I should add that I writing from Taiwan (GMT+8), where it is 7.00 PM.

Ana-Loredana Gabur

Perhaps you can get in touch with Mark, and help him to renew his support contract.

Mark Rawson

In the meantime I suggest you explain what your technical problem is and then we can decide how best to assist you.  Without a support contract you are not entitled to telephone support and we do not provide it because we have many other ways to get help (the pandemic is irrelevant here).  Please start by working with us to get your help as battling against the way we work will not help you.

A very bullying response from SDL. I am a paying customer. SDL could start by understanding everything that that implies. I am receiving the error message "Failed to save target content: Source file not found."  I repeat: Studio is not fit for purpose without technical support. 

Mark Rawson

Not really.  You came in here demanding something you are not entitled to and didn't even tell us what the problem was.  So I clarified this and asked you to explain your problem so we can help you.  Please try and focus on helping us to help you resolve the problem..

Some questions we need answers to:

1. what version of Studio are you using (the complete version)?
2. what's the file format?
3. did you create the project or are you working on a package, or sdlxliff, sent to you by someone else?
4. do you have the source file?  If you do what happens if you place a copy of it in the same folder as the target sdlxliff?

Mark Rawson

Let me first say that I don't work for SDL. I've been using Studio and MultiTerm since they were first created and in my many years of interaction with SDL employees on the community, I have never read a single 'bullying response' by any of them. Paul was not bullying you, he was giving you the facts as they are and then he offered to help you. 

Paul does not deal with renewal of contracts but he addressed that problem by contacting Ana-Loredana Gabur, another very kind person who will gladly help you renew your contract if that is what you want.

Answer Paul's questions and he will help you in every way he can with whatever problem you are having. He is as qualified to help you as any telephone help person so allow him to do so.

Thank you Paul for the long hours you put into helping SDL paying customers in every way you can!

All the best,

Ali

I repeat: I am a paying customer. SDL would do very well to ensure that all its staff are highly proficient in writing respectfully, tactfully, sensitively and in a non-bullying manner to paying customers. I "came in here demanding something" that would make Studio fit for purpose and to which, as a paying customer, I should therefore be entitled, but that SDL is denying me. Studio is not fit for purpose without technical support. In answer to SDL's questions: 

1. I am using Studio 2019. 

2. I don't know what "file format" means. The source file is a Word file. 

3. I creatred the project. 

4. The source file is in the same folder as the sdlxliff file. 

I have attempted to use the Knowledge Base, to which I was referred by the error message, but its advice is far too technical for me; I have no training in computer science, though I consider myself highly computer literate for a "lay person." 

The question of the pandemic arises only because it is the reason that SDL's answering machines in the UK give as to why they will not put callers through to a human being. 

SDL would presumably agree that if all customers were actually entitled to the technical support that makes Studio fit for purpose, we wouldn't now be wasting our time having this exchange. 

Mark Rawson

Mark Rawson said:

1. I am using Studio 2019. 

The full version is this: SDL Trados Studio 2019 SR2 - 15.2.8.3007.  Is this what you're running?  This is important because it helps us know whether you might be using an older version that could have had a problem fixed with an update you have not applied.

Mark Rawson said:

2. I don't know what "file format" means. The source file is a Word file. 

It does mean a "Word file", but can you be more specific?  Is it a DOC or a DOCX?  Do you know what version of Microsoft Word created it?  This will help us understand which file settings in Studio you have used to create your project.

Mark Rawson said:

I have attempted to use the Knowledge Base, to which I was referred by the error message, but its advice is far too technical for me; I have no training in computer science, though I consider myself highly computer literate for a "lay person." 

Might have been helpful to share the KB article you think was related in case there was more information you didn't tell us but you used to find the KB.

Based on what you told me so far perhaps try this.

- open the SDLXLIFF you translated as if the SDLXLIFF was the source file.  So a new project with the translated SDLXLIFF and not he Word file.  Then save target from there.

