Cannot select profile in OSCAR [solved, see post #9]

[GB San Jose]

I am new to this forum so please be patient...

I have had success with OSCAR for six months but it suddenly stopped working for me. Now, when I open the app. I am sent to the profile page where I see my profile listed but it is not selectable. The system says I need to select a profile but I can't. Other options are grayed out.

I tried uninstalling and manually deleting all OSCAR files and reinstalling Windows 64-bit on the same Windows 10 computer.

Same challenge. I cannot select my profile. So I can't see my data.

Note that I successfully loaded OSCAR on a different Windows 10 computer today and it works fine. 

But I prefer using the computer that has an SD port and I am interested to learn what is wrong.

One thing I notice is the only copy of my profile file I see on the computer is an Edge document. Maybe it is listing that file on the profile page but it is not able to read it.

Remember I am new... Thanks.

[Crimson Nape]

Hi GB San Jose! -
The first thing to do is to go to Help → About OSCAR. On the right side of the popup, there is the option, Show data folder, select it. This location that OSCAR is looking for your data. Does it match to where you think it should be?

Also, you mentioned your other computer as bing a Win 10, but you didn't provide the OS type and version on your problem child. It is always helpful to provide as much information as possible to help with troubleshooting.

- Red

[GB San Jose]

Thanks, Red, this is promising!

The OSCAR_Data folder on the problem computer contains a Profile which is an Edge HTML doc.

The same folder on the working computer contains a Profile which is an XML file.

Turns out my OS is Windows 11 pro on the problem machine and Windows 10 pro on the  working machine. Both say Version 22H2.

So maybe Windows 11 is the problem. Apparently I did the upgrade three months ago but I only just started having the problem.

What’s my next step? This is great!

[Crimson Nape]

The simplest thing I can think to do is to delete the W11's .html file and copy the correct XML file from the W10 computer to the W11.  All computer platforms use the same data file structure for this app.

I just did a search on, "W11 turning an XML into an HTML". Microsoft states that W11 will open an XML file as an HTML. Did you by chance try reading or modifying this file? If so, it will save it as an HTML.

- Red

[GB San Jose]

Hi Red:

I used your idea and copied the XML profile from the good machine to the problem machine. The problem machine apparently converted it to an Edge file during the transfer.

I changed the application to open it from Edge to Office XML Handler and that changed the file extension to .xml - But no luck.

I also tried copying the whole OSCAR_Data folder from the good machine to the problem machine and got an message saying there was already a "lockfile" for this instance of the app and it can't be used on two machines.

Edge is not on my Windows 10 machine but it is on the Windows 11 machine. MS says it is "built in" to the OS now. 

If this problem is unique to me and happened three months after I migrated to Windows 11, maybe there's another issue?

Sorry to pester you on a holiday! Greg

[Crimson Nape]

From what I read, Win11 can convert an XML to an HTML, but not the other direction. Once it is done, you can't go back. Erase the HTML file and try reloading the XML again. The lockfile is generated while OSCAR is running. It is supposed to be deleted when you exit OSCAR. While not running OSCAR on either machine, look at the your Win10 profile directory. If you see the file named, "lockfile", you can delete it.

- Red

[GB San Jose]

Hello Red:


Still no luck getting OSCAR to let me select my profile on my "problem" machine (an HP Windows 11 pro laptop).

I was able to copy over the whole OSCAR_Data folder from the good machine to the problem machine (lockfile evidently got deleted). But same issue: I can see the profile on the profile page, but the system says "Profile: NONE" and won't let me select, edit or add a profile.

Tried deleting all the old profiles and moving a working profile from the good machine, but same outcome as above. The profile is an xml file and I was careful not to open it. Not an Edge file.

Since the working laptop is Windows 10 and the problem laptop is Windows 11, I keep thinking that might be where the issue is. However OSCAR did run for three months without a problem after I upgraded the OS to Windows 11 last March.

Sometimes the source of sudden problems like this is a setting somewhere... I can't thinkl of anything I changed between the morning it worked and the afternoon where it did not work.

Your help is greatly appreciated. Greg

[Crimson Nape]

It sounds like you may have a permission problem.  Is your data directory in your Documents folder?

I did a Google search and found a multitude of complaints like yours. Try searching, "Windows 11 not allowing file/directory access".

- Red

[GB San Jose]

SOLVED! - After OSCAR suddenly stopped working for me a month or so ago, I tried many approaches to uninstall and reload it (no luck).

Today I installed the new release and it worked like a charm! 

I think everything is all good again.

I am going to visit that DONATE page now.  Thank you, developers and helpful coaches!

[GB San Jose]

Well, OSCAR ran on my HP pro laptop a few times, then quit working again.

It still runs fine on my Lenovo laptop.

On the HP I saw this on the Degug Pane: "Unable to create GL context."

I have an Intel Iris chip in the computer and I think it runs OpenGL. I don't know what rev it is.

What can I do on the HP?