Resolving "Could not load file or assembly..." or "The type initializer for Crystal..." exceptions when running reports.

If, when printing or viewing a report in Acctivate, you encounter an error, you may need to re-install the Crystal Reports run-time.  These errors can say something along the lines of "Could not load file or assembly..." or "The type initializer..."

Below is an example of an error that may be received when attempting to view or print a report in Acctivate:

Could not load file or assembly 'CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine, Version=13.0.4000.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=692fbea5521e1304' or one of its dependencies. The system cannot find the file specified. 

CR Error

Here's another example of an error you may receive when attempting to run reports:

The type initializer for 'CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.CRPE' threw an exception.

2023-12-22_10-39-53

Please note these are not the only errors you may see, however if you're receiving an exception trying to preview or print reports, this article is for you. 

Acctivate uses the Crystal Reports runtime engine to generate all reports in the software. The Crystal Reports runtime is delivered with the Acctivate software on both the server and the workstations under a royalty-free distribution license. 

In some cases, the Crystal Reports runtime may be removed from a PC or the installation corrupted.

The suggested fix for resolving the above error, or other errors encountered when previewing/printing reports in Acctivate, is to re-install the Crystal Reports run-time. To do so, take these steps:

Uninstall the Crystal Reports run-time engine

  1. On the Workstation receiving the error, open the "Programs and Features" section of windows.
  2. Locate the "SAP Crystal Reports runtime for .NET Framework (32-bit)" program and uninstall it. Note: If it does not exist, skip this step.

Install the Crystal Reports run-time engine

To determine the appropriate version of the SAP Crystal Reports runtime engine to install, it is important to consider the version of Acctivate that you are currently using. To obtain the correct version of the runtime engine, you can create an offline copy of the necessary components by using the Acctivate installer for your specific version.

  1. Download the Acctivate Installer and save the installation file. Please download or locate the installer for your specific Acctivate version. To find out what version of Acctivate you are using, see this KB. Older versions of the Acctivate Installer can be found here
  2. Continue to our Docs page and follow the instructions under the Install Components section
  3. Once the offline copy has been created, run the CRRuntime.msi file and wait for it to finish. Note: Your CRRuntime.msi file may be a different version from the screenshot depending on what Acctivate Installer you used to create the offline copy of the components.

After that, try running Acctivate and run some reporting. If it still isn't fixed, please open a ticket with the support team.