BigOven

 I installed BigOven yesterday and discovered that there are not enough entries in the Nutrient information.  When I tried to add the information, it displayed the forms and allowed me to enter data but when I hit Save it did nothing.  If I can't add then of what use is it?

You can indeed save nutritional information. 

Can you give us a step-by-step of what you're trying to do?  Once you enter nutritional information and click "Save", this is then available in the linking section (i.e., when you double-click on the ingredient line, it's available in the database).  Note that just adding the nutrient doesn't automatically add the (shorthand) Ingredient description for it.  You have to link it first.

PS:  One thing to check is whether your "support.csy" file (which is stored in "My BigOven Recipes\Data") is in a read-only location on your PC.  The folder that contains it needs to have read/write permissions turned on.  For instance, can you drag and drop items onto your shopping list, and have them save from BigOven session to BigOven session?  If you cannot, then it sounds like BigOven is trying to write the data to the file but is being blocked by your Windows write permissions on that folder.

 Step by Step:

I navigate to the Nutrient Info form

Press New-> Opens the Remember this new ingredient... form

Enter Name / Department / Sold by fields

Press Remember -> Opens Modify Common Units form

Enter Choice #1 / Choice #2

Press Save -> does nothing on screen

When I search for this ingredient in the box below, nothing is found.

The files are all read/write.

We've tried these exact steps here and are able to find the ingredient in the "Find" box below (in other words, it does save properly here).

What specific ingredient name and ingredient text entries are you using?  One guess is that maybe you're exceeding a field size limit.  (Unfortunately BigOven doesn't yet warn in this area if the entries are exceeding a maximum size, it will simply fail to save it.)

 I am trying to add "Dried Pepper Flakes" with common units of teaspoon and Tablespoon.

What are the limits?

That should definitely work.  The name needs to be 60 characters or less, and that definitely is within the limits.

Is your "Department" section set to something long, or something with special characters in it by chance? 

Not quite sure why this isn't saving.  It does work for us here on two machines just tested.  When you close out of BigOven and then re-launch it, can you then find your custom-added item? 

 Just re-added both "Dried Pepper Flakes" and "Pepper Flakes", closed and reopened BigOven.  Neither of those ingredients are found.

 Sorry, the Department is Spices.

That is really bizarre.  We cannot reproduce it here -- the same additions work just fine on our end, and this is the first time this has been reported.  We'll continue to look. 

A couple questions:

1)  Are you in free trial mode, or are you running a registered version?

2)  Are you able to add recipes to the shopping list and meal plan and have them saved from session to session, or do those also have problems saving?

 This is a registered version.  I entered the serial number yesterday after the install (no errors).

 I just tried to add a recipe and then to import (?) one from BigOven.  Neither was saved.

After trying to add a new recipe, the software reported that it could not 'Load' the recipe.

 The version is Deluxe DL 1.8.978

 Further info:

Windows Vista Business v6.0.6000

My user has Administrator permissions (I tried the same steps as Administrator)

OK, thanks, if you are getting a "cannot load recipe", or cannot save a recipe to a shopping list or meal plan, these are all symptoms of a larger issue on your specific machine -- it sounds like BigOven cannot write to the "My BigOven Recipes" folder, or somehow has a corrupted data access library. 

Things to try:

1)  The steps in this post

2)  Where is your My BigOven Recipes folder located?  Did you let the installer put it in the recommended location, which is in C:\Users\Public\Documents?  If not, you might have chosen to install it to a location that is not, by default, read/write for all users.

3)  Right click on that folder from within Windows Explorer and make sure you have read/write access on this folder as well as all subfolders.

4)  Make sure there isn't an antivirus utility that is preventing BigOven from reading/writing to that folder.

5)  If necessary,  try the "MDAC Repair Tool" here.

 OK, I have full control of the default folder and subfolders.  I have AVG antivirus active but it has not limited any other installation or usage.  It does not report a problem with this folder or its files.

 I tried to use the MDAC Repair Tool but it wants me to pay for it.

I have been a successful software developer for 23 years.  I have worked with Microsoft engines in a variety of its forms.  This does not give me any confidence that I will be able to overcome the problems of this installation.  My system is up to date and runs every other software package I have installed.  If your package is having problems, you should let us know in advance.

I am now semi-retired and my patience level has been lowered over the years when working with Microsoft tools.

Let me know if you have any other ideas.