Mathcad graphical error

[SimonFrisendal]

Hello. I have no idea whether or not this is the right place to ask about Mathcad errors.

I bough a new laptop a week ago, with the following specs:
Intel Core i5 2410M / 2.3 GHz (Hyperthreading)

4 gb RAM DDR 3

Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology

I ran my schools Mathcad 15 installation, and everything went fine. I already had MSXML 4.0, visual C++ 2008 and so on.

But, Mathcad doesn't function properly. The graphs are fine, it calculates correctly.. But some of the equations i type into Mathcad partly disappear as i deselect them. If i select them with the touchpad (mouse), it shows the equation correctly. An example of this is attached as a picture. The two equations are exactly the same and the only difference is that one is selected and one is not.

I have tried reinstalling Mathcad, but the problem still occurs.

[mzeftel]

You're probably missing the symbol font, which is used by Mathcad to display operators. It is a Windows font, and you should be able to reinstall it from your Windows installation directory.

That's the most likely cause of what you are seeing or not seeing.

Mona

[VladimirN]

Hello!

What Windows OS are you using?

P.S. And also, could you attach a Mathcad file?

[SimonFrisendal]

Win 7 SP1.

I will try to reinstall the symbol font, but i don't think that it is that which is causing problems as i can type equations into MS office Word 2010 without any errors.

And all the symbols do show up, but only when selected.

I have tried provoking the same error onto my old laptop, but it shows the equations correctly.

Thank you both for your help so far.

Simon.

[VladimirN]

I opened the file and this is how the expression is displayed in Mathcad 15 M010 (I'm using Windows Vista 32-bit):

And as you can see the font is "Times New Roman". Check up in options ("Cotrol Panel" - "Programs" - "Programs and Features" - "Windows Features") whether the tick for Microsoft.Net Framework is active?

P.S. Also see my response here: http://communities.ptc.com/message/167147#167147

[SimonFrisendal]

But the mathematics in the versions of Mathcad that i have run, have always been expressed in times new roman.

Yes, it's ticked in the exact same way as you have it ticked in the thread you linked to. Before installing Mathcad i made sure i had visual c++ 2008 (x86), microsoft net framework, MSXML 4.0 SP2 installed. So i am quite stumpled as to what this might be.

I also just tried to open the file on a different laptop, with the same version of Mathcad as the one i have installed, and the equations were expressed correctly.

[VladimirN]

Try creating a query in PTC (for product Mathcad Student Edition). Here:

https://www.ptc.com/appserver/cs/mathcad_case_logger/options.jsp

And here is a video how to use this support:

http://www.ptc.com/appserver/wcms/media/streamed.jsp?&im_dbkey=114952&icg_dbkey=904

[SimonFrisendal]

Thanks for your help Vladimir. I really appreciate it.

Simon

[mzeftel]

Simon,

Other users who had similar issues had corrupted Symbols font. I suggest you reinstall it. See RE: Mathcad 12 on XP Pro - All Eval operators display wrong

Mona

[SimonFrisendal]

Hello again Mona,

I did try to repair the symbols font, and it didn't fix the problem. I'm thinking that it's some kind of Mathcad glitch caused by a vital program for the functionality of Mathcad like MSXML.

But thanks for your help.

Simon.

[SimonFrisendal]

Hello again.

I tried contacting PTC but it didn't help at all. I have tried to install mathcad 14 and the problem was still present. I also tried installing Mathcad 15 on another new laptop(5 days old) and it showed the exact same problem. My laptop is as you might know only two weeks old. So is this a case of mathcad being incompatible with newer installations of win 7?

[Mischa]

Hi,

I am using Mathcad 15 on a recent Windows 7 installation, fully up to date. I have no problems at all. Special characters are not in the font selected (like times new roman). They reside in a special font Mathcad uses for symbols. That file can be missing or maybe corrupted. Since the problems rise on other computers too, it must be an installtion related problem. Simple equations should show though, is that the case?. Like a:=5 and b:=7 and c:=a+b. As soon as you use a special character like the root sign or greek letters, things probably can go wrong if the symbols font is not okay.

Very strange though, I have looked at your screen capture and I see the 'standard' text disappears.

[Mischa]

Since I am probably in my previous post, I reply to my own post. I have checked the various style variations (Format -> Equation). The parts missing from your equation do not belong to the same style. So I guess the font is not the problem. Can you check the various styles? For example change them to a different font to test what is happening.

