AQT Basics

Installing & Uninstalling AQT

Table of Content

Table of Content

Table of Content

Installing AQT

To install AQT, double click the install file aqtxxx_setup.exe.

If you plan on installing AQT into the C:\Program Files (x86) or C:\Program Files directory structures, you will need Administrator rights. So you have three options:

  • run the install with a user with Administrator rights.

  • run the install and, when prompted, enter an administrator password

  • right-click the install file and select Run As > Administrator. This is not the recommended method. See Technical Notes for some issues associated with this method.

You should retain the install file in case you need to repair or remove the installation.

Installing under different userids

If your machine has multiple users, you can either do an ALLUSERS install (described in Technical Notes), or use the following procedure:

  • install AQT as described above

  • for each other user, log on then run the AQT install again. This install will add the Start and desktop icons for the user. This user install can be done by a user without Admin rights.

Repair Install

If any of your AQT files have been inadvertently deleted or corrupted, you can reinstall them by running aqtxxx.exe and selecting Repair. This will copy the AQT files again. Any files that you have created (queries etc) will not be effected by this.

Upgrading from a Previous Version of AQT

If you are running AQT v9, AQT v10 or AQT v11, the AQT install will upgrade you to AQT v11. The Windows Installer will automatically uninstall the previous release then install the new release. You do not need to uninstall AQT first (though no harm is done if you do this).

This comment doesn't apply to AQT v8. Installing AQT v11 will not uninstall AQT v8. You will be able to run both AQT v8 and AQT v11 on your machine. You will be able to uninstall either version of AQT without affected the other.

Reverting back to an Earlier Release of AQT

If you wish to go back to an earlier release of AQT you need to:

  • uninstall the current release of AQT

  • install the earlier release

Your files and settings will not be removed during this process.

Prerequisites

Windows

AQT runs on Windows only.

AQT will run on any edition of Windows. This includes (but is not restricted to):

  • Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11

  • Windows Server 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019, 2022

64-bit Machines

AQT will run on either 32-bit or 64-bit systems.

On 64-bit systems, AQT will have both a 32-bit and a 64-bit executable. This is described in more detail at Running AQT on a 64-bit machine.

Citrix and MS Terminal Server

AQT will run OK in shared environments such as Citrix, Terminal Server or VMS.

This is described in more detail at Installing AQT under Citrix

.Net Framework 4.5

AQT v10.1 and AQT v11 requires .Net Framework 4.5 to be installed on your machine.

In most cases, this will be present on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

AQT v10.0 or AQT v9 use .Net Framework 3.5, This is a separate "product" to .Net Framework 4.5 and will have to be installed even if you have .Net Framework 4.5 on your machine. To do this:

  • go to Control Panel > Programs and Features

  • select Turn Windows Features on or off

  • scroll down until you find Microsoft .Net Framework v3.5.

  • check the box

  • click on OK. The product will be installed.

Database Clients and ODBC Drivers

To access a database, you need to have a database client and/or ODBC Driver for the database. AQT does not supply any of these, these will need to installed and configured as a separate step.

There is more on this at Configuring a Database Connection.

Installing AQT (Technical Notes)

ALLUSERS Install

This install process will do an ALLUSERS install if the installer has authority to do this. Otherwise is will do a per-user installation.

You can force an ALLUSERS install with the following command:

aqtxxx_setup.exe /V"ALLUSERS=1"

You would either run this from a command prompt, or set this up in a *.bat file.

Allowing a non-administrator user to install AQT

Administrators can set a system policy that allows a non-administrator user to install AQT. This is described in http://kb.flexerasoftware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=Q105140

Install Log

If you are having problems with an install, you can switch on install logging. This is done with the following command:

aqtxxx_setup /V"/l*vx log.txt"

In this example, the log information will be written to file log.txt in the directory where the aqtxxx_setup file is located. This may provide some information to help you understand the problem you are having with the install.

MSI File

When the AQT setup runs, it extracts a MSI (Microsoft Installer) file. This MSI file will be placed in your local AppData directory. For Windows 7 and Windows 10 this will be:

C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Downloaded Installations

The MSI file can be used to do Repair installs or for Uninstalling AQT.

Silent Install

You can do a Silent Install by setting up a script which has the following statement:

aqtxxx_setup.exe /s /v/qn

A Silent Uninstall can be done with:

aqtxxx_setup.exe /s /x /v/qn

What the install does

The install:

  • creates the install directory and copies the AQT executable and associated files to it.

