Darren Yates

Well, I think this is it.

Having discussed the problems regarding Windows Vista and its security features, I’ve completed work on this new Service Pack 2 release and it’s now available.

Installation

First, you must install the original Ripping & Burning Toolbox 2009 file from the May 2009 issue cover disc of PC User.

Next, download the new Service Pack 2 Update here, launch it by right-clicking on the install file and choosing “Run as Administrator” and install it into your system.

What it does is over-write the original application executable file but you must choose the “Run as Administrator” option, otherwise it won’t install.

Once complete, run the tool and crossed-fingers, the app should now come up and show you the list of drives in your system. It should now read Build 401.

This new SP2 update supersedes SP1. It also creates a new folder in your C:\ProgramData folder called “Australian PC User” and a sub-folder there called “RBT2009″, which is now the working folder for Ripping & Burning Toolbox 2009.

If you have any problems, I don’t want to know about it!

Only kidding - just leave comments (good or bad) below so I know if this actually works for everyone else.

I’ve tested this SP2 with Vista’s User Account Control (yuk!) switched on and was able to rip an audio CD as well as create a DVD movie disc. So it’s working for me. The original version caused a nilobjectexception error so I think this could be the fix.

For more details on how Vista stuffs things up for RBT2009, read here.

DOWNLOAD -> Ripping & Burning Toolbox 2009 SP2 Update

The PC User Ripping & Burning Toolbox 2009 (RBT2009) software from PC User’s May 2009 issue has proved to be very popular however, it’s had more success with Windows XP than it has with Windows Vista.

And I’ve finally tracked down why.

The cause is Vista’s security features, mostly to do with User Account Control (UAC).

If you turn UAC off, as I have done, RBT2009 works perfectly. But if you have it on, that’s when it throws up the errors.

The problem is how Vista allows applications to work within their own folders - it doesn’t.

Basically, Vista doesn’t want you creating folders or folder items within the specific application folder. Windows XP is okay with the idea as is Linux but Vista kicks up a stink about it and that causes the application to throw up the nilobjectexception error.

Now we lumped everything into the one folder to ensure that files don’t end up all over the place in different folders - by keeping everything in the one folder, it meant that removing the application would simply mean deleting one folder.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has forced us to split the location of files used and created by RBT2009.

At the moment, it means U have to go through each section of RBT2009’s source code and moving the location of its working folders to a /<user>/application data/rbt2009 folder, which frankly is a pain in the bum but there’s not much we can do about it.

I’ve been able to replicate readers’ problems with the nilobjectexception error under Windows Vista and we’ve confirmed that moving the working folder does correct the problem.

I’m working on the source code now for a Service Pack 2, which should fix this issue as well as the “no optical drives” found issue for the majority of users.

Sorry this has taken so long but this has had to be done in the background to the up-coming July and August 2009 issues of PC User.

Future PC User applications will be modified to account for this issue in Vista, which should not affect performance or the ability to use the applications in Windows XP or Windows 2000.

Here it is - Ripping & Burning Toolbox 2009 Service Pack 1 (SP1)

I’ve been up to my eyeballs in products for the next issue of PC User but I’ve found time to take a look at the Ripping & Burning Toolbox 2009 software and some of the issues a few readers have been having.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to replicate the problems on my Windows XP Pro or Windows Vista Ultimate systems so I’m flying a bit blind on this.

That said, I think the problem has been with the optical disc drive detection. So, I’ve rewritten it.

You can download it here - Ripping & Burning Toolbox 2009 SP1.

Installation instructions

For now, you install your original Ripping & Burning Toolbox 2009 install file from the May 2009 cover disc and then install the update. The update will overwrite the original Ripping & Burning Toolbox 2009 executable but you need the original for all of the other goodies it has that are not in the SP1 update.

I’d appreciate if someone who had trouble with the original file could try the update and let me know if it solves the problem for them, that’d be great.

Just drop a comment below. Thanks.