Mac App Store users can’t open our applications

February 14, 2016 • Keith Gugliotto

First, your data is safe.

Second,you won’thave to purchase another copy of the application. If you get to a point where it looks like you’ll need to purchase again, please get in touch with us at support@splasm.com.

Beginning February 14th, many of our users who purchased from the Mac App Store have experienced an issue where the application crashes while opening. What we know, so far, is this is another certificate issue on Apple’s end, preventing applications from properly validating a Mac App Store receipt. Again, your data is safe. The issue is with the application, but yourdata lives in a separate document and will come right upwhen the application begins working properly.

The official word from Apple is that, in general, restarting the Mac in question should resolve the issue. In addition, for OS X El Capitan users, Apple says updatingto OS X 10.11.2 or later is required, and OS X Snow Leopard users should be sure the Mac App Store Update for OS X Snow Leopardis installed. While the situation wehave hereis technically similar to what happened last November, it’s not quite the same and, being on Apple’s end, not something we could’ve prepared for. The good news is Apple has renewed the certificates involved in validating Mac App Store receipts through at least 2023, so we won’t see circumstances like this for some time, if ever. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

We’ve learneda restart does not always resolve the issue – reinstalling the application itself does. Even if you’ve already reinstalled, please follow each step below to be sure the reinstallation is performed correctly.

DO NOT USE A THIRD-PARTY TOOL, LIKE CLEANMYMAC, TO REMOVE AN APPLICATION BEFORE REINSTALLING.

Repeat: DO NOT USE A THIRD-PARTY TOOL, LIKE CLEANMYMAC, TO REMOVE AN APPLICATION BEFORE REINSTALLING.

To reinstall one of our applications:

  1. Click the Finder icon on your Dock, the row of icons that’s usually at the bottom of your screen.
  2. Go to the Go menu at the very top of your screen, above all open windows, and click the Applications menu item.
  3. Drag the application icon (not the entire Applications folder – just the application you need to reinstall)to the Trash. This is the only item you need to drag to the Trash or delete from your Mac.
  4. If the application icon just snapped back to where it was before you dragged it to the Trash, you may be in Launch Pad instead of the Applications folder. Please go back to step 1.
  5. Restart your Mac.
  6. Go to the Mac App Store, click the Purchased button at the top of the window, and click the Install button next to the application. Be sure you’re signed in with the same Apple ID used to purchase the application by going to the Store menu at the top of the screen, above all open windows. If you don’t see your purchase, it may be hidden. Visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202320 to learn how to access hidden purchases.

Reinstalling from the Mac App Store should completely resolve the issue, so if itdoesn’t, please go backto step 1 and try to reinstall once more.

Using a version from our website should work around the issue but it’s a last resort, particularly for CheckBook and CheckBook Pro users. Installing the opposite version of CheckBook fromwhat you’ve been using will result in the appearance that all data has been lost butit’s just that the two apps don’t know where the other stores its data and when you get the proper version installed everything will appear as before. If you need to go this route to get back in business, please do so, just be very certain that if you use CheckBook or CheckBook Pro you download and install the same:

In Audiobook Builder, CheckBook, Development, General, Return Labels | Tagged | Leave a comment

CheckBook and CheckBook Pro 2.5.8

November 23, 2015 • Keith Gugliotto

With the recent Mac App Store technical “event” mostly in our rearview, CheckBook and CheckBook Pro2.5.8 arenow ready for folks who purchased directly from the Splasm Store.

Unfortunately, we recently found that the third-party software inside our applications thatnotifiesfolks about updates can crash on OS X El Capitan. We’renot comfortable with that, so we’ve decided to not let previousversions “see”new updates going forward. Instead, we rolled our own update check code (actually, we went back and enhanced our own, significantly simpler code from years ago) in 2.5.8 so this won’t happen again. Once you download and install 2.5.8 or later, you’ll be able to check for updates from within the application, as (almost) always.


What’s new?

CheckBook 2.5.8

Fixes

  • Prevents a crash that can occur after importing a statement or dismissing a dialog window
  • Eradicates a misleading error that would indicate the current document is inaccessible
  • Moves a key temporary file to a private location, preventing an error that could occur if the application is left open but unused for more than a few days
  • Makes several adjustments for user interface and system font changes in OS X El Capitan
  • Better supports documents shared with others on a network volume
  • Uses an improved method of finding documents from significantly older versions
  • Provides enhanced error tracking and reporting
  • Improves performance when opening and closing documents
  • Corrects a rare glitch that could result in duplicate dates appearing for the same Schedule
  • Prevents a crash that can occur when checking for updates


CheckBook Pro 2.5.8

Fixes

  • Prevents a crash that can occur after importing a statement or dismissing a dialog window
  • Eradicates a misleading error that would indicate the current document is inaccessible
  • Moves a key temporary file to a private location, preventing an error that could occur if the application is left open but unused for more than a few days
  • Makes several adjustments for user interface and system font changes in OS X El Capitan
  • Better supports documents shared with others on a network volume
  • Uses an improved method of finding documents from significantly older versions
  • Provides enhanced error tracking and reporting
  • Improves performance when opening and closing documents
  • Corrects a rare glitch that could result in duplicate dates appearing for the same Schedule
  • Prevents a crash that can occur when checking for updates


Get the update

If you purchased from the Mac App Store

Open the Mac App Store app, click thePurchasedbutton at the top of the window, then click the Update or Install button next to your purchase. Be sure you’re signed in with the same Apple ID you used for your original purchase.

