SQL Compare 15.3.11.27029 Error: Input string was not in a correct format

jsreynolds1

I tried going backwards to previous versions, without success.

I get this any time I click on differences, for any project. I submit, or cancel, then the program crashes.

ThatF1Guy

I'm experiencing this in 15.3.6.25729 immediately after upgrading.

jsreynolds1

I have a support ticket open on this. So far I was asked to uninstall all products, reboot, download the latest Toolbelt installer, install, and try again. I did so, no joy.

I then took steps to locate all possible registry entries, data in AppData, Documents, etc. and delete so it could start as “fresh” as possible. I then uninstalled and re-installed - same issue. 

I then uninstalled and installed an older version from June 2024 - same issue.

I've submitted many internal bug reports through the pop-up before it crashes.

Hopefully this may help. I'll keep you updated as things progress or if I figure out something.

ThatF1Guy

I completely removed all RedGate programs and reinstalled only SQL Compare. This seemed to work for me. I didn't remove any files manually - AppData or Program Files. I had just this morning installed SQL Dependency Tracker and updated a few other components of the ToolBelt. SQL Compare is the one I can't do without right now.

SteveBrownIdeasInc

Thank you ThatF1Guy.   I had the same error and same priorities. Following your solution, I used Redgate's uninstall and uninstalled everything there.  I restarted my workstation (force of habit), then installed just SQL Compare 15.3.6.25729 Professional.  It works again.

jsreynolds1

Arrg. This is not good. I use SQL Prompt, SQL Compare and other stuff multiple times a day. I guess I'm going to have to give it a go.

jsreynolds1

I think I found the culprit. Short version: uninstall the latest release of SQL Prompt and get the June 2024 version.

This was my trail of tears troubleshooting:

Uninstall all

Reboot workstation

Install SQL Compare

Launch SQL Compare, did comparison - WORKS

Install SQL Backup (launched SQL Backup, works fine)

Launch SQL Compare, did comparison - WORKS

Install SQL Prompt (launched SSMS, SQL Prompt works fine)

Launch SQL Compare, did comparison - FAILED, crash do desktop

Close SSMS

Launch SQL Compare, did comparison - FAILED, crash do desktop

Uninstall SQL Prompt

Launch SQL Compare, did comparison - WORKS

Install SQL Data Compare (launched, SQL Data Compare works fine)

Launch SQL Compare, did comparison - WORKS

Install SQL Source Control (launched SSMS, SQL Source Control works fine)

Launch SQL Compare, did comparison - WORKS

Install SQL Dependency Tracker 3.3 (launched SSMS, did dependency comparison, works fine)

Launch SQL Compare, did comparison - WORKS

Install SSMS Integration Pack 3.2 (launched SSMS, did comparison, works fine)

Launch SQL Compare, did comparison - WORKS

Install SQL Search 3.6 (launched SSMS, did search, works fine)

Launch SQL Compare, did comparison - WORKS

Install SQL Doc 4.2 (launched and documented a database, works fine)

Launch SQL Compare, did comparison - WORKS

At this point, I have installed everything I use from SQL Toolbelt.

The two things I use the most are SQL Prompt and SQL Compare.

I try installing SQL Prompt one more time to see if it has to do with the install order.

Try running SQL Compare - compared, clicked FAIL crash to desktop.

Uninstalled SQL Prompt 10.14.22.11347.

Downloaded older stable version SQL Prompt 10.14.21.9884, installed.

SQL Compare - WORKS FINE.

Moral of the story, something is wrong with SQL Prompt build 10.14.22.11347 and SQL Compare.

cstrub

Found an easy solution, locate SQLPrompt.Format.CommandLine.exe on your computer (was in "D:\Program Files (x86)\Red Gate\SQL Prompt 9" on my computer).

using Visual Studio (File-->Open on the EXE) correct the Product Version from 10.14.22.11347+e4f26ea... to 10.14.22.11347).  The issue is the Product Version for the file isn't valid for using with System.Version(string) method.

Hope this helps someone else who likes to be able to use SQL Prompt and SQL Compare

Kurt_M

Hi All,

I can confirm we have created a ticket with our development team to look into this ongoing issue. Based on the post from @cstrub, I looked into the difference between both the .21 and .22 releases and can confirm there is a difference between the product versions within the .exe. I have passed on these findings to our development team.

Once there's an update, I'll let everyone know.

For now, the two workarounds are either downgrade to this version, or try and follow the procedure that @cstrub outlines.

RSyester

cstrub said:

Found an easy solution, locate SQLPrompt.Format.CommandLine.exe on your computer (was in "D:\Program Files (x86)\Red Gate\SQL Prompt 9" on my computer).

using Visual Studio (File-->Open on the EXE) correct the Product Version from 10.14.22.11347+e4f26ea... to 10.14.22.11347).  The issue is the Product Version for the file isn't valid for using with System.Version(string) method.

Hope this helps someone else who likes to be able to use SQL Prompt and SQL Compare

This is the solution.  I had to launch VS as an admin though to save the file. 

Adam_Adam

cstrub said:

Found an easy solution, locate SQLPrompt.Format.CommandLine.exe on your computer (was in "D:\Program Files (x86)\Red Gate\SQL Prompt 9" on my computer).

using Visual Studio (File-->Open on the EXE) correct the Product Version from 10.14.22.11347+e4f26ea... to 10.14.22.11347).  The issue is the Product Version for the file isn't valid for using with System.Version(string) method.

Hope this helps someone else who likes to be able to use SQL Prompt and SQL Compare

This worked; Thank you cstrub.  Didn't expect I'd have to install VS to get SQL Compare to work, but I'm glad I have both SqlPrompt and Compare working together again.

