Known causes

This error message appears when Déjà Vu tries to open the settings file when it starts running, but it cannot read it properly. There can be several causes for this, each of which requires a different solution.

The settings file's path is not correct

After an update for windows, it became impossible for the Déjà Vu to access the settings file if it is stored in a folder that has accented characters in the name; this includes the default location of the settings file. More recent versions of Déjà Vu X3 avert this problem, but older versions of Déjà Vu, or installations of Déjà vu X3 that were updated from older ones, can still have this problem.

We have created a script that, when run, makes some changes to your system that have been found to solve this problem for most users. To run this script:

1. Download the script file from here.
2. Unzip the file you downloaded.
3. Run the script file by double-clicking on it.
4. Once the script has finished running, press ENTER to close the window.

Bear in mind that this script will only work if your Settings file is in the default location. If you are using a Settings file that is stored in a folder different from the default one, this script will do nothing.

The settings file itself is corrupted

If this happens, Déjà Vu will open the file and try to read the contents, but it will be unable to. The solution is to replace the file with another copy or, if a backup is not available, delete the file so that Déjà Vu will create a new one. Doing the latter will result in Déjà Vu reverting to its default settings.

The current user does not have read and write access to the settings file or the folder it is in.

If this happens Déjà Vu will attempt to open the file, but it will be denied access by Windows, or it will be denied access when it attempts to write to the file (which happens during normal use). To solve this problem you should check the Security setting of the folder the settings file is located in to ensure that your current user has both read and write access to it.

There is a problem with the Jet Database Engine.

The Microsoft Jet Database Engine is the component that Déjà Vu uses to handle the database files it uses (this includes Translation Memories and Terminology Databases, of course, but it also includes projects, alignment projects and the settings file). If the Jet Engine is not working correctly Déjà Vu will not be able to use it to read the contents of the settings file, and this error will appear. A problem with the Jet Engine will prevent Déjà Vu from correctly using databases and projects, so it is a serious concern. The first thing to do if you suspect that the Engine is not working correctly is to re-install it.