[SimonFrisendal]

I just ran through 10-20 different fonts and the problem still remains.

[Mischa]

One last thing to rule out a font problem, attached to this post are the TTF's for Mathcad 15 symbolics. Copy these files to your C:\Windows\Fonts folder (I think you have to delete the old ones first). If the problem is still there, it is not a font related problem.

[SimonFrisendal]

The problem still remains. So it isn't a font related problem. Maybe it's a problem with some of the needed software to run mathcad?

I have before had problems with Mathcad, and an up- or downgrade of visual c++ solved the problem but it didn't work this time.

[Mischa]

Well, if the same kind of problem in the past was related to C++, it is probably now to. The version of C++ on my workstation: Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable- X86 9.0.30729.6161 (from 17 June 2011).

Another thing that can result in problems is the .NET Framework. I have only one version:

Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile version 4.0.30319

Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Extended version 4.0.30319

I have had a problem in the distant past with .NET version 3 and Mathcad. .NET version 1 was still installed (and version 3) and that didn't work well.

Good luck.

[SimonFrisendal]

It was at times a problem with my old laptop. I just checked what versions of c++ and framework my computer is running and they are the exact same as the ones you have installed.

[Mischa]

What is your Mathcad (sub)version? Our version: Mathcad 15.0 (M010 [MC15_M010_20110622])

[SimonFrisendal]

Mathcad 15.0 (15.0.0.436 [006041742])

[Mischa]

I guess that is not te latest version (is it a student edition?). There have been two updates since I started using Mathcad 15. I recommend you update your installtion to the latest version first.

[VladimirN]

Simon Frisendal wrote:

Mathcad 15.0 (15.0.0.436 [006041742])

It is release Mathcad 15 F000.

P.S. By the current time the last release it - Mathcad 15 M010. You have a possibility to update Mathcad to the last release M010?

[SimonFrisendal]

Hmm.. I don't have the choice of upgrading. It's a property of our school and they are in charge of all the licensing. The weird thing is that older laptops at our schools with Win 7 runs mathcad without this problem. It only occours to these "new" laptops. I'm thinking of installing my own copy of win 7 on my new laptop as this edition of win 7 ran mathcad without any problems.

[VladimirN]

Interesting, and what the brand of old and new laptops?

[MikeArmstrong]

Hmm.. I don't have the choice of upgrading. It's a property of our school and they are in charge of all the licensing. The weird thing is that older laptops at our schools with Win 7 runs mathcad without this problem. It only occours to these "new" laptops. I'm thinking of installing my own copy of win 7 on my new laptop as this edition of win 7 ran mathcad without any problems.

Are these laptops running the same OS version?

Mike

[SimonFrisendal]

It's a school and people are using private computers. But it's mainly win 7 in all variants and the laptop brands are also very mixed.

I just think it's weird that two new laptops, Thinkpad and a Lenovo B series, can't run it.

My 4.5 year old laptop running win 7 is running mathcad 15 just fine(The same version as i am trying to install)

[MikeArmstrong]

It's a school and people are using private computers. But it's mainly win 7 in all variants and the laptop brands are also very mixed.

I just think it's weird that two new laptops, Thinkpad and a Lenovo B series, can't run it.

My 4.5 year old laptop running win 7 is running mathcad 15 just fine(The same version as i am trying to install)

Yes, it is weird and nobody seems to have a valid answer.

Hopefully someone PTC will help.

Mike

[VladimirN]

Simon Frisendal wrote:

...I just think it's weird that two new laptops, Thinkpad and a Lenovo B series, can't run it...

I use Mathcad 15 M010 & Prime 1.0 on a notebook Lenovo ThinkPad R500 (OS: Win Vista 32-bit).

P.S. When you install Mathcad 15, the installation program writes by the default installation log "ptcsetup.log" (in Win Vista it is in a directory "My documents"). Try to find this file ("ptcsetup.log") using Windows Search.

[VladimirN]

Simon Frisendal wrote:

Hmm.. I don't have the choice of upgrading. It's a property of our school and they are in charge of all the licensing...

Here are links to download the latest version of Mathcad 15 School Edition on PTC site (this tool allows Mathcad Student Edition users download access to available maintenance builds):

http://www.ptc.com/support/mathcad_downloads.htm

http://www.ptc.com/appserver/lm/mathcad/download/index.jsp

[SimonFrisendal]

Hello again,

I am trying to upgrade but i am getting the following error

I am attaching ptcplaces.log from the original installation with the graphical errors.