    The install directory is (by default) C:\Program Files\Advanced Query Tool v11, or C:\Program Files (x86)\Advanced Query Tool v11 for 64-bit systems.

  • creates the user directory and copies a number of files to it.

    By default this directory is Advanced Query Tool in the user's AppData directory (on Windows 7, 10 and 11) this is c:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming).

    The user directory is specified in Options > File Locations. You can specify a different location for this directory if you wish.

    This directory must exist for AQT to operate normally. The files that AQT writes to this during the install process are various sample files which are not essential for AQT to run.

    If you are moving AQT to another machine you may wish to copy the contents of this directory to your new machine.

  • creates shortcuts for AQT in Start > Programs plus the desktop

No files are written to the Windows system directory.

If there are problems with the install, it can be done manually by:

  • creating the install directory and copying the AQT files to it (from, for instance, another machine where AQT has been installed successfully)

  • creating the user directory and Start/Desktop shortcuts

Self-contained Install

The AQT install directory is self-contained. It doesn't need any other files to run.

You can copy the AQT install directory (C:\Program Files\Advanced Query Tool v11) to another location on your machine and AQT will run fine from there. You may wish to do this, for instance, to save a particular version of AQT prior to an upgrade.

Installing AQT under Citrix

AQT runs fine in this environment. Some notes:

  • It is recommended that the install of AQT is done with an admin user signed directly onto the machine (rather than logged in through a Citrix session).

  • When you have multiple users using a single machine, you should set Options > File Locations > Default Directory to a different directory for each user.

  • From a licensing perspective, all individual users using AQT must be licensed to run AQT, irrespective of whether they have AQT installed on their PC or use it through a shared server.

Uninstalling AQT

You can uninstall AQT with:

  • go to Advanced Query Tool v11 in your Windows Start bar and select Uninstall AQT.

    Note: sometimes this option will not present. Use one of the following options instead,.

  • go to Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features. Right click Advanced Query Tool v11 and select Uninstall

  • run the AQT install file and, when prompted, select Uninstall.

Deactivate Your license first!

If you are planning to remove AQT completely from your machine, you should deactivate your license prior to uninstalling it.This will free up your license for use elsewhere. If you do not do this, AQT will deemed to be still in use on this machine - this may prevent you doing further activations of your license.

The procedure for deactivating a license is given at Deactivating your AQT License.

If you are planning to reinstall AQT on your machine you do not need to do this step.

Uninstall / Reinstall will not remove AQT settings and files

The Uninstall process will only remove the files which were loaded by the install.

This means you can uninstall and reinstall AQT without loosing your license key, options, saved-queries etc.

Note: if you are having technical problems with AQT, it will generally not be fixed by an uninstall/reinstall!

Clean up Registry entries and other files

The Uninstall process will only remove the files which were loaded by the install.

Files and Registry entries created when AQT runs will not be removed by the uninstall. This includes:

  • your license key(*)

  • your AQT options and miscellaneous settings

  • your query history

  • your saved queries and related files

  • your export files

(*) This comment doesn't apply to some customers who have imbeded the license key in the install file.

If you wish to remove AQT completely, you must also remove:

  • registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\VB and VBA Program Settings\Cardett

  • directory %APPDATA%\Advanced Query Tool\

You may have changed your workfiles, saved queries and other directories to alternate locations - see Options > File Locations for where these are specified. If so, you may wish to delete these directories also.

MSI File

The AQT install comes as a setup.exe file. When you run this, it will unpack the Microsoft Installer file (*.msi) into the following location:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Downloaded Installations

If you need to reinstall, repair or uninstall AQT, you can find the msi file in this directory and double-click to run it.

Moving AQT to a new machine

If you wish to install AQT on a new machine, the procedure is as follows:

  • install AQT on the new machine

  • enter your AQT license

  • activate your license

  • if required, copy your AQT settings and files from your old machine

Once AQT is running to your satisfaction on the new machine:

  • deactivate your license from the old machine

  • uninstall AQT from the old machine

To connect to your databases on the new machine you will need to:

  • install database client software and/or ODBC drivers on your new machine

  • set up ODBC Datasource definitions for your databases

Licensing

AQT is licensed by user. You may install AQT on multiple machines, as long as it is only used by yourself. There is no problem with having AQT installed on your old machine plus new machine at the same time.

