Windows 10 Update and TheSkyX-Pro and ASCOM Problem

[Phillip Marshall]

Bob Denny;
I saw you post on the Bisque forum about the recent Window 10 update that impacted ASCOM and TheSkyX-Pro operations.
Your initial post of 7 Jan. 2018 showed a Manual Work Around to address this problem.
Your update to the 7 Jan post on 17 Jan showed a fix by using FixDCOM.exe.

Q1??; Is the FixDCOM used along with the Manual Work Around? Or use FixDCOM instead of the The Manual Work Around?

This past December I upgraded my observatory to a Paramount MyT. What a difference it makes. I spent most of Dec 2017 using the full Camera-Add-On to perform all my operations. This January, I started integrating my use of CCD Commander to automate my imaging sessions. I was setup to use X2. My normal use of CCDC (past 5 years) was to use TSX as observatory control and used the older ASCOM The Sky Controlled Telescope, FocusMax, MaximDl and QSI ccd camera and RoboFocus. But when I began to point much of CCDC to use the TSX features, I found that these external apps would not connect with TSX. I would get messages like, "TSX selected, but does not appear to installed."
Also Micorsoft has installed the 1709 update about a week ago.

I have tried starting the various apps with Start as Administrator. But no fix.

Thank You Bob;
Phillip Marshall


Q2??; Is my problem with the astro apps that use ASCOM X2 to connect to TSX, caused by the Windows 10 update? Should I try your FixDCOM?

Q3??; Would I have this problem I used your automation program?

[Bob Denny]

Q1??; Is the FixDCOM used along with the Manual Work Around? Or use FixDCOM instead of the The Manual Work Around?

FixDCOM will fix the ASCOM drivers. Manual workaround for any other programs that suddenly stopped being able to talk to others.

Q2??; Is my problem with the astro apps that use ASCOM X2 to connect to TSX, caused by the Windows 10 update? Should I try your FixDCOM?

Yes, and after doing the Manual fix to TheSky there are still problems.
http://forums.dc3.com/showthread.php...7785#post67785

Q3??; Would I have this problem I used your automation program?

Yes. Nothing (including ACP) can talk to TheSky's Windows scripting API without errors. Some things work some don't.

[Gary Vander Haagen]

Hi Bob,

I have run FixDCOM and gone thru all the DCOM drivers and changed to CALL where appropriate. All works now on WIN10 except two issues; After Sky6 completes its "finding home for the mount" I get a "failed to connect, link may be broken". If I say OK, ACP usually connects to the Sky properly. Occasionally I have to restart ACP. Second less of an issue is if ACP fails to solve and it goes to the web solver I get, "BlindSolver not working" and I need to shut it down.

Any ideas where to go on these last two issues?

Gary

[Bob Denny]

Yes, TheSky X is broken in other ways (its API) in addition to the DCOM issue. Here is the thread on the Software Bisque Forum in which I have participated including separating the Telescope connectivity issue from other issues (the TheSky API) that affect non ASCOM programs like my TheSky Plan Capture which talks directly to TheSly's programming interface, not though any ASCOM driver. It also affects CCDAP, SGP, and CCD Commander.

The good news is that, on that thread, someone says there is a brand new Microsoft "patch" that reverses the change and has allowed his system. I've asked for the KB number or the link to the release notes. It hasn't yet showed up here, even with "check for updates" (as of yesterday afternoon).

[Bob Denny]

Occasionally I have to restart ACP. Second less of an issue is if ACP fails to solve and it goes to the web solver I get, "BlindSolver not working" and I need to shut it down.

This is a separate/unrelated problem. Would you mind posting that to the ACP Forum so we can work it in the clear? Thanks!!

[Colin Haig]

Bob, I found this patch (I havent got it yet, but it's got a release note):
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4073291/january-18-2018-kb4073291-os-build-16299-201
It says:
Addresses issue originally called out in KB4056892 where calling CoInitializeSecurity with the authentication parameter set to RPC_C_AUTHN_LEVEL_NONE resulted in the error STATUS_BAD_IMPERSONATION_LEVEL.

Not sure if this fixes the situation with TheSkyX.
If you are feeling adventurous or have a VM handy, maybe you can download it standalone and try it.
Cheers
Colin

[Bob Denny]

Well I'm still waiting for it. If this is true, we can breathe a sigh of relief.

[Colin Haig]

Turns out it is ONLY for Windows 10 x86 eg 32 bit Windows.
No sign of an x64 version yet.
If you have a 32bit environment, you can download it from the Microsoft update catalog.
https://www.catalog.update.microsoft...px?q=KB4073291
and hit the Download button at the right.

[Bob Denny]

Will wait till I get it for my systems.

[Jerry Yesavage]

Guys, am on a new laptop and cannot get TSX to install at all.... it hangs during the decompression of the installer. Any ideas? Previous install would not plate solve. Works fine on my main W7 machine. Developer has not been much help. This is not mission critical but would like to see it work given I paid for it.