Hi Jeff

I downloaded & installed BD3.6.20 (nice work, by the way) a few hours ago.  Since doing so I've fooled around with the program--playing with the taxonomic filter, adding & editing locations & trips, looking at reports & lists of sightings, etc, etc--without any problems except for the following odd little bug (if that's what it is)

I have 3 "unofficial" taxonomic lists which I've either made myself entirely from scratch or which are copies of lists which I've downloaded (& duly licensed) from the BD website & then renamed & modified in various small ways:  I call these lists (respectively) "0Mammals" (this is the one I made myself), "0Amphibians & Reptiles (North America)" (combines the BD Reptile & Amphibian lists with a few small modifications of my own) & "0AOU 2005a" (copy of the AOU 2005-a list with a couple of splits added by me).  The problem manifests itself in the case of the 2 copied lists when I try to enter new sightings by the "checklist" method with one of these lists selected (Screenshot 1)--I click "continue", the checklist starts to populate & then crashes (Screenshot 2) as soon as it hits the first of the things that I modified in the list concerned (e.g. "Blue Grouse"--which I split in the AOU list), or "Sceloporus sps" (which I added to the combined Amphibian/Reptile list).  In the case of the 0Mammals list it crashes at "Chipmunk" which I changed from "Chipmunk Sps" about the same time as I made the modifications to the other 2 lists.  As far as I can remember, all these modifications included changes to the"Thing" description using the little pencil button in the Thing Editor.  After the crash, the screen is completely frozen, with nothing active except the "OK" button on the error message (clicking the button, closes the program)
 

Keyboard entry works fine with the 3 "unofficial" lists &, as far as I can tell, there are no other problem with these lists (e.g., they work fine in the reports, sighting windows, etc).  There are also no problems of any kind with any of the other lists, including the untouched originals of the unofficial ones.

I installed 3.6.20 I after first downloading it to the desktop & then running it from there (I forgot that the extra step wasn't necessary).  I mention this on the off chance it might have something to do with the RTE.

Any suggestions as to what needs to be done to get the unofficial lists working properly again?

Regards

Fred Petersen

Reno, Nv

Hi, Jeff

Your prompt & helpful response to my posting is much appreciated as always. 

To answer your questions.  Yes, I had no trouble with the unofficial tax lists prior to 3.6.20.  All 3 were created under 3.5.x & all worked without any problems under 3.6.12.  The latest crop of modifications I think were mostly under 3.5.56 though a few may have been under 3.6.12.  Sorry to be so vague about this, but I've been playing with the taxonomies a lot the last couple of months & since until yesterday there was no trouble I've had no reason to keep track of when I did what. 

2 new wrinkles noticed since my previous posting

1. One of the official lists-- Birds-AOL North America-2005-a--has the same problem as the 3 unofficial lists.  I modified this list on August 31st (BD3.5.56) by splitting Blue Grouse into Dusky & Sooty as per your posted instructions.  (After this change I made the 0AOU 2005a copy & left the original list alone)

2. My life list totals for the US & Nevada as displayed at the bottom of the screen are each inflated by one over the true totals with the 0AOU 2005a copy as the selected taxonomy (if Birds-AOL North America-2005-a is chosen the totals are correct).  Life list reports, however, using either list, give the correct totals (meaning, among other things, that there is no obvious of identifying the "extra" species)

I hear you about the inadvisability of fooling with the Thing descriptions.  Since I only half know what I'm doing, I'll leave them alone in the future.

Anyway, thanks for your help.  I've just sent on the zipped database as per your request & hope it reaches you safely.

All the best

Fred Petersen, Reno, Nv