Forget about CanonGuitar.sgt being in a folder. (Why should it matter?) - Put the 'Close-down' on hold. - Just concentrate on those spinning plates! :)

But as regards, "Everyone should just delete CanonGuitar.sgt if found." - that appears to be impossible. - After every visible copy of the file has been removed for my computer, as soon as MA3 is run again, or the Playlist opened, the CanonGuitar.sgt file is back in the Documents and Settings folder.
..... Its always been there. For as long as Documents and Settings has been used in place of, Program Files\SereneScreen\Marine Aquarium 3.

Dale - following your instructions in non screensaver mode , I get the same result as you , a file is created in my MA3 folder ( documents and settings ... application data ) and its path in the music playlist . Windows XP Home and 9M installer version . Not that I want Jim to stop work on the clams , I just wanted to confirm .

Edit - Cliff I still can't reproduce your bug . Sorry .

Thanks for testing and confirming that this is not associated with the "hated screensaver mode".

Certainly Jim should finish the current artwork (clams) before fixing bugs.

This particular bug doesn't seem to be a big deal at the moment. However, the program isn't working the way Jim thought it was working. My experience is that such things frequently are hiding more nefarious problems that may emerge.

Success of a sort....

After a full uninstall and deletion of everything MA3 from my computer, I made a fresh downloaded of 9M, direct from SerensScreen.

I installed this latest MarineAquarium3.exe and ran it from the desktop icon. - It ran and repeated, (with music playing). and did not close-down.
(The Playlist contained only the file name not the full path, - and CanonGuitar.sgt was not in the Documents and Settings folder).

I then, (via the Desktop right-click Configure), looked in the Playlist....
The Playlist now contained the full path, - and CanonGuitar.sgt was in the folder, - and MA3 closed down after just one run-through.

I have repeated the above a number of times, so the introduction of this 'close-down' is repeatable.

ps, It's now gone 1:30am :( ..... and I'm going to bed!

Sorry Cliff , that was exactly the condition I created this morning after following Dale's instructions of how to recreate the file path for CanonGuitar.sgt , trying to duplicate your problem . I couldn't . The 'flag' version of CanonGuitar and file path version coexist peacefully on my system ( in the proper folder you mentioned ) . And I may be dating myself talking about program flags , lol . We had an old C64 in our basement that I used to play with from time to time - just like Rodney MacKay .

Repeating:
 

Cliff, if you're interested in trying a couple of things that might provide a clue:

A. Try checking the "random play" box.

B. Add the CanonGuitar.sgt file in again, so that you have it in the list 2 or 3 times.

There are a number of points I need to clear up here.

What I have just described above is not the same as following Dale's instructions.
I had the music selected, - the file was present not absent, and I did not click the desktop icon and press the space bar.

The purpose of this thread was to report the closing down of MA3 after just over 5 minutes.
I have now established that I can avoid and/or introduce this 'close-down' occurrence, at will by carrying out the procedure I've described.

Checking the 'Random play' box has no effect. I wouldn't expect it to, when I have only one entry in the playlist. And the option to add a second or third CanonGuitar.sgt file from the Documents and Settings folder does not become available until it is present in the folder. By which time MA3 is in the state that it closes down after 5+ mins, whether or not the 'random play' box is checked or there are multiple occurrences of CanonGuitar.sgt present.

To summarise. - My findings with my system are....
With a normally operating MA3. - As soon as I right-click on the desktop icon and go to Configure\Music Playlist, then the full path is in the playlist, - CanonGuitar.sgt is in the Documents and Settings folder, - and MA3 closes down after one run-through of the music!

To remedy this situation, - I have to uninstall/delete everything MA3 from my computer. Then re-install the latest MarineAquarium3.exe

..... and that's it! :)

I don't think Jim wants the full path to the default music to show up anywhere, or for any external file to be created.

Clearly - I don't think anybody said it was.

Try just deleting MA3Playlist.lst and CanonGuitar.sgt, and then just clicking on the desktop icon. [Do not do "configure"].

Perhaps you can avoid uninstallation.

Another useful test would be to edit the MA3PlayList.lst file, so that it contains only the filename CanonGuitar.sgt - in other words, remove the path. Then see what happens when you just click on the desktop icon.