If youpurchased from the Splasm Store

CheckBook 2.5.8:http://splasm.com/checkbook/update.html

CheckBook Pro 2.5.8:http://splasm.com/checkbookpro/update.html


After You Install

The first time you launch the application, you may be asked to update or upgrade your document. Agree to the update and your document will be ready to work with 2.5.8.

If you see a message about a damaged document, please visithttp://www.splasmata.com/?p=2855for details.

If you open the application and your data doesn’t immediately appear, try going to the File menu, down to the Open Recent submenu, and clicking each document there until your data appears. If this doesn’t cure all,don’t panic. There are several ways data can appear missing when it’s either hidden or in another document. We can help with that, so get in touch atsupport@splasm.com!

In CheckBook, Development, General | Leave a comment

CheckBook Pro 2.5.8 for those who can’t open it

November 15, 2015 • Keith Gugliotto

The final versions of both CheckBook and CheckBook Pro 2.5.8 are now available.Visit the Mac App Store, click the Updates button at the top of the window, and install the update there to get back up and running. Thank youagain for toughing outthe Mac App Store debacle of last weekwith us. We are ever grateful!

In CheckBook | Tagged | Leave a comment

When the Mac App Store Attacks

November 12, 2015 • Keith Gugliotto

[CheckBook andCheckBook Pro 2.5.8are now live on the Mac App Store and both open like a charm. Grab the update there as soon as you get a chance. Audiobook Builderhas beensubmitted and is now waiting for review but if you reinstall from the Mac App Store,Apple has changed things around soit’ll work without waiting for the update (unless you are using OS X El Capitan, in which case you need the version we link to below). Final releases will be available on our website soon afterthe Mac App Store versions are approved. We’re almost done reaching out to everyone personallyand we deeply appreciate your patience!]


If you’ve had trouble launching our apps since yesterday, you’re not alone.

What we know, so far, is the receipts embedded in most, if not all, Mac App Store apps became invalid yesterday. This happened without any advance warning from the mothership. How apps reacted to this varied. Our apps are among those affected, and in the worst way. We’re working with Apple to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

At present, Apple has made changes at the Mac App Store that will allow you to redownload any of our apps and get back up and running unless you are usinga version of Audiobook Builder from our website. In that case, you’ll still need a serial number to help you get back up and running until the new version of Audiobook Builder is approved at the Mac App Store, which shouldn’t be too much longer. Please send a copy of your Mac App Store receipt tosupport@splasm.comand we’ll send a serial number for Audiobook Builder.

In the meantime, we’re giving away our apps at our online store. If you need to download our apps from our website, click here firsttogo through the order processfor a single-user license. You won’t be asked for billing information. At the end of the order you’ll receive a serial number so you can get back to it. If you’ve already purchased a license to try to fix things, please let us knowand we’ll return your purchase as the dust settles.

CheckBook and CheckBook Pro users: click here for the very latest version,2.5.8 Beta 5, which will do a better job of locating yourdata if you’re updating from a significantly older version. It includes numerous fixes for version 2.5.7 and is ready for everyday use. Your data is safe and sound and will automatically appear (provided you get a copy of the same application you already have – CheckBook for CheckBook folk, CheckBook Pro for CheckBook Pro folk).

Audiobook Builder users: click here for the very latest version, 1.5.4 Final Candidate 3.

If you need any additional details or help getting things back to normal, let us know at support@splasm.comand we’ll get to you soon.

Thanks everyone for your understanding and patience. We’re simultaneously fielding hundreds of emails per hour, phone calls, and working to fix this at the source. Hang in there!

In Audiobook Builder, CheckBook, Development, General | Leave a comment

Downloading Audiobook Builder from the Mac App Store

October 10, 2015 • Keith Gugliotto

Update: We haven’t gotten the all clear from Apple just yet, but Audiobook Builder now appears to be downloading and installing just fine from the Mac App Store. Give it a try and let us know how things work out. (This doesn’t address the issue with launching Audiobook Builder on OS X El Capitan, detailed here, but we’re getting very close to submitting 1.5.4 to the Mac App Store now that our sandboxing issues are worked out.)

Abit twist at the Mac App Store has Audiobook Builder failing to properly download and install for most, if not all users. Apple is on the case but haven’t given usa firm timeframe for when to expect downloads to begin working again. We can get you back up and running in themeantime, though. Dropus a line at support@splasm.com,along with a copy of your Mac App Store receipt, and we’ll send a serial number and directions so you can download directly from our site.

Thank you for your patience and understanding!

In Audiobook Builder | Tagged | Leave a comment

CheckBook and OS X El Capitan

October 3, 2015 • Keith Gugliotto

OS X El Capitan has a fewgotchas for our CheckBook users, but we’re on it. Here’s what you need to know:

  • CheckBook and CheckBook Pro 2.5.6can’t launch properly on El Cap. 2.5.7resolved this a couple of months ago, but…
  • CheckBook and CheckBook Pro 2.5.7 will crash after you import a bank statement. They’re also affected by an issue where OS X removes their temporary folder and doesn’t put it back (how rude!). This leads to the “Accounts.db” doesn’t exist error. The latest version, 2.5.8, includes fixes for both issues.

Click here to update to CheckBook 2.5.8

Click here to update to CheckBook Pro 2.5.8

In CheckBook | Tagged | Leave a comment