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Hero Lab 8.9 Released

D

DaveM

Moderator
Staff member
The primary change in Hero Lab 8.9 is 64-bit support for both Windows and Mac platforms.

For Windows, both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are installed, and users may use either. Unless your version of the operating system disallows it, we recommend the 64-bit version for all users, however either may be used and you may even swap between them if necessary.

For the Mac, the 32-bit version has been retired as it is incompatible with the latest operating system (10.15 Catalina), so you only have the 64-bit version.
 
Does RealmWorks integration with HeroLab support the dual 32/64 bit installation? It did not during the beta stage, but because the application name and window title, etc., did not match, I was not surprised and did not view that as a bug.
 
I'm getting an error message (below) when trying to open more than one instance of Hero Lab on my machine at a time. Being a DM, this is pretty much how I can keep track of players and other characters at once without loading 20 portfolios into one file. Was this a deliberate action on the update? If so, can we ask to have it changed back? If not, when can it be fixed?

Code: 
Only a single instance of Hero Lab can be used at a time prior to licensing.

Just to clarify, this isn't a license issue where I'm opening Hero Lab on different machines, but opening a second instance on the same machine.
Click to expand...

I was about to hit submit on this, then I made sure to activate the license on both the 34-bit AND 64-bit versions of the software and the error went away. Later!
 
One of the "known issues" with the 64-bit beta was that it only allowed one instance of HeroLab at a time. That's not a license issue, or at least was not described as one.
 
After I installed the 64-bit, I got the error message, even after reactivating the license. I then went into the 32-bit version and reactivated the license there, and I was able to open multiple instances on my desktop again.
 
The 64-bit MacOS version 8.9 will not open. I am on MacOS 10.13.6. I have reported it to the support line. I saw some comments on the FaceBook announcement that other Mac users are having the same issue.
 
If I right click on the taskbar icon, then I can open a second instance of the 64-bit Hero Lab classic.

With the 32 bit version, the icon to launch created a temporary icon of the running program that had the same graphical appearance as the taskbar launch icon. A simple left click on the taskbar icon would open another instance.

It's not really that hard to right click and then choose a recently opened portfolio or to open a second (or third) instance of HL.
 
I'm finding HLC to be borderline unusable since updating to this new version. Frequent crashes upon opening, though it does occasionally work. Anyone else having trouble?
 
Just reporting that I too encountered the message "Only a single instance of Hero Lab can be used at a time prior to licensing" when upgrading. The symptoms (and resolution) went like so:

  1. Opened Hero Lab 8.8 (32-bit).
  2. Used the updater to download Hero Lab 8.9.
  3. Updater asked to exit HL 8.8 in order to Install 8.9. Said yes.
  4. HL 8.9 installer ran and asked if I'd like to restart HL now? Said yes.
  5. HL 8.9 (32-bit) started.
  6. Got the error message "Only a single instance etc." This was slightly puzzling, because I only had one instance running.
  7. Reactivated the existing license (HL 8.9 32-bit).
  8. Exited.
  9. Started HL 8.9 64-bit.
  10. Got the license activation dialog again, and also the "Only a single instance" message.
  11. Reactivated the existing license (HL 8.9 64-bit).
  12. Everything works.

So the trick is that Hero Lab wants you to activate your license separately for both 32-bit and 64-bit copies. When you're upgrading, it automatically starts the 32-bit version first because you were updating from the 32-bit version, so you may as well do that one first, exit, then do the 64-bit one.

Once you've reactivated the license for both processor architectures, everything works fine.

I'm excited to see if I'll be able to compile custom scripts more than one time without restarting Hero Lab using the 64-bit version. That's been a pain in the butt for ages, and my understanding was that it was a memory issue. Hopefully with the 64-bit upgrade HL will be able to address a much larger memory space.
 
wdmartin said:
Just reporting that I too encountered the message "Only a single instance of Hero Lab can be used at a time prior to licensing" when upgrading. The symptoms (and resolution) went like so:

  1. Opened Hero Lab 8.8 (32-bit).
  2. Used the updater to download Hero Lab 8.9.
  3. Updater asked to exit HL 8.8 in order to Install 8.9. Said yes.
  4. HL 8.9 installer ran and asked if I'd like to restart HL now? Said yes.
  5. HL 8.9 (32-bit) started.
  6. Got the error message "Only a single instance etc." This was slightly puzzling, because I only had one instance running.
  7. Reactivated the existing license (HL 8.9 32-bit).
  8. Exited.
  9. Started HL 8.9 64-bit.
  10. Got the license activation dialog again, and also the "Only a single instance" message.
  11. Reactivated the existing license (HL 8.9 64-bit).
  12. Everything works.

So the trick is that Hero Lab wants you to activate your license separately for both 32-bit and 64-bit copies. When you're upgrading, it automatically starts the 32-bit version first because you were updating from the 32-bit version, so you may as well do that one first, exit, then do the 64-bit one.

Once you've reactivated the license for both processor architectures, everything works fine.

I'm excited to see if I'll be able to compile custom scripts more than one time without restarting Hero Lab using the 64-bit version. That's been a pain in the butt for ages, and my understanding was that it was a memory issue. Hopefully with the 64-bit upgrade HL will be able to address a much larger memory space.
Click to expand...

I thought that's what I said... ;)
 
It seems opening multiple instances in 64bit is still buggy.... hopefully this is resolved since working in the editor is alot simpler with multiple instances of HL
 
Please give us more information about what's going wrong with opening multiple instances, Dark Lord Galen. "Buggy" doesn't help us identify the problem and fix it. I use multiple instances daily in my own work, and it's been months since there was a problem with it (since that known issue Silveras mentioned early in this thread - but that only existed for about 2 weeks, and if that was still the issue, it'd fail completely when you tried to open the second one).
 
And again, this is the announcement thread. Please do not use this one for bug reports. Please send us full bug reports so that we can reply to ask details about your system, if the issue turns out to be a configuration we hadn't tested.
 
Mathias said:
And again, this is the announcement thread. Please do not use this one for bug reports.
Click to expand...
Mathias, Agreed, and was not trying to turn it into a bug report, was simply agreeing that it has also been my experience that the 64bit upgrade seems to work when it wants.... I will follow up with more detail (off thread if desired), but LWD has not been rapid of response to bug fixes of late so I have learned not to let it slow me up.

Edit: and combined with this >http://forums.wolflair.com/showpost.php?p=282846&postcount=77
to allow LWD to look into 64bit as it relates to all products and specifically HLC issues before following up with a "bug fix" as per Rob's reply.

With best Regards
DLG
 
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