Practice CS: Application does not open or start

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There are instances where Practice CS will not open or start. Sometimes, no error message is displayed after attempting to launch Practice CS. Many of these issues are due to interference from third-party applications within the workstation or server environment.

Troubleshooting Questions

In order to narrow down the cause that is preventing the application from launching, please answer the following troubleshooting questions and click on the links for details.

Does the application open from another workstation?

If you have a network installation of the application and the application does not open on one workstation, go to a different workstation to see if the application will open.

If the application does open from another workstation, it indicates that there is nothing wrong with the application itself, but something in the operating environment of the specific workstation that is experiencing the behavior that is preventing the application from launching.

If it does not open from any other workstation, it indicates that there may be an issue on the server-level that is preventing the application from launching. Possibilities include a bad installation, lack of permissions, and third-party interference.

Can you launch the application using a different Windows profile?

If you are troubleshooting a specific workstation that cannot launch the application, try logging onto to the workstation as a different user and attempt to launch the application.

If the application does open while logged in as a different user, it indicates that there is an issue specific to the original user that is preventing the application from launching. For more information, see user-specific troubleshooting.

If you cannot open the application while logged onto the workstation as a different user, e.g. local administrator or domain administrator, then it indicates that the issue is specific to the workstation environment. For more information, see workstation and server-specific troubleshooting.

Do you receive a specific error message?

Error messages are sometimes helpful as they can explain the specific cause of the behavior.

Other times, error messages are generic and do not provide enough detail. For example, the errors "Practice CS: CreativeSolutions.Practice.exe has stopped responding" and "Practice CS has stopped working" are generic errors that only signify that the Practice CS application is not responding but does not explain why.

If you have a specific error message, search the Help & How-To Center for the error message to see if there is a specific resolution.

Were you previously able to open the application?

If you were able to launch the application previously, e.g. yesterday, in the last week, in the last month, then it indicates that something has changed in your operating environment that is now preventing the application from launching. If this is the case, it is important to review possible changes in your operating in that time frame such as third-party applications installed, updates to antivirus and firewall applications, updates to the operating system, etc.

Can you open other CS Professional Suite applications?

If you have other CS Professional Suite applications installed, attempt to open one of the applications.

If you are able to open a different CS application, it will narrow your troubleshooting specifically to Practice CS.

If you are not able to open a different CS application, it indicates that something is affecting the whole CS Professional Suite. Likely possibilities include lack of permissions to the WinCSI directory or third-party interference.

User-Specific Troubleshooting

Practice CS user profile

It is possible that user's Practice CS user profile is corrupt, which can potentially cause the program not to launch properly for them. To resolve this:

  1. On the machine the user is on, in the file explorer browse out to C:\Users\<UID>\AppData\Local\Creative Solutions\Practice CS (where <UID> represents the user's Windows profile name).

    Note: The AppData folder is sometimes hidden by default and may have be unhidden through your particular OS' folder settings.

  2. Rename the file ClientSettings.xml (Example: appending .old to the file so it becomes ClientSettings.old). If you receive a message stating this may make the file unusable and if you're sure, click Yes.
  3. Attempt to launch the application again.
    • If you are now able to launch the application, no further troubleshooting is required.
    • If you are not able launch the application, you may rename the user preference file back to the original file name and continue troubleshooting.

Clearing the user's Temp directory

To manually clear a user's Temp directory:

  1. Close all applications.
  2. Go to the Start menu.
  3. In the Search programs and files input, type %temp%. Then hit the Enter key on your keyboard. This will open your local Temp directory.
  4. Select all (CTRL + A on your keyboard) the items in the directory, then hit the Delete key on your keyboard. Click Yes to the Delete Multiple Items dialog box.
    • If you are prompted with the File In Use or Folder In Use dialog box, mark the checkbox Do this for all current items and click Skip.
  5. Attempt to launch the application.
    • If you are now able to launch the application, no further troubleshooting is required.
    • If you are not able launch the application, continue troubleshooting.

Permissions

If you are able to launch the application from a workstation as an admin, or while logged in as a local administrator or domain administrator but not as a user, then it indicates that there is a permissions issue for the user. Additionally, you may receive an error message that either states it is a permissions issue, or we have determined it to be related.

To learn more about permissions, please see Permissions guidelines for CS Professional Suite applications.

Workstation and server-specific troubleshooting

Microsoft SQL Server

Practice CS requires Microsoft SQL Server (SQL). In most cases where you are unable to fully launch Practice CS, it is SQL related and you will often receive an error message that references this. See the following articles for assistance with any SQL related issues causing the application not to open:

Third-party applications

Listed below are examples of other third-party applications that can prevent UltraTax CS from opening.

Note: Thomson Reuters is not responsible for the setup, configuration, or troubleshooting of third-party applications. If you require assistance with these applications, please contact the appropriate software vendor or your qualified IT professional.

Antivirus Applications

Antivirus applications are necessary to protect your workstation or server environmental from viruses, spyware, malware and other harmful and unknown threats. Thomson Reuters does not recommend running a machine without an antivirus program installed. At the same time, Thomson Reuters does not recommend a specific brand or type of antivirus application. What we do recommend is that the proper exclusions and exceptions are made within your antivirus application to prevent any potential interference with any CS application.

For more information, see Antivirus guidelines for CS Professional Suite applications.

Firewall

While firewalls (whether software or hardware) are important to control the flow traffic of information in and out of your network, they can sometimes interfere with Practice CS if not configured properly. This may cause Practice CS not to open properly and can occur with the SQL instance on the server the program is using, or with the local executable the application installs on each workstation.

For more information how to properly configure your firewall for Practice CS, see the appropriate sections in Firewall guidelines for CS Professional Suite applications.

Windows Components

Practice CS requires .NET Framework and Visual C++, two Windows operating system components, to run the application. If one of the Windows components is not installed or corrupt, it may prevent Practice CS from opening.

For more information, see .NET Framework and Visual C++ Considerations for CS Professional Suite.

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