Hi Jens

Thanks for getting back to me about the error I reported.

I'm using Epidata version 3.0, (build 131103) and Windows 2000. I tried doing the Export Data/back up command on my workmates computer (who also has Epidata loaded and is on the same network) and we did not get the error. Everything worked fine. The two differences between the two of us are 1. she is using XP 2. she has adminstrator rights to our network (meaning she could save to the C Drive)

However I was not trying to save the file to the C Drive. I had not chosen a location to export to when I got the error, or even selected a file to work with. The error I got came up as soon as I clicked on "Back up" before even a dialogue box appeared. I gave you the name of the last file I had been working with as I noticed this appears by default in the dialogue box when I (sucessfully) used the other Export Data commands

I have been using this version of Epidata for some time and have had no other problems. I can't remember if I have tried to do a back up before with this version - it is not a command I use a lot. Perhaps it is just a bug with my computer. It is being upgraded to XP in the new year so it will be interesting to see if the error goes away after that.

Merry Christmas and thanks again for this great software.

Christine

Christine Roseveare Analyst Regional Public Health 570 9194 027 495 9671

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epidata-list@lists.umanitoba.ca 21/12/2008 8:27 a.m. >>>

Christine reported:

I am having a problem with the Export data command in Epidata. I had made a rec file for someone else and I wanted to show them how they could save the file to another directory after they had completed their data entry. I clicked on EXPORT Data/Back up but I got a message saying "invalid filename." No dialogue box came up at all just the message, so I had not selected a file to export. There was no problem I could see with this file. I had sucessfully created it and entered data into it.

I had no problem here exporting to the name you used with: EpiData Entry (version 3.1, build 060106)) on windows xp

The error you are mentioning could indicate to me, that you are working with Windows Vista, since I have seen a number of very strange errors on this. Due to the fact that Vista is by default to dis-allow (reject) many logical choices by the users. The other possibility is that you have insufficient rights to export to the folder, where you try do so, and only the error message is insufficient. On one particular pc I had a problem, that suddenly the Vista system decided to delete the CHK file of a system. Most likely because the work I did coincided with an internal routine cleaning up files (not under user control) and the setup of that pc was to delete all files called CHK, which by windows is used also as the extension for files found by defragmentation. If this happens repeatedly we might have to change the extension of the chk file to something else, e.g. ckh

- finally also it could be a bug in the EpiData Entry software.

Please try to export on a different pc and see if you can replicate. is it a problem with the file name or with exporting as such to recfile.

When reporting problems here it is good practice to tell which software version, build and operation system.

regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association