There are known bugs for the first FM Genie Scout 2008 version (Beta 2, Build 83) that became available to the public (in a strange way, but still). I will try to list everything I know here along with possible solutions if there are any.
This could help lead developer Eugene with solving remaining problems in the program. I mean it could work well for beta testing purposes.

Your best bet to have your FM Genie Scout 2008 working is to follow the following 5 simple steps:
1. Make sure you have FM08 and not WWSM08
2. Make sure you disable "Compress Saved Games" within the Game Preferences and Confirm it
3. Install latest official Patch 8.0.1 (and not one of the beta patches) [after that, you should have version 8.0.1 114310]
4. Start a new game with Patch 8.0.1
5. Save your game

Bug: Font Issue - font is difficult to read
Suggestion: Open "FM Genie Scout 2008" folder and find "Languages" folder. Get in there and find the file "English.lng". Open this file with Notepad (or Wordpad) and change FONT_CHARSET=0

Bug: Does not work with 8.0.0?
Suggestion: It seemed this Genie version is only compatible with latest official Patch 8.0.1. In theory, it should be compatible with all FM08 versions, like Eugene announced a few weeks ago.
Some users reported that they managed to get it to work with their 8.0.0 game, but it's probably a common problem the fact that after 1 year in the game, the save won't load in Genie Scout.

Bug: I get following error message: "The file doesn't seem to be a valid FM saved game"
Suggestion: Possible reason for this would be that you have WWSM08 and not FM08. Even though back Genie 2007 was compatible with FM07 and WWSM07, it seems that the new structure of WWSM08 is different than FM08, and thus, unfortunately, current Genie version won't work with WWSM08.

Bug: Error loading Entity Number: 3920 File Position: 1410864 Database Version: 1143 Club data seems to be corrupt.
Suggestion: No known workaround for this error. Try the 5 steps explained on the top.

Bug: I get following error message: "Player data seems to be corrupt"
Suggestion: No known workaround for this error. Try the 5 steps explained on the top.

Bug: I get following error message: "Data Corrupt wanted to read 4 bytes could only read 0 bytes"
Suggestion: Most probably you have forgotten either to disable "Compress Saved Games" or save a new game after doing so.

Bug: I applied the latest patch and disabled the compress option, but I get error again
Suggestion: Most probable scenario here is that your game was started with version 8.0.0 (or one of the beta patches) and then you updated to latest patch 8.0.1. Even if you did the remaining steps needed, it wouldn't work. You need to start a new game with patch 8.0.1.

Bug: I have a custom Database and it doesn't work
Suggestion: Most users report that it doesn't matter if you have normal, large or huge database (custom). Try the 5 steps explained on the top.

Bug: I still get an error, which says something like "Error loading entity number: 22761...", maybe because I'm on Vista?
Suggestion: This version should work in both XP and Vista. However, Vista users should right click the downloaded FMGenieScout.exe file and run as Administrator, as well as running FM2008 as Administrator (otherwise Genie Scout won't be able to access the protected memory area of FM2008 - that's the way that viruses/trojans traditionally install themselves into other programs on your computer).
In addition, Vista users should also turn off User Access Control (UAC - Google "Turn off UAC" if not sure) if they are still having problems.

Bug: I get following error message: "Can't allocate the DIB handle."
Suggestion: No known workaround for this error. Try the 5 steps explained on the top.

Bug: When I load a new game with patch 8.0.1 and save, I start using Genie Scout. However, after a few days, when I save my game again (compress file is ticked off), I get an error message saying "Out of Memory while loading Entity Number: 66173 from TFMPerson Container"
Suggestion: No known workaround for this error.

Minor Issue: "Cannot create file "C:\Windows\Fontsmthin.ttf". Access is denied."
Suggestion: Click OK and it will continue to load, nothing critical here.


I'll be editing this post as I learn about more bugs and workarounds.

We always are grateful to Eugene, and I'm very happy the new Scout got out, even in this limited beta version, it filled us with hope that official release if very close.

I just feel bad that a lot of people, seemed to have bombarded Eugene's email with bug crap, that he probably already knew about.

The reason of this "bugs and workarounds" post is actually to keep people from sending duplicate posts and unnecessary emails, finding everything available (that I know of) in one place.

Thanks for your message. Guide in first post updated.

a player Toni Renan who is on loan in Internacional yesterday had a potential ability of 192 (i could swear it) but today when i load he has potential ability 112
i am sure that it wrote 192 yesterday because i searched 190+ potential ability players to see who are potential stars and his name came up so i was thrilled that he is in a club from which he would be happy to transfer to me
weird

Just posted an official statement for the beta that verifies the existence of known bugs. So, this might as well be one of them.

However, after reading almost every post in the official SI forums and a couple of more, I haven't read about such problem anywhere else, yet.

The mini-Scout gave him a PA of 120 and then Genie scout gave him a PA of 180?

If so i would go with the Mini-scouts rating, plus check his stats as see whether its viable he could get to 180.

yes, I agree... and the reason is funny too... from what I can guess at least.
football means something else in the US, even though it should be called rugby

though, since you already know the wwsm is usually on the downside with new utilities, why do you buy that and not fm?

why can't you order it online from someplace like play.com?
you sound like there is no other option

i'm with you on the 1 game anyway, just too much trouble having 3 different versions of it. they are having a hard time updating their sites also. sigames.com seems like dead after the initial launch of the game.

hopefully they'll get to understand that releasing different versions just for the title's sake, isn't worth it. or at least, they could have different title and front cover and installation screens, but the core should remain the same (I mean not even change fm.exe to anything else)

i should add more of those emoticons, i can't stop using them lol

It is not working for me. I get a error message:
" Entry number:7282,
file position:16446704,
database Version: 1143,
Person data seems to be corrupt."

I disabled the compressed saved game, installed the latest version patch but it is not working. Seems like I have to start a new game with the new patch in order to make the scout working. However that is not what i wnat to do especially when you are in 2013 year in the game.
I think that this genie scout at this moment has lots of problems and needs serious improvements!

I hope there will be a new version soon!

I've got the same problem and I hope too, that the relase date of FULL VERSION Genie will come out soon.
I play with huge databese, it means about 9500 Players, and Genie shows 1534 World Class players! How can it possible? Every players above 70% is World Class! Is it a bug? It was so dissaponting, that I played FM2007 instead FM2008.