted to replace the existing folder.

Please write back for further assistance.

Regards,

Kavitha Jain
Certified Mentor Technician
RealNetworks

I am not experiencing this problem because of missing DLLs or because my installation is unclean, but for the reasons I have stated several times over.  Your software has a few bugs.  Don't have a cow over it -- I'm not going to leak this information to the National Enquirer -- just get this information to someone who can fix the bugs.

You are great at putting off the customer with things to do.  Eventually, if you keep this up, you might wear me down so that I don't complain anymore and you can close this report as resolved.

I'll try this one more time:  Please forward a copy of this e-mail to your development staff and ask them what they think.

Thanks for writing in.

We could not replicate the problem at our end. However, as you wish to convey this message to developers, I would suggest you to post a product feedback.

I would also forward it to the concerned Engineers. This error is from windows, could be due to some configuration mismatch between your system and Jukebox. I would suggest you to get in touch with support at Microsoft.com for additional information on this.
 
You can give your  comments or suggestions for improving RealJukebox, you can submit you feedback from within RealJukebox itself.

To make sure that your comments reach the RealJukebox development team, please use the "Product Feedback" option within RealJukebox. RealNetworks Technical Support is unable to process feature requests for RealJukebox.

To send your feedback directly to the RealJukebox development team, do the following:

1. Start RealJukebox.
2. Click the Help menu and choose Product Feedback.

Alternately you can visit the following RealJukebox feedback web site directly:

   http://customerrelations.real.com/scripts/rnforms/jukeboxfeed.html

Topic Area: Administration
Article ID: RAP-001455-03
Revision Date: 8/14/00

********************
Regards,

Kavitha Jain

I have tried unsuccessfully to get your tech support people to understand the bugs in your RealJukeBox software, so I'm hoping that this message will be read by a different (and more open-minded) group of people.  Rather than try to outline the problems here, I've written a web page which explains them in detail.

http://www.sudleyplace.com/realjoke.htm

In short, your RealJukeBox program has a few bugs in it.  They are very easy to find if you know where and how to look.  The description in the above link is best understood by Windows developers, but is readable by anyone else.

Please pass on the above link to one of your Windows developers.

Also, please do NOT ask your tech support people to contact me.  After you read the e-mail messages in the above link, you'll understand why.