So, I was working as normal and one image I started a render on threw out an error that it couldn't find a file (like a texture file), but in the dialog it asked me to locate "Poser 7".  That's it... no file extension, no idea where to search and it's the first time this has happened... any ideas what it's talking about?

Is this like one of those things where you're taking the lawnmower to the shop for repairs because it doesn't start and you think the easiest way to get it in the back of the truck is to start it and drive it up? :P

Sometimes P7 and P8 get confused between folders and filenames.   That doesn't
help, but it might lessen the mystery!  (i.e., it's most likely a file that can't be found.)

Also, I like your analogy!  My version of the same circular thinking is when I'm trying
to unclog a sink trap.  Take off the trap, sure enough it's full of gunk, now I have to dump the
gunk somewhere ... so I automatically dump it in the sink.

unfortunatley I don't have 8 yet, so dunno where it's trying to look...

and yes, been in much similar situations :P

What  happens if you just  stop looking for it and continue on.  It happens to me when trying to find texture files.  I just skip it and find out later what it's missing. 

Another thing you could try is go to the MS search engine and type in "Poser 7" and see what all comes up.  Jan

well, if I tell it not to search for it, it ignores it and continues on as if nothing happens... I haven't tried searching for it other than that, I figure if it's running fine without, it's probably not a problem.  Then again, I haven't done a full system format and re-install in nearly 2 1/2 years, maybe it's time to do so :P

NO, don't do a re-install, that is the last thing you would want to do.  Just get a good cleaner like McAfee and let it do its thing.  Also defrag your hard drive.  I have an computer that I purchased in 2001 and its just as "fast" as it ever did.  Re-installing is a miserable thing.  Yes it will load just fine.  But when you want to update, if you are not careful.  MS and your virus protection fight like a bobcat and a  junk yard dog on what is going to update first.  Plus reloading all your software and their updates, plus locating all your runtime files and plopping them back in where you want them.  How do I know, well I'm still recovering from a hard drive burn out, a few weeks ago. Errrggg.

As for your "problem", is it just one figure, if so, start deleting stuff in it, like clothes, hair, until the problem clears, then install one item at a time until it fails. 

For example, I had a scene crash all the time and I found out that it was one strand group of my dynamic hair that caused it .  Jan

ha ha, I should have specified too, after a hard drive crash two years ago, I was left with a 60gig main drive and a 320gig backup drive, now I have a second 320gig drive for a new main drive, plus I keep everything sorted in folders with current updates and patches for all my programs, so finding things is no problem :P

Quote - So, I was working as normal and one image I started a render on threw out an error that it couldn't find a file (like a texture file), but in the dialog it asked me to locate "Poser 7".  That's it... no file extension, no idea where to search and it's the first time this has happened...

This sounds very much like one of the items you wanted to render has a badly written script. When it's not asking for a specific *.jpg file for example, it's asking for 'No Map' because it's not written correct or 'Poser 7' or whatever else some "creator" managed to get sold without caring for script checking via CRPro or similar programs. Can be very unnerving (SM also doesn't check their content for right image files it seems sometimes). Except you have a software that checks everything before you install it into your runtime, then you'll never again have to locate files that were missing in the scripts because (for example CRPro) it's automatically corrected.