To test, I renamed the "HomeManage" directory, then restored the directory from an external backup just after I installed HomeManage 2024.
The database is empty (no items) and right after installation of HomeManage 2024.
Selecting "Reporting", then "Item Detail with Images" returns the following error:
This means that HomeManage 2024, with no data and no modified fields at all (new), returns errors when attempting some reports. In other words, some reports don't work right from the start.
I looked at "itemdetail1Image.crd" referenced in the error message in notepad. It's hundreds of lines of report code that whatever report engine this uses expects, and there's no way to easily figure out what it doesn't like because the error message doesn't include a line number or variable reference, just a "something's wrong" in a file with hundreds of lines.
All this effort has caused me to rethink the entire topic of Home Inventory. I mean, if no one else is complaining, then obviously no one else is using these reports and reporting system. That indicates to me that few people have completed a home inventory. It is a pain in the ass to do for sure.
Since no one is responding to these reporting issues (including anyone at Liberty Street Software), my plan going forward is to attempt to extract the data by writing my own SQL to run against the MS access database (name: assets.mdb in the HomeManage\data directory).
In case it helps anyone (and use at your own risk), here is some sql to get started that produces a simple report. If you choose to access the HomeManage 2024 database outside of the product, I strongly urge a backup of your data first. You can use Microsoft Access or any other SQL engine that allows connections with MS Access dbs.
SELECT
FORMAT(R.DeptName, 'Narrow') AS DeptName,
FORMAT(C.CategoryName, 'Narrow') AS CategoryName,
FORMAT(A.DescriptiveName, 'Narrow') AS ItemName,
A.[Amount Paid] AS Cost,
A.[Current Value] AS Value,
A.ReplacementCost AS ReplCost
FROM Assets A
INNER JOIN
Categories C ON A.CategoryID = C.CategoryID
INNER JOIN
Rooms R ON A.RoomID = R.RoomID ORDER BY R.[DeptName], C.CategoryName;
If I had it to do over, I'd not purchase HomeManage 2024. In fact, now that I consider the effort and trouble it has caused me, I might not even bother with a home inventory at all.
Good luck to everyone.