Tidos

cstrub said:

Found an easy solution, locate SQLPrompt.Format.CommandLine.exe on your computer (was in "D:\Program Files (x86)\Red Gate\SQL Prompt 9" on my computer).

using Visual Studio (File-->Open on the EXE) correct the Product Version from 10.14.22.11347+e4f26ea... to 10.14.22.11347).  The issue is the Product Version for the file isn't valid for using with System.Version(string) method.

Hope this helps someone else who likes to be able to use SQL Prompt and SQL Compare

Thank you for this great post. You saved my day.

@Redgate Team: Would be great if you can deploy a Hotfix. Thank you.

multiple

cstrub said:

Found an easy solution, locate SQLPrompt.Format.CommandLine.exe on your computer (was in "D:\Program Files (x86)\Red Gate\SQL Prompt 9" on my computer).

using Visual Studio (File-->Open on the EXE) correct the Product Version from 10.14.22.11347+e4f26ea... to 10.14.22.11347).  The issue is the Product Version for the file isn't valid for using with System.Version(string) method.

Hope this helps someone else who likes to be able to use SQL Prompt and SQL CompareThis worked; Thank you cstrub.

This worked. Thank you cstrub!

henryk

cstrub said:

Found an easy solution, locate SQLPrompt.Format.CommandLine.exe on your computer (was in "D:\Program Files (x86)\Red Gate\SQL Prompt 9" on my computer).

using Visual Studio (File-->Open on the EXE) correct the Product Version from 10.14.22.11347+e4f26ea... to 10.14.22.11347).  The issue is the Product Version for the file isn't valid for using with System.Version(string) method.

Hope this helps someone else who likes to be able to use SQL Prompt and SQL Compare

Thank you, did the trick for me also.

Ghoozo

cstrub said:

Found an easy solution, locate SQLPrompt.Format.CommandLine.exe on your computer (was in "D:\Program Files (x86)\Red Gate\SQL Prompt 9" on my computer).

using Visual Studio (File-->Open on the EXE) correct the Product Version from 10.14.22.11347+e4f26ea... to 10.14.22.11347).  The issue is the Product Version for the file isn't valid for using with System.Version(string) method.

Hope this helps someone else who likes to be able to use SQL Prompt and SQL Compare

This also worked for me! Thanks for providing this fix. As I did not want to install Visual Studio, I downloaded a small tool called Resource Hacker, which allows to do the same thing. Just change the file as described above and then recompile and save the modified .exe.

DatabaseJase

Kurt_M said:

I can confirm we have created a ticket with our development team to look into this ongoing issue. Based on the post from @cstrub, I looked into the difference between both the .21 and .22 releases and can confirm there is a difference between the product versions within the .exe. I have passed on these findings to our development team.

Once there's an update, I'll let everyone know.

Hi Kurt,

I appreciate you were going to post an update, I just wondered what is taking the time to publish a fixed version of SQL Prompt? There have been a few releases of SQL Toolbelt now and I would have thought this could have been addressed quite quickly with a hotfix release.

Regards

Jason

josh_stcu

Just echoing that we are also waiting for a fixed version of SQL prompt at our organization as well.

Kurt_M

@DatabaseJase

Unfortunately, I don't have much of an update just yet. The development team have got a ticket open for this and are looking into it, but as of yet I don't have an ETA on when this will be fixed. The support team are updating the development team when we see more instances of this, so I'm hoping it will be resolved soon. 

For now, I would recommend one of the two workarounds until we have it resolved.

Just to confirm the issue appears to be prevalent in any version above 10.14.22 as of this stage.

CClow

Echoing that we are having the same issue.

DatabaseJase

Kurt_M said:

@DatabaseJase

Unfortunately, I don't have much of an update just yet.

Just to confirm the issue appears to be prevalent in any version above 10.14.22 as of this stage.

Hi Kurt,

I appreciate that these things take time, but this is a show stopper bug so I would have expected a quicker turn around on a working version if changing the version string is all that is required.

I work with a client who publishes the Toolbox installer to their users, so reverting a single product is not an option. This would mean un-publishing and re-publishing an older version of the Toolbox meanwhile they miss out on features added/improved in the other tools.  this would then have to be repeated once a fixed version is available.

It would be useful to know some approximate timeline to decide if the effort to do that is worthwhile.

Regards

Jason

its1more

cstrub said:

Found an easy solution, locate SQLPrompt.Format.CommandLine.exe on your computer (was in "D:\Program Files (x86)\Red Gate\SQL Prompt 9" on my computer).

using Visual Studio (File-->Open on the EXE) correct the Product Version from 10.14.22.11347+e4f26ea... to 10.14.22.11347).  The issue is the Product Version for the file isn't valid for using with System.Version(string) method.

Hope this helps someone else who likes to be able to use SQL Prompt and SQL Compare

Works for me too. Using Redgate SQL Prompt 10.

I changed the following line in Visual Studio:
10.14.23.11448+5f98c6667153c51589889f3373eb14aa7c032dce
to
10.14.23.11448

Saved the EXE-file referenced in 'cstrub's post and it works as before.

Please note that you need to run Visual Studio as administrator.

Kurt_M

Hi all,

We've had an update from our development teams. After some internal discussions the issue was found to be caused by SQL Compare, but has now been resolved.

You can now upgrade both SQL Compare and SQL Prompt to the latest versions:
https://download.red-gate.com/checkforupdates/SQLPrompt/SQLPrompt_10.14.23.11448.exe
https://download.red-gate.com/checkforupdates/SQLCompare/SQLCompare_15.3.14.27393.exe 

If there are any further issues, let me know.