Merge eFilm Workstation 3.1/4.1: DICOM sends fail although verification passes
What happened
As reported in the case: studies could not be sent by DICOM from a Windows 7 workstation running eFilm 3.1 to a Windows 10 workstation running eFilm 4.1. Verification between the two clients passed, but every send attempt failed with an 'Association ID parameter is invalid' message.
What was checked
- Both clients were checked as correctly entered on each side (as reported in the case).
- On the Windows 10 side, the engineers confirmed the required firewall ports and general network access were open.
- The eFilm 3.1 logs were reviewed; they showed the association error on every transfer attempt.
Cause
The fault was traced to an incorrect Database Connection String value in the eFilm settings in the Windows registry — in this case linked to the Windows localization, since the problem reportedly does not occur on English-language Windows. With that value wrong, sends failed at the association level even though verification still passed.
What was done
In this case the engineers copied the value of the Secondary Database Connection String entry into the Database Connection String entry under the eFilm Settings key in the registry (32-bit branch) and rebooted the workstation; transfers then worked normally. The case also mentioned an alternative — an English-language Windows installation, where the fault reportedly does not appear.
Safety
Back up the registry branch before editing it, and after the change confirm that previously stored studies still open with correct patient and study matching before the workstation is used for clinical review again.
Lesson: A passing DICOM verification proves only the link — when sends still fail, check the application's own database configuration and locale-related corruption before suspecting the network.
Covered in the course: DICOM, PACS and Networks — Level 2: Fault-Finding →
Written from an anonymised case shared by service engineers. It is not a manufacturer instruction and grants no authorisation. Independent note; names are trademarks of their owners.