USER PROBLEMS

 

Installation Problems

 

Unregistered OCX, DLL etc:   eg “Component COMDLG32.OCX or one of its dependencies not correctly registered. A file is missing or invalid”

Run-time error 339:                 eg Component TABCTL32.ocx or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid

 

a) Using Vista or Windows 7, ensure you have NOT downloaded Scorer to the folder c:\program files. This folder needs special privileges on Windows Vista and Windows 7.

b) Try running in compatibility mode. You can do this by RightClicking the Scorer Icon,  Properties, Compatibility.

 

When you install older controls on Vista, sometimes the controls (dll's or ocx's) may not register because you did not login as an administrator when you installed the Scorer.

You can either reinstall again as an Administrator (recommended) or manually register the control by Internet download again as an Administrator.  To do a manual register…

 

Registering a new version

It is likely, the component eg TABCTL32.ocx will already have been copied into the c:\windows\system32 folder (but if not, you can get a copy off the internet.)

To register it, as an Administrator, do Start and enter the command:

 

regsvr32 c:windows\system32\tabctl32.ocx

 

(Alternatively, create a shortcut to your regsrv32.exe put it in the folder with your tabctl32.ocx, right click on your shortcut for regsvr32.exe and find the checkbox to run as administrator, then drag and drop the ocx onto the shortcut. )

 

System cannot find the File/Path Specified or File Access Error

 

a) Ensure you have NOT downloaded the Scorer to c:\program files (on Windows 7 or Vista)  or to the Recovery Drive

b) Try “Run as Administrator”. (RightClick on Icon to set this)

 

Access Denied (after installation),  Unable to execute file in the temporary directory. Setup aborted, Error 5: Access is denied.

 

One solution is:

Firstly, ensure the installation file has been saved to a file on the PC.

Before, clicking psinstall, rename to psinstall.exe and then double click the download

 

 

Screen Display

 

Continuous new Display Screens created /  Display Screen Size Not Maintained

There are several recommended actions:

 

You have a choice of using the built in VB Browser or your own Browser (eg IE, Firefox,Netscape etc).

To use your own Browser, tick the ‘Use PCs Default Browser’ checkbox on the Administration screen.

 

If you use your own Browser, then set the browser to launch in the same screen each time if it is already running.

In Internet Explorer:

1)      Launch Internet Explorer

2)      Go To Tools/ Internet Options

3)      Go to the  Advanced tab

4)      Go to Browsing and Enable option ‘Reuse windows for launching shortcuts (when tabbed browser is used)’

 

Alternatively, dont use tabbing in browser (ie always one tab in same window).

1         Go to Tools/ Internet Options

2         In Tabs Go To Settings

3         Enable option  Open links from Programs in the current tab’.

(You can still open separate windows, but you do it through the Internet Explorer Tab facility rather than relaunching IE again and again)

 

Extended Display - Scrolling Screen Size Too Large Display

You can configure the PC to make a second monitor attached to your PC (perhaps a large data projector) as an extension of your desktop. Create the scrolling results on your PC screen until  it looks OK here. Make sure it is not maximised and then drag it over to your big screen, then maximise it. It should then fit onto the screen. If it doesn’t the scrolling code is picking up wrong information from your big screen. It uses the screen size to decide on the font size.

 

Extended Display to Other Laptops in Playing Area

You can use Team Viewer (or similar) free software to share the main PC screen. (www.teamviewer.com)

It can be used to remotely monitor the club PC and it works fine. The other laptops will have to have internet connection (wireless).

 

Internet Explorer 8/9 Scrolling – Error In Text (prompt for downloading Active X Controls)

This is because Internet Explorer 8 and 9 will present a security warning restricting scripts or ActiveX controls from running natively.

To allow the active content to run without any further manipulation.
1.) Launch Internet Explorer
2.)
Go To Tools/Internet Options
3.) Go To the Advanced tab.
4.) Go To Security and Enable option: Allow active content to run in files on My Computer
5.) Apply the change.