Copy your AQT settings

  • On the old machine, go to the Options window and select File > Export All Options

  • Copy the options file to the new machine

  • On the new machine, go to the Options window and select File > Import Options. Specify the options file you copied from the old machine.

  • Review the setting for Options > File Locations to ensure the directories are valid for the new machine

Copy your AQT License Key

We provide no mechanism for doing this. It is strongly recommended that you retain a copy of your license key for installation on a new machine.

For more info see Lost your registration Key?

Copy your Queries, History and other AQT Files

By default AQT files are held at %APPDATA%\Advanced Query Tool. For Windows 7. 10 and 11 this will normally be C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Advanced Query Tool\ however may be different depending on how your Windows system has been configured.

You may also have specified different directories for the AQT workfiles and queries. These are specified in Options > File Locations.

  • copy these directories to the new machine

  • if necessary, change Options > File Locations on the new machine to point to these directories

Copying your ODBC Datasource definitions

If you are using File DSNs, then you can simply copy the File DSN files to your new machine.

Otherwise there's no real way to do this - Microsoft provides no means to copy ODBC datasource settings between machines. The procedure described below is not recommended and may take more time to resolve problems than it will save.

The ODBC datasource definitions are held in the registry in the following places:

  • (machine datasources)HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI

  • (user datasources)HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ODBC\ODBC.INI

You can use Regedit export/import to copy these entries between machines. However be aware:

  • there is no guarantee that this will work

  • if your ODBC Drivers are installed into different locations, or have different names, these definitions will not work.

For some databases you will need to do some additional steps in addition to creating/copying the Datasource definitions. For example, for Oracle, you will need to set up tns_names.ora file with the connection info for the databases

Moving DB2 Connections

If you have some DB2 connections, you can migrate these to a new machine by using the db2cfexp and db2cfimp commands. These are run from a DB2 Command window.

Troubleshooting Installation Problems

This section contains some technical notes on problems that can happen during the Install and Uninstall process.

Run As Administrator

The most common problems that happen during the install are caused by permissions problems, this is particularly true with Windows Vista and Windows 7 / 10 / 11. These can be resolved by running the install using Run as Administrator. You may need to do this even if you are signed on with a user with administrator rights.

Known Problems with Installing AQT

The following are a list of problems that users have encountered with the install process, and how these can be resolved.

  • Windows NT has a bug that can cause Internal error 2755. 1631. This problem is described in the article http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=251274 It can be resolved by removing any null values from the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment. Use regedit to remove any null values from this registry key.

  • The install fails and gives message The wizard was interrupted before Advanced Query Tool could be completely installed. Your system has not been modified. To complete installation at another time, please run setup again. This is a problem with the Windows Installer that Microsoft provide little useful information on. The following workaround has been found by one user.

    • leave the AQT Install dialog open on your desktop. Do not close this.

    • go to your TEMP directory which (depending on your version of Windows), may be C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Temp. <username> is the name which you are signed onto Window as.

    • in the TEMP directory will be an msi file with a random name such as 533daa.msi. If you hover your mouse over this, the Tooltip with the program properties will display. This will tell you that this is indeed the install file for AQT.

    • double-click this msi file; this should rerun the AQT install which hopefully will work this time.

    • you can now close the original Install Dialog (as per the first step). The temp *.msi file will be removed.

  • while installing AQT, or uninstalling a previous release, you get message:

    • error: 1324 The Path My Pictures contains an invalid character or

    • error: 1327 Invalid Drive: x:\

    To resolve these:

    • start Regedit

    • go to registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders

    • look at each entry and see if the directory is valid. For instance, it might refer to a network that no longer exists

    • change the entry to refer to a valid directory

  • while upgrading or uninstalling, the Windows Installer asks you for the previous aqtxxx.msi file. This only happens in rare circumstances. In this case, you need to supply the aqtxxx.msi file as requested. If you no longer have a copy of this, contact us for it.

  • if your AQT installation state is completely corrupted, you can remove the install entries using the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility. This is no longer available from Microsoft but can be obtained from ourselves. It should only be used as a last resort.

  • you can get the message error: 1152: Error extracting xxx.msi to a the temporary location. This error is caused by a problem with the Temp directory; it is either full or corrupted

Install Information

Windows keeps information on installed products in the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\, followed by the product key. To find the AQT entry, either search through the entries or contact us for the product key.

