Problem with Dexis Program Link & Win 7

[Hersheydmd]

c:\dexis\xpat.exe opens the dexis administration window, from which you can click on a pt name to open their Dexis file.
c:\dexis\dexis.exe xxxx where xxxx is the pt ID # opens the pt Dexis file directly without going through the Dexis Admin window. This is how OD bridges with Dexis. I checked it in a CMD prompt window and it works in Windows XP all the time. it works in Windows 7 (64-bit) some of the time.
Often in Win 7 (64-bit) it freezes. It starts to open, and I get a Dexis icon on my taskbar, but the pt file never opens and then I can't open any other pt files in Dexis even from the Dexis admin window. Taskmanager shows a DEXIS.EXE * 32 process open, which I am uable to close. "End Process" doesn't work. Trying to open other pt files from Admin creates additional open processes (but doesn't open the pt window). These additional processes can be closed with "End Process" but not the original one. All I can do is Reboot.

I called Dexis support several times but they have no clue what is going on. They gave me several different suggestions, none of which worked. I have full admin rights and full security rights to the Dexis folder on my desktop and the Dexis Data folder on my server.

Anyone else have this problem or know a solution? My Dexis support contract is up for renewal and I am reluctant to renew if they can't help me.

[Justin Shafer]

I will ask Doug.

Message sent.. Wait for response.

[Hersheydmd]

Justin,
Thanks. Who's Doug?
I reinstalled Dexis yesterday. Waiting to see if that makes a difference.

[jsalmon]

Sorry Dr. Hersh, I don't know anything about Dexis to be of any help on their home front. However, I can theorize with you in an attempt of making sure that Open Dental is doing everything it is supposed to be doing sufficiently.

Assuming you are using the program link labeled Dexis and not a different or custom link, Dexis isn't being launched by a patient ID command line parameter. It's actually being launch via a file path parameter. That file contains lots of information about the patient in hopes to make the best possible match in their software. Anyway, Open Dental will either create that file or overwrite whatever information is in that file if it already exists. I highly doubt permissions are causing Dexis to lock up like you're complaining about but I do know that that is one major difference between the XP and 7 OS's. That is all Open Dental does, creates / writes to the "info file" and then launches Dexis by telling it to look at that file for its search criteria in finding a matching patient.

The details of this info file are described in detail on the Dexis page if you are interested in how it's constructed. http://opendental.com/manual/bridgedexis.html

[jsalmon]

Also, the location of that info file will be in the same directory as your DEXIS executable, it will be called InfoFile.txt. You should be able to click the dexis button within Open Dental, open the file and that patients information should be in it. After that point, whatever is causing the hang after that point would be on Dexis in my opinion.

[Hersheydmd]

Hi Jason,
Oh, I agree with you. I didn't think it was an OpenDental problem. As I stated, the problem occurred even when I launched Dexis from a command prompt, with the command: 'C:\Dexis\Dexis.exe PatID#', where the Pt ID# replaced 'infofile.txt'.
Anyway, after my Dexis sales rep got involved and forwarded my problem to someone in tech support, a rep called me and remotely tried a few 'fixes". None worked so he reinstalled Dexis. So far in the last 3 days, no freezes. I am hopeful that a reinstall was all that was needed and the problem has been solved. Time will tell.
Best regards.

PS. one of these days we have to revisit the remote Topaz issue.

[Justin Shafer]

I got ahold of a retired programmer.. He gave me the email address of his new protoge...

They were wanting to know.. What version of Dexis are you using? 8,9 or 10? They had more questions about the enviroment...

Want this guy's email address??? Send me a pm. Otherwise we get to play chinese telephone... and.. common sense tell me not to post the address.

[Hersheydmd]

Thanks Justin.
It's Dexis 9.1.0.
Will send him an email.

[Serenity Dental Care]

Have you changed the UAC setting to be all the way down? That seemed to help with some of the issues we were having with the Dexis bridge(Dexis version 10) and OD. Only thing is, it was different from one workstation to another.

[Hersheydmd]

Have you changed the UAC setting to be all the way down? That seemed to help with some of the issues we were having with the Dexis bridge(Dexis version 10) and OD. Only thing is, it was different from one workstation to another.

I do have it turned down.
The latest info I have is that there is an issue with Dexis 9.1.0, so my next step is to upgrade to 9.2.0.

[Hersheydmd]

I got ahold of a retired programmer.. He gave me the email address of his new protoge...

Justin, thanks a million. He was a tremendous help. Upgraded to Dexis 9.2 and haven't had a problem since.

[Manny Ramirez]

You are probably better off using version 10 which uses SQL database instead. Is this problem happening in one computer or the whole networks ? Can you try running in Safe Mode with Networking ? There's probably a process stopping from working as it should. What is the Windows Even Viewer saying ?

[Hersheydmd]

You are probably better off using version 10 which uses SQL database instead. Is this problem happening in one computer or the whole networks ? Can you try running in Safe Mode with Networking ? There's probably a process stopping from working as it should. What is the Windows Even Viewer saying ?

The problem only happened on my Win 7 workstation. All the rest of my workstations are Win XP Pro and did not have the problem.
Anyway the problem is fixed since I upgraded to 9.2
When I called Dexis they didn't seem anxious to upgrade to Dexis 10. Said there was no need to and it sounded complicated.

[Manny Ramirez]

Dexis 10 now uses a SQL database. It also integrates 3D scanners from i-CAT, Gendex, Instrumentarium, and Soredex, allowing users to manage patient data and 3D images directly from within the Dexis application.

[Justin Shafer]

Sup Manny! =)

I like the primary and secondary intraoral camera feature in Dexis 10... Analog cams can be secondary, usb cams can be primary. Came in handy one time. It can record a video from a camera, and it uses H.264.. encoding is a complicated matter though.. I hear they are working on having the video encode in the background.

[Hersheydmd]

Problem is back. Discovered that it has nothing to do with OD, as I have been using the Dexis Admin window instead of the OD Link.
Guess I am going to have to bite the bullet and upgrade to Dexis 10. Took two hours to download the zip file.

[Hersheydmd]

Dexis 10 now uses a SQL database. It also integrates 3D scanners from i-CAT, Gendex, Instrumentarium, and Soredex, allowing users to manage patient data and 3D images directly from within the Dexis application.

Does the Dexis bridge work the same way with Dexis 10, or do you need a different command line?

[Hersheydmd]

Figured it out. Changed the command line to c:\program files (x86)\Dexis\Dexis.exe
However, on my Windows XP machines I added a local command line to point to c:\program files\Dexis\Dexis.exe

[Justin Shafer]

So... I was messing with my proggie.. I realized Open Dental cannot execute C:\Dexis\Dexis.exe... without OD being ran as an administrator.... and I realized keyboard events or send input does not work with Dexis, if it has been bridged, but DOES work with dexis if executing directly, IF uac is enabled...

If uac is disabled, everything works.

Not sure if I should require users to go through UAC or not...

Reminds me of something I told Jordan once about UAC being "stupid"...

I always disable UAC.. but.. what about people I have.. "no control over"....

And what about Windows 8??? Truly disabling UAC in that pos gets you a nice watermark. I need a cert for like 5 dollars.

[Justin Shafer]

Cool Program
https://sites.google.com/site/freeavvarea/UACPass-en

UACPass

[Arna]

Cool tool, Justin.
I'm gonna borrow that one.
Hi- btw