HomeManage2020 update 20.0.0.18 breaks images panel, cripples preferences dialog box

[dealio]

I'm in the process of transferring my licensed copy of HomeManage2020 from an old laptop to a new one. The steps I completed are:

1. Run HomeManage2020 on the old laptop
2. Deactivate the license from the Tools/Licensing menu. (success. no error notifications)
3. Install the May 2020 downloaded version of HomeManage2020 (20.0.0.10) on the new laptop
4. Run the Check for Updates menu under help on the new laptop (it completed successfully updating to 20.0.0.18)
5. Customize preferences to specify the locations of my database, asset images, and reports
6. Close HM2020.
7. Reopen HM2020.
8. Verify that my database is opened (success)

I noticed some problems:

1. The Preferences dialog box is different. In the Preferences dialog, there is no longer the option to change the font size at the bottom of the Preferences tab. The missing option is called Font Size For Lists of Items.
2. There are only 3 panels on the main application screen instead of 4 panels: navigation (panel on the left), the asset list (panel along the top), and the summary information window (panel below the asset list that displays the selected asset's details). The images panel is missing. The only images visible are the thumbnails in the asset list panel above. However, the images were not deleted. If I open the Properties dialog box for an asset, and select the Item Pictures tab, all of the images appear there as expected.
3. The Unused Rooms list and the 2 buttons below it (Add a Room and Delete) are missing, and the Unused Categories list moved from the right side of the dialog box to the left side, taking the space of the Unused Rooms list; the Enable Webcam Features checkbox, which use to be below the Unused Categories list moved up since that listbox is missing.
   Pictures of these changes would make conveying them much simpler, but the 50K pictures upload limit prevents that.

Are these known issues with the 20.0.0.18 update? What is causing these issues and when will they be fixed? Is there anything I need to do to fix them?

Thank you
David

[dealio]

After running the application for the third time (close and reopen it), the images panel reappeared with no changes in preferences or any settings on my laptop. When clicked, images open as expected, and they still show up in the Properties/Item Pictures tab. Very odd behavior. It is unclear what caused the image panel not to display, and why it suddenly appeared after several app restarts, so it is unclear if it will happen again 'out of the blue'.

However, the Preferences dialog box remains impaired as described above. Problematic.

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by dealio
clarification

[dealio]

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