How to completely and cleanly reinstall NEO4J?

[wilson_chua]

Hi guys,

Need help here. I upgraded my Neo4j desktop to version 1.3.8 and all my database failed to start.
In the log files i see:
"Component 'org.neo4j.server.database.LifecycleManagingDatabase@5d7d2cb5' was successfully initialized, but failed to start. Please see the attached cause exception "Implementing class". Starting Neo4j failed: Component 'org.neo4j.server.database.LifecycleManagingDatabase@5d7d2cb5' was successfully initialized, but failed to start. Please see the attached cause exception "Implementing class"."

So i tried to downgrade it by uninstall and then reinstall Neo4J using the prior version 1.3.7
Still nothing. Strangely the reinstall did not ask me the usual start questions.
I then go to my laptop and install 1.3.8 and i also get the same problems.

Im using Windows 7 OS.

[elaine_rosenber]

What version of Powershell do you have? 5.0 or later is required?

Elaine

[elaine_rosenber]

Wilson,

Here are some tips that might help to set up a fresh install of Neo4j Desktop.

1. Ensure you have a 64-bit system with Windows 7 or later installed.
2. Make sure all neo4j processes are stopped (using Task Manager). (For example if you have run Neo4j Server on your system)
3. If you have Neo4j Desktop installed, uninstall it.
4. Make sure the folder \Program Files\Neo4j Desktop no longer exists
5. Delete all files in %USERPROFILE%.Neo4jDesktop
6. Make sure you have Powershell V5 or later installed on your system:

• In a command window type:
  powershell
  (get-host).version
  exit

7. Make sure that your system PATH includes: \windows\system32\wbem :
   • In a command window type: echo %PATH%
8. Restart your system
9. Install Neo4j Desktop with these notes:
   - Install as Admin
   - Select the option to allow all users of the system to use
   - Use defaults for everything else (including location of app data which should be %USERPROFILE%.Neo4jDesktop)

Note also that when you install Neo4j Desktop or create a database of a release that you have not used previously, you must be connected to the Internet as it will need to download files.

Hope this helps...

Elaine

[wilson_chua]

Yes it did Elaine, thanks for the tips.
How to i re-attach the OLD neo4j database unto this NEW NEO4J?

I was able to save the old NEO4J databases....

[elaine_rosenber]

The important thing is that whatever you saved is the same version of the database you create new in Neo4j desktop.

Ideally, you should have a backup or dump file for the saved database. If not, you might be able to substitute the database files, although this is not really supported:

1. Determine the version of the database files you saved.
2. In your Neo4j Desktop project, create a database of the exact same version, but don't start the database.
3. In Neo4j Desktop, open the folder for the database you just created (Manage --> Open Folder)
4. Copy to "saved" database files into these folders
5. Try starting the database.

Again, a backup or a dump file is the preferred way to restore a database.

Elaine

[wilson_chua]

Revisiting this issue again.
So what happened was i was running out of disk space.
So I added a new drive E:
In NEO4J community edition Desktop, i changed the settings/ data drive to e:\neo4j
I was expecting it to move all the data from drive C to drive e:.

This did not happen. It ALWAYS defaults to
c:\users<myuser>\appData\local\Neo4j\relate\Data\dbmss\

I have done the clean install as above, Im at my wits end on this issue.

[wilson_chua]

This is Desktop 1.3.8. It did not have this issue with 1.3.4

[elaine_rosenber]

@wilson.chua

What do you mean by: " i changed the settings/ data drive to e:\neo4j"

Do you mean that you specified a different location for the app data when you installed Neo4j Desktop?

It will not move existing data to the new location.

If you were not having problems with V 1.3.4, I suggest you install that version for now so that you can make progress.

Elaine

[wilson_chua]

Hi Elaine, thanks again for the tips. Yes, there is an option to change the /settings/Data Path. In version 1.3.8, this is not being followed. When I create a NEW database, the db are still created in the %userprofile%/ instead of the new drive.

I took your advice and reinstalled v1.3.4. It seems there is a bug in 1.3.8.