Mark Rawson

Mark Rawson said:

to which I was referred by the error message,

It would have also been useful for you to share the error message.  The full thing so we can see the details.  This is the first time you have mentioned an error message.

As pointed out in first response to yourself, the error message was, "Failed to save target content: Source file not found." I had posted a question about this in the community yesterday and received no response. I did not mention it in my initial message today in the interests of brevity. 

"open the SDLXLIFF you translated as if the SDLXLIFF was the source file.  So a new project with the translated SDLXLIFF and not he Word file.  Then save target from there."

Received the same error message. Sorry. 

I tried a number of KB articles to which the error message directed me. In such circumstances it is not possible for a lay person to hold at the top of one's mind what "might be helpful" to SDL's highly-expert experts, and, given the difficulties involved in navigating the KB, I'm not inclined to spend time attempting to re-search right now; it would in fact, perfectly obviously, be a great deal easire for you to do so. The KB articles are in any case not written for people who are not trained in computer science. 

The Word file is a DOCX file.

Yes, I am using Studio 2019 SR2 - 15.2.8.3007

Yes, I am using Studio 2019 SR2 - 15.2.8.3007

I placed my first post on this issue yesterday. I placed my first post of today over FIVE hours ago. SDL has invited me by e-mail to provide a Skype adress on which I can be contacted. I have done so, about 1.5 hours ago. It is now 11.50 PM in Taiwan, of whose local time I notified SDL in a swift follow-up to my initial posting of today. I have asked SDL to "cut my, your and SDL's losses and ensure that I am telephoned tomorrow by an SDL technician who will provide the advice I need to deliver my project tomorrow." I repeat: Studio is not fit for purpose without technical support.  SDL is running a business, not a Sunday school or a social club, much less a self-flaggellation club. Get into the business, SDL, of delivering service to your Studio customers, in order to make Studio fit for purpose. 

Mark Rawson

Mark Rawson said:

SDL has invited me by e-mail to provide a Skype adress on which I can be contacted. I have done so, about 1.5 hours ago. It is now 11.50 PM in Taiwan, of whose local time I notified SDL in a swift follow-up to my initial posting of today.

Indeed... where are you?

I sent this an hour ago as you can see.  It's not as late for me as it is for you, but I have been waiting for you so I can try to assist you and it's an hour past our normal working hours.

I am happy to do this with you tomorrow, but your comments are not appropriate at all.  At this stage we have no idea why you can't save your target file.  It may not even be a problem related to the software at all.  I'm not going to comment on the rest of your post, but my previous comments stand.  If you don't purchase a support contract, which I believe all professional translators should do, then you are reliant on getting any help you may need through the community.  There is no SLA in here but we and others do the best we can to help.

I appreciate your frustration but I suggest you work with us because your approach doesn't help anyone.  I'm going to hang around for a little longer on the off chance you'll respond via skype, but otherwise it will be tomorrow.

You could also email your project to me and that might be something I can look at while you're sleeping.

Mark Rawson

Thanks for sending me your files.  I have sent you the translated target file by email. You should check it because I had to run a little process to handle this and some of it may not be translated.  This is what I did/found: 

1. I opened your project in 2019 and saved the target
2. I was asked to point to the source file, which is unusual, but nonetheless I pointed to it
3. I saved target and this worked.
4. However, I can’t open the target file because something is wrong with it
5. So, I tried in 2021 and had the same problem.  I also tried to repair the file but could not.
6. So, I created a new project in 2021.
7. I perfect matched the project with your translation
8. I saved the target and that is what is attached.

Hope that helps, and at least you have your translation out.

My guess is that something happened to the sdlxliff, perhaps the result of putting files in dropbox perhaps or something like that.  I have seen this before and the problem with using a shared drive when you work is that updates are slow and this can often cause a problem.  Much better to always work locally, or use a proper server solution and not just a shared drive mimicking the ability to work online.