Finding 1.8 totally useless. PLEASE which previous version best?

[Amy7]

Downloaded Affinity Publisher 1.8 today. Completely useless. Opens document then freezes ... and doesn't unfreeze ever so have to unplug laptop to switch off and start again. Only downloaded as version was using previous day started freezing as well, though not as badly.

I am not a technical person at all. I am just making children's books with text and photos (around 70 pages-- around 50% photo pages 50% text pages-- and photos are linked not embedded, not by choice but seems that was all it could handle) and very very simple graphics. So it's no use asking me or sending me any technical stuff. Having wasted a lot of time in the last 2 days I am up to here with this programme as it is!

PLEASE can somebody tel me which previous version is most stable?

I think I can access 1.7.3  OR 1.7.1.404 from my downloads file (though haven't yet tried to re-install either). Is there something better and how do I access that.

Help would be gratefully appreciated.

Amy

[jmwellborn]

7 minutes ago, Amy7 said:

Downloaded Affinity Publisher 1.8 today. Completely useless. Opens document then freezes ... and doesn't unfreeze ever so have to unplug laptop to switch off and start again. Only downloaded as version was using previous day started freezing as well, though not as badly.

I am not a technical person at all. I am just making children's books with text and photos (around 70 pages-- around 50% photo pages 50% text pages-- and photos are linked not embedded, not by choice but seems that was all it could handle) and very very simple graphics. So it's no use asking me or sending me any technical stuff. Having wasted a lot of time in the last 2 days I am up to here with this programme as it is!

PLEASE can somebody tel me which previous version is most stable?

I think I can access 1.7.3  OR 1.7.1.404 from my downloads file (though haven't yet tried to re-install either). Is there something better and how do I access that.

Help would be gratefully appreciated.

Amy

I have not yet upgraded to 1.8 and am whizzing along — flawlessly — with all three apps still at 1.7.3.  If you can successfully re-install that version you should be fine.

[Alfred]

34 minutes ago, Amy7 said:

I think I can access 1.7.3  OR 1.7.1.404 from my downloads file (though haven't yet tried to re-install either). Is there something better and how do I access that.

Please see: Affinity Publisher (Windows) Updates

[Amy7]

Thank you both JM and Alfred.

Tried to re-install 1.7.3 (and then 1.7.1.404) from my downloads file but both came up with "Setup failed".

So this link is very useful.

BUT before I go to download, which version would be best? I'm pretty sure I must have been using 1.7.3 yesterday ... and that was freezing for a few/sometimes several minutes quite often (hence downloading 1.8) but then it did start working again. The freezing seemed quite random, not just when trying to do one specific thing, but it did start doing so once I'd completed about 2/3 of the book. Do you know if 1.7.2 (OR 1.7.1) would be any better?

Thanks again,
Amy

[walt.farrell]

31 minutes ago, Amy7 said:

Tried to re-install 1.7.3 (and then 1.7.1.404) from my downloads file but both came up with "Setup failed".

So this link is very useful.

Prior to downgrading, you should have Windows uninstall Publisher 1.8. Windows Start > Settings > Apps, find Affinity Publsiher, click on it, and choose Uninstall.

Once it has uninstalled, I would suggest restarting Windows and then right-clicking on the old installer you want to use, and select Run as Administrator.

I don't know which older version to recommend.

[VanHeber]

I Agree! Not only Affinity Publisher, but Affinity Designer have big issues!!! Affinity Missed with this versions!

[Amy7]

Thank you also, Walt.

Have un-installed 1.8. Re-installed 1.7.3.

And it keeps freezing - message says  " (not responding) ".   Haha, like I didn't know that!

This hasn't been happening with any other programmes (Open Office and Sibelius) so I don't think it's my laptop but who knows.

I am giving up until Friday because I have to go teach (piano students who often might also have a not responding message across their forehead!).
In the meantime if anyone has any other useful suggestions .... will check in again on Friday.

Thank you all,
Amy

[Jaykay]

Also problems with Publisher 1.8 which fails totally to load. Tried the exe file again which initally offered a repair but later reported failure , so I tried the uninstall offered but this again failed.  I have Affinity Photo running fine on the computer so am assuming the problem lies with the 1.8 update. 

Advice on how to proceed would be welcomed.

Regards to All

Keith

[Jaykay]

Shouldn't have excluded Affinity Photo, which is now failing to load/react in anyway.

Keith

[3-4-SAD]

nothing works at my side too, publisher, designer, photo, all 1.8 and won't load at all

[Patrick Connor]

@3-4-SAD

Please start a new thread in the questions forum so we can help you resolve this while remaining on 1.8 
or
Alternatively reinstall your Affinity Store 1.7.3 previous builds

• Affinity Store Publisher Windows (requiring Product Key)
• Affinity Store Designer Windows (requiring Product Key)
• Affinity Store Photo on Windows (requiring Product Key)

 

[3-4-SAD]

will do, thnx

 

[sdrum]

I had to do the same, reinstall version 173 until the bugs are fixed. The only problem I had with the 180 is that after some time open, images and text got locked and I had to close the file and open it again to make it movable. 

One problem though, is that I cannot open the file I was working on because the 173 version cannot  open a 180 file owing to its new features. I am using the beta 180 for that file in particular, so thankfully there was a way around. 

 

[Patrick Connor]

@3-4-SAD

Thanks for making the other thread as requested. I see it has already been replied to by Mark, the head of Windows development. 

To all readers of this thread

We will return to this thread (and the other one) if we need more information, and again when we find the cause

At that point when we understand the cause we will post any possible work around to get you running before we release the next update.

[Amy7]

Un-installed 1.8 , restarted windows, installed 1.7.3 via link above.