 

 

Email / BridgeWebs

 

Email Fail Error 32002 (unspecified Fail has occurred) etc

 

Causes are:

(a)  You have not set your Email Program (eg Outlook) as your default Email. You can check and correct that via START > Set Default Programs

(b) You need to either tick or untick the 'Include smtp in addresses checkbox' on the Administration screen.

(c) Unlike other Email programs, Windows Live Mail needs to be started before it will work properly with the Scorer Email.

 

Results not being uploaded to Bridgewebs

The issue is likely to be caused by a firewall on the PC. You need to change the access to allow the upload.

 

Email Fails

When I find the four files in their folder on my laptop and send them to results@simpairs.com using my Hotmail account on my laptop, nothing whatever happens.
When I find the four files in their folder on my laptop and send them to results@simpairs.com using my normal account on my desktop, they upload perfectly.

 

Lovely hotmail (maybe you need to update it) has put carriage returns in the c.txt, so our program can't import them. If you look at the files, you will see that there are random carriage returns. Old versions of hotmail used to do that, though I thought the later ones had fixed the problem.

Email Recipients Problems

Nothing happens when you click ‘Send Email Results’ button or you get Error 43. When I press the button marked ECATs Sims I get the following error message:
Error 32003 (Unspecified Failure has occurred) in procedure EMailEcatsMAPI of Form frmResults.

 

1a)      This is usually because the user does not have a Mapi non-web based Email. The automatic Email assumes that the default Mail Server is set on the Users PC and that the user has a Mapi non-web based Email eg NetScape Messenger, MS Outlook, MS Outlook Express (simple MAPI), MS Exchange, Entourage, Apples Mail for OSX, Pegasus, Lotus Notes, MS Mail, Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail, Groupwise 5.0, AOL 7.0, AOL 8.0, Eudora, Incredimail.  Email services that you reach with a browser, like Yahoo, Hotmail, etc are not MAPI compliant.

1b)     The Email addresses of the recipient(s) have not been specified. They can be set by unticking the ‘No Email Results’ checkbox in the Player Database.

 

Eudora Submission Problems

Submitting Ecats files from Eudora doesn’t seem to work.

 

This is because Eudora uses a separate folder to keep attachments (rather than within the Mail folder). When Eudora sends or receives an attachment with a name already used in the recipient's attachment directory, it glibly renames the attachment!! This will cause great confusion when people accidentally pick up the old version. Eudora's recommendation is to to use a new, unique name for every attachment. Unless there is some way for the scorer to access/delete previous c,r,p,e files from the Eudora atachments folder (!!),with the Ecats route having fixed names, I dont see there is anything we can do other than put a reminder on the Ecats site that Eudora users must delete any previous c,p,r files before generating the new ones.

 

NB Eudora does offer a configuration option to delete attachments when the associated mail is deleted from your system. The default setting for Eudora is to keep the attachments! Apart from that, there aren't any other ways for the user to control how Eudora handles attachments.

 

Using Hotmail, Gmail etc with Windows Live Mail

 

To send emails ( direct from PS) with a Hotmail account, there are many links which explain how to use\setup Windows Live Mail.. I have itemised a couple of links below which you may find useful. WLM automatically inserts the equivalent of POP\SMTP - during the setup.

http://www.freeemailtutorials.com/windowsLiveMail/setupEmailAccounts/setupHotmailAccount.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926374 (article by MS)

It's only since WLM was introduced that HTML (web) mail is accessible off-line.. (ie. Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo etc)

Other mail service providers do do it - but - for a fee.

Link to download WLM -- http://download.live.com/wlmail

 

 

Results, Travellers, Scorecards Hyperlinks not working on Website

 

The problem arises with Internet Explorer and maybe other browsers if you are using the VB Inbuilt Browser in the Scoring Program.

It occurs if you display the results in web table form on the screen, select ‘Save’ and then leave the ‘Save as type’ as ‘Webpage complete (*.htm,*.html)’ when you click the ‘Save’ button.