PRIMER 6 & PERMANOVA+ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This lists a number of common problems experienced with various versions of PRIMER 6. Most relate to installation on 64 bit Windows and the update patches. Originally PRIMER 6 was based on .Net 1.1 which was 32 bit only and the CD installed on 64 bit Windows OK. Later versions are based on .Net 2 which has a 64 bit version, which is required for 64 bit Windows. The normal CD Autorun installation only supports 32 bit so a different procedure is needed.

Q. The installation program fails when I try to install PRIMER 6 or PERMANOVA+ on 64 bit Windows.

A. PRIMER 6 and PERMANOVA+ are compatible with 64 bit Windows, but the CD Autorun installation now only supports 32 bit Windows. To install on 64 bit Windows:
Browse the CD for the 'x64' directory. Install the 64bit version of the .Net Framework 2.0 by running the file NetFx64.exe, or if not present on your CD search the Microsoft web site. Install PRIMER by double clicking on the installer file (.msi extension) in the same directory. Note that PRIMER is now a fully 64 bit application on 64 bit Windows.

Q. I have the PERMANOVA+ add on installed and the PRIMER 6 update patch does not work.

A. You need the PERMANOVA+ update patch instead. This updates PRIMER 6 as well.

Q. I have just installed PRIMER or PERMANOVA+ and when I run the program it tells me the serial number is invalid.

A. If you are running XP or earlier, run the program as an Administrator and carefully change or enter your serial number off the CD case, including the hyphens ('-'). For Vista you need to run the program by holding down the 'Shift' key, right click on the Desktop shortcut and select 'Run as'. Alternatively navigate to the program directory, normally 'C:\Program Files\PRIMER-E\PRIMER 6' or for earlier versions of PRIMER on 64 bit windows 'C:\Program Files (x86)\PRIMER-E\PRIMER 6', and run PRIMER by right clicking on 'PRIMER.EXE' and select 'Run as administrator'. You should then be able to enter or change your serial number.

Q. I have a 64 bit version of Windows. I applied the update patch to PRIMER and it is now prompting me for a serial number.

A. Originally PRIMER 6 was a 32 bit only program. The update will convert it to a fully 64 bit program. One side effect of this is that it cannot access the old licence information. If you are running XP or earlier, run the program as an Administrator and enter your serial number off the CD. For Vista you need to run the program by holding down the 'Shift' key, right click on the Desktop shortcut and select 'Run as'. Alternatively navigate to the 32 bit Program Files directory, normally 'C:\Program Files (x86)\PRIMER-E\PRIMER 6' and run PRIMER by right clicking on 'PRIMER.EXE' and select 'Run as administrator'. You should then be able to enter your serial number.

Q. The Desktop and Start Menu shortcuts do not work any more.

A. You need to remake the shortcuts. Delete the old Desktop shortcut. Right click on the desktop and choose 'New shortcut'. Enter the program name by browsing to the PRIMER 6 program directory. The next bit is a bit trickier and not really essential if you are happy to run PRIMER from the desktop. Click on the Start menu (bottom left of Desktop) and locate the PRIMER 6 folder that contains the PRIMER 6 shortcut. Right click on the shortcut and select Delete. Right click on the PRIMER 6 folder and select 'Open All Users'. Create the new shortcut as for the Desktop.

Q. When I try to install PRIMER under Vista the installation of .Net Framework 1.1 fails.

A. You need to first install an updated version of .Net Framework 1.1.You can download this from our web site at
http://www.primer-e.com/updates/dotnetwithsp1.exe

Q. When I run the PRIMER 6 update patch  it fails to find the PRIMER 6 directory.

A. Earlier versions did not set the path in the registry. Change the path in the patch to point to the PRIMER 6 directory. The normal default is 'C:\Program Files\PRIMER-E\PRIMER 6'. If running 64 bit Windows, also try 'C:\Program Files (x86)\PRIMER-E\PRIMER 6' which is the default for the .Net 1.1 based version on 64 bit Windows.

Q. After applying the PRIMER 6 update patch, the program complains that .Net 2 is not installed.

A. You probably originally installed an older .Net 1.1 based version of PRIMER 6. When you apply the patch it converts it to a .Net 2 application that requires the .Net 2 Framework to be installed. This is detailed in the updates web page.

Q. I cannot open or save Excel files.

A. You need to install Excel 98 or later for these functions to be available.

Q. I cannot open an Excel file in the new .xlsx format.

A. You need to have Excel 2007 or later installed, also, update PRIMER to the latest version for this option to be available.