It Doesn't Work. Repeated above process uninstalling 1.7.3. and re-installing it.
Still doesn't work. Try to do anything at all and the programme freezes, shows message 'Not Responding', then crashes.

What am I supposed to do now? This is incredibly frustrating. Not only am I unable to complete my book but have wasted literally days and days of work, the days spent creating all the pages before the software problems arose and many hours since trying to resolve the problem.

Why is this happening and what can I do about it?

[Leigh]

Hi @Amy7 - Does the app start before you get the 'Not Responding' message? Could you go to %AppData%\Affinity\Publisher\ and rename the folder to 1.0 Old and then reboot the machine and try starting the app again please?

 

[Amy7]

Hi Leigh,

Thank you for the message. I will try to do the above as you suggest but won't have a chance to do so until later today (Monday) or tomorrow as have to work now.

[jop]

Apparently 1.8 can't export from spread into page format pdf without breaking up stuff, ie missing element, transparency not showing properly, 

while working can't remove master page without crashing, can't scroll through spread occasionally. 

 

Glad someone posted the old version download link...

oh wait, I can't open the file that I've created on new version..

 

 

 

Edited March 10, 2020 by jop
additonal problem

[Patrick Connor]

@jop

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums  

6 hours ago, jop said:

Apparently 1.8 can't export from spread into page format pdf without breaking up stuff, ie missing element, transparency not showing properly, 

We have not been able to emulate this ourselves, is this something that you have experienced or does the "Apparently" mean you have seen it reported? We would like any example file that you have please.

[Amy7]

Hi Leigh,

Sorry for slight delay in reply to yesterday's message from you.

RE:   %AppData%\Affinity\Publisher\  --- I have no idea what this means or how to find it!

This sfternoon I have been trying again. Here's what happened.

I opened the programme. OK. I open my file. OK. A message comes up in a little box saying an image has been altered in another programme. Then that message disappears. But the weird thing is that I haven't made any changes at all, not a single one including where they are stored, to any of the images since starting to put my book on Affinity Publisher.
Anyway, I removed the image and the image frame. Then I closed everything. Then I did actually make a change to that image because it was like it had become a little out of focus. I did this in Affinity Photo. Then I re-opened the programme and file, put an image frame back in the file and placed the image in it. Everything worked ok. So carried on working. Every so often the 'Not Responding' message came up and everything froze. But each time it did that, after 30 seconds to 2 minutes it started working again. Added several pages to my llittle book. Then thought I should save, and close file and programme, and then open it all up again just to make sure it would carry on working before replying to you.

SO re-opened programme and the file. NOTHING WORKS!!! First thing I tried was to get the Text Frame tool. Nada. Then managed to get the Image Frame tool but when resizing the frame everything froze again. And this time nothing unfroze. Had to shut down laptop by removing battery.

If it was a car I would be kicking the tyres by now, and possibly looking for my hammer (always used to work on old cars!). So am giving up for today. Have run out of patience.

???? Amy

 

 

 

 

[walt.farrell]

26 minutes ago, Amy7 said:

RE:   %AppData%\Affinity\Publisher\  --- I have no idea what this means or how to find it!

Open File Explorer and paste that into the location bar in the window.

Or, press the Windows key and R. Paste that into the box on the dialog that starts up, and press OK.

(It's a shorthand for c:\users\<your username>\appdata\local\roaming\affinity\publisher (or something like that; I'm away from my PC and the order of the names might be a bit different).)

[Gitta]

The publisher address for the address bar in File Explorer is
"C:\Users\<your username>\Appdata\Roaming\Affinity\Publisher"

Gitta

[walt.farrell]

On 3/10/2020 at 7:42 PM, Gitta said:

The publisher address for the address bar in File Explorer is
"C:\Users\<your username>\Appdata\Roaming\Affinity\Publisher"

Thanks. 
 

%AppData%\Affinity\Publisher\ 

will also work.

[Leigh]

@Amy7 Did you manage to follow advice given by Walt.farrell & Gitta?

[Amy7]

Hi Leigh,

Have just done this. File explorer brought up no results. Had to follow Walt's instruction (thank you, Walt) to use windows key and R. Brought up:

%AppData%\Affinity\Publisher\1.0    AND   %AppData%\Affinity\Publisher\1.0(Beta)

Changed first one to %AppData%\Affinity\Publisher\1.0 Old

Restarted laptop. Opened Affinity Publisher. OK. Opened my file. OK. I have had to do this 3 times now.
Tried to do anything with file and either immediately, or after inserting a text frame and then while trying to change its position or size (using the 'transform' box bottom right to input cm values), got the 'Not Responding' message again.
Also: opened Publisher and my file, and then (having Publisher taking up 2/3 of laptop screen) clicked on screen outside Publisher to open a folder with an Open Office file in it (essential as contains list of exact frame sizes and positions for book). Soon as clicked anywhere not in the publisher screen the whole thing froze.

Every time this happens, Publisher freezing and showing 'Not Responding' message, I am unable to access anything at all on the rest of the laptop. Previously, sometimes, Publisher has eventually closed. But not every time and not today. And I did wait patiently for several minutes. Have had to close down laptop by unplugging and removing battery. 3 times today. And the last time, just before doing this, the whole screen just became a solid colour, nothing there.

Could somehow my file have become corrupted and this causes the problem? Though I have no idea how, because all I am doing is very basic stuff: text frames and text, image frames and images (linked not embedded) and a few little shapes (sorry, I don't know what to call these, graphics?, stars etc. from within Publisher not outside source).

Have to go to work now, so won't have time or access to laptop until this evening. Look forward to your reply!!!

Thank you,
Amy