Possible Coupon Bug?

OK. I had already applied the security patches. Now I'm also caught up on the bug fixes.

We're still receiving the same message for coupons that use category restrictions:
This coupon code is not valid for any product currently in your cart.

In order to try to resolve this problem, here's what I did:

1. Revised every product in my store to make sure that the category assigned as the master category is the lowest numbered category.

2. Created new coupons and tried different scenarios.

What we need is a coupon that's allowed for all products in the store except for 3 categories.

I set up an unlimited 10% off coupon.
Category Restrictions: Specials Deny (category is disabled)
Educational - Boosk, CD's DVD's Deny
Assessments Deny
Product Restrictions: none

I had previously tested this and it worked...now it's not working.
Receiving the coupon not valid for products in cart message.

Next in order to simplify the coupon restrictions and to use ideas from other posts, I set up another category (called All Supplements) that includes every product that is allowed to have the coupon. It is also a disabled category.

Created a new unlimited 10% off coupon.
Category Restrictions: Top Deny
All Supplements Allow
Product Restrictions: none

Still receiving the same error message.

I tried this same test with a different category that is not disabled. Still same message.

For another test I created an unlimited 10% off coupon with category restrictions: Top Deny
Product Restrictions: listing each product (153 products so far) Allow
This coupon seems to be working. I can use this in the meantime but it is cumbersome finding products in the list when we have a sale so they can be denied and allowed when the sale is over.

Any other ideas on why the category restrictions are not working?

Thanks for any help,

Jan