The uninstall of AQT can fail if this entry has been corrupted.

This entry will give the location of the *.msi file that the Windows Installer uses for the install.

Microsoft .Net Framework problems

AQT v11 uses .Net Framework 4.5. This is a standard part of Windows 7, 10 and 11. No software needs to be installed for this.

We've had a few users for whom the .Net Framework has become corrupted. They see the following error when attempting to signon to a database:

Processing error at do_conn The type initializer for 'Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Edit.Implementation.Config.Config' threw an exception.

This problem is described in AQT gets error in Syncfusion.Windows.Forms.Edit.Implementation.Config.Config.

Installing AQT on a 64-bit version of Windows

When you install AQT on a 64-bit machine, you will get both 32-bit and 64-bit AQT executables. You will have two icons on your desktop:

  • AQT v11 (32-bit) - this is for the 32-bit executable

  • AQT v11 (64-bit) - this is for the 64-bit executable

You have the choice of running either the 32-bit or 64-bit executables - which one you will use will depend on the the ODBC Datasource you are wishing to connect to:

  • the 32-bit AQT executable can only connect to a datasource which uses a 32-bit ODBC Driver

  • the 64-bit AQT executable can only connect to a datasource which uses a 64-bit ODBC Driver

AQT 32-bit versus AQT 64-bit

The 32-bit and 64-bit AQT executables are the same program and have identical capabilities (they have just been compiled with different settings). Their performance is almost identical, though the 32-bit edition may be slightly faster on machines which are memory constrained.

The 64-bit executable uses more memory than the 32-bit executable. This is because all memory-address pointers use 64-bits rather than 32-bits.

The only advantage of the 64-bit AQT is that it can use more memory. 32-bit applications are unable to use more than 2 GB of memory. In most cases AQT uses far less memory than this. However if you have a lot of physical memory on your machine, and you wish to display very large tables, the 2GB memory limit of the 32-bit AQT may be a limitation for you. In this case, running the 64-bit AQT will allow you to display a larger amount of data.

ODBC Drivers and Datasources

On the Signon window you will be shown a list of datasources. On a 64-bit machine this can be confusing, as this list can contain some datasources you will be unable to connect to. In addition some of your ODBC Datasources may not appear in this list.

This list contains:

  • System Datasources which are appropriate for the version of AQT you are running. In other words, if you are running the 64-bit version of AQT you will only see the 64-bit System Datasources, if you are running the 32-bit version of AQT you will only see the 32-bit System Datasources.

  • User Datasources; both 32-bit and 64-bit irrespective of the version of AQT you are running.

You may not be able to connect to all the User Datasources as some of these may be incompatible with the version of AQT you are running.

Note that you cannot tell from this list which are System and which are User Datasources, nor can you tell which are 32-bit or 64-bit datasources.

If you attempt to connect to connect to a datasource that uses an incompatible ODBC driver, you will get the message:

Data source name not found and no default driver specified

or

The specified DSN contains an architectural mismatch between the Driver and Application

The solution is to connect to this datasource using the appropriate version of AQT (32-bit or 64-bit).

This is described in more detail in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942976

Adding and Managing Datasources

You can add new datasources with the New button or ODBC Admin > Add. In both these cases you will only see the Drivers which are appropriate for that architecture of Windows. In other words, adding datasources in this way works well.

Configuring existing datasources runs into the same problem as mentioned in the previous section. The list of datasources may contain datasources which are not valid for that version of Windows. Clicking on Configure or ODBC Admin > Configure can give you the message:

The setup routines for xxxx ODBC Driver cannot be found

The solution here is to use the appropriate version of AQT for that datasource.

Oracle Problem

When you attempt to connect to an Oracle database, you may get the message:

TNS could not resolve the connect identifier

There are a number of possible causes of this error message - see Oracle - Diagnosing Connection Problems. However, there is a problem in the 64-bit Windows environment that may be responsible for this problem. This is discussed below.

By default, AQT will be installed into C:\Program Files (x86)\Advanced Query Tool v11. The Program Files (x86) directory structure is used for 32-bit applications. However there is a bug in the Oracle client - when you run a program which has a bracket in the path, the Oracle client will fail to parse tnsnames.ora correctly, resulting in the above message.

The resolution to this problem is to install AQT into a directory that doesn't have a bracket in the name.

This problem has been fixed in recent versions of the Oracle Client.