Can't open Affinity ver. 2

[skbarksy]

When I try to open Designer 2, I get this message.

 

 

I disabled my antivirus service and turned off Window's firewall, but still get the message when I try to open the program.

 

I checked to see if I needed to update, and found a message about version 2.5. I went to the link provided, https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/whats-new/ but see no way of installing an update on that page.

 

Please advise me of next steps as I would like to use my ver 2 affinity programs. Fortunately I still have ver 1 installed and they're working fine.

[Pšenda]

Try search in this previous post:

https://www.google.com/search?q=cannot+communicate+with+other+Affinity+apps+site:forum.affinity.serif.com

Or

 

[skbarksy]

I tried to unhide the Affinity file as described, but that didn't help. 🤥

[Alfred]

42 minutes ago, skbarksy said:

I tried to unhide the Affinity file as described, but that didn't help. 🤥

Do you mean that unhiding it didn’t solve the problem, or do you mean that your attempt to unhide it itself failed?

[skbarksy]

2 hours ago, Alfred said:

Do you mean that unhiding it didn’t solve the problem, or do you mean that your attempt to unhide it itself failed?

Sadly, unhiding it did not solve the problem.

[walt.farrell]

Check Task Manager, and make sure you don't have a "hung" Affinity application hiding as a Background Task. If you do, try right-clicking it and End Task.

[skbarksy]

3 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Check Task Manager, and make sure you don't have a "hung" Affinity application hiding as a Background Task. If you do, try right-clicking it and End Task.

Unfortunately, no hung Affinity in Task Manager.

[Pšenda]

2 hours ago, skbarksy said:

Unfortunately, no hung Affinity in Task Manager.

Restart PC?

[skbarksy]

I had re-started my PC several times, unhid every affinity folder I could find including the ones in app data, turned off my firewall etc. Nothing worked. I went to bed. This morning, Photo 2 miraculously opened with no further change made. I was able to update it.

So much to loathe about computers but I really like these programs, so such a relief. Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

[Vsbirdx]

Hi Guys...I have the same problem with version 2.5.3, but I can't solve it. Did everything. The folder is visible in AppData, I reset Affinity with Ctrl+click, de-activated the firewall. Nothing so far. Still get the same message.

But curiously, the beta works fine.

Need help!

Thanks

Edited August 9, 2024 by Vsbirdx

[skbarksy]

2 hours ago, Vsbirdx said:

Hi Guys...I have the same problem with version 2.5.3, but I can't solve it. Did everything. The folder is visible in AppData, I reset Affinity with Ctrl+click, de-activated the firewall. Nothing so far. Still get the same message.

But curiously, the beta works fine.

Need help!

Thanks

Hi VSBirdX - I had done the unhiding and had turned off my firewall, rebooted etc, and yet the program didn't start. So I sent out help messages and went to bed. The next morning, the programs opened as if they healed overnight. So I was able to update them. I checked again this morning, and they are still working. So I turned my firewalls back on, and the programs will still open.

 

So, I have no idea what caused the problem, but it seems to be resolved.

 

I'm glad that I hung on the version 1 for such emergencies. I find that for some reason, folders in Windows 11 tend to hide themselves periodically, and anticipate that the problem will recur (if file hiding was the problem).

 

Here is what the Affinity support folks told me to do as next steps if the unhiding didn't work (I didn't have to take these steps but the sound worthwhile):

"Next step would be to fully uninstall the apps from your system. Then make sure Windows is fully up to date and do a restart. Once restarted, login to your store account and download the apps again, these will already be the latest versions downloading from the store. Once downloaded and installed, open each app to make sure it's opens, if you get the same message check the Affinity folder properties again in those two locations (depending on which installer you used)."

 

Best of luck - S

[Vsbirdx]

Hi Skbarsky! I've tried everything and nothing. I uninstalled and re-install the 2.5.0 (I had the problem with 2.5.3 and the 2.5.2) and it still doesn't work. My Win 11 is updated. And the Beta version works just fine.

I'll wait someone from Affinity to help me with a different solution. Right now, I can't use the app.....but the beta.

Thanks anyway!