Thanks for actually trying that out. It was unlikely-but-possible that your system was closing at the "end of the last song", rather than the "end of the first song". Doing that actual test (rather than making assumptions) has eliminated some possible sections of code.

Because nobody else can apparently duplicate your problem, it's unlikely to get fixed unless it can be isolated to a specific section of code.

I've lost track in this discussion - did you try getting a different .sgt file from somewhere, and testing it?

True, but that won't fix Cliff's singular problem.

This is truly bizarre.. From my testing..
Delete everything from the folder C:\Documents and Settings\Ralph\Application Data\Marine Aquarium 3
Right click on desktop icon > select configure > select musicplay list > OK
This CREATES the file CanonGuitar.sgt as well as the full path in the file MA3Playlist.lst
Interestingly... MA3 now uses this path to play the CanonGuitar.sgt.. seemingly to point to the actual file. As in..going to my folder C:\\\\Marine Aquarium 3 and DELETING the the file CanonGuitar.sgt will prevent MA3 from playing. Removing the link via the play list and music starts again.

1) The full path and the external file get created whether we want them or not.

2) Nicki said, "Cliff , that was exactly the condition I created this morning after following Dale's instructions".

3) Avoiding uninstalling is not the problem, - MA3 closing down is. ..... Yes, not using 'Configure' is one solution (pressing the M key is another), but that's not the object, is it?

4) I have made clear in other posts that it is not the "end of the last song", that is the problem. Its the end of CanonGuitar.sgt when played under the condition I described. - Incidentally, assumptions, though best avoided, can often be the only option.

5) Yes, I downloaded a fresh MA3 to make certain I had not got a corrupt CanonGuitar.sgt

6) Welcome to the madhouse, Ralph. ...... At least someone can confirm some of what I've been saying! :)

...under some conditions, but not all conditions.

Your objective would appear (reasonably) to be to stop MA3 from closing down on your computer. That doesn't seem to happen on anybody else's computer, and you have said that it doesn't happen (so far) on two other similar computers that you have.

Nobody else seems to be able to duplicate your singular problem on their computers.

A. How would you expect Jim to diagnose your "closing down" problem?

B. What priority would you expect Jim to place on fixing your "closing down" problem?

Several of us (including you) have detailed various ways to duplicate the "CanonGuitar.sgt file creation" and "full path" bugs. Those ways are apparently totally repeatable on all systems, so Jim can (when his time and priorities allow) repeat them and fairly easily diagnose and fix that bug.

That won't diagnose or fix the singular problem on your system, but it may make the "closing down" symptom go away.

I do not intend to continue this who-said-what-and-when-to-whom any longer.

As I have already stated, I have reported a repeatable bug, and supplied the ways it can be avoided or re-created.

It is now up to Jim if he thinks it is worth taking note of.

I have no more to say on the subject unless Jim requests it.

Now if Dale can just refrain from a provactive response, maybe I can get some work done on the clams today.

:erm: As beta testers are we not to point out inconstancies / bugs? Cliff's problem may well be a one in a hundred (do we have even 100 serious testers?). When Jim sells .. what, a million copies.. that one in a hundred quickly becomes a "real" problem.

Jim has said that the work on the clams has priority and must go on..:) I am sure the inconsistencies that this thread has uncovered will be dealt with in due time.

And.. in the mean time.. as serious beta testers I think it is important we try and duplicate any bugs that others have found as an aid.. in a limited way.. to helping Jim produce the best MA possible.

Sorry - I was just trying to summarize the situation. Cliff reported a problem with one of his systems. That report resulted in discovery of MA3 behavior that is "not working as designed" on systems of everybody who has tested it. Fixing that behavior will help everybody, and probably will fix MA3 for Cliff - but won't answer the question of why Cliff's one system works differently.

I apologize if my responses were provocative and/or not helpful.

Close-down problem fixed!
 

For the record, this bug has now been fixed by Jim. - MA3 no longer closes down after the end of CanonGuitar.sgt

Glad to hear it.

May we presume that Jim's fix is in Beta 10b?

Have the other bugs revealed in this thread been fixed, also?

This bug was fixed in an internal build. No idea on any other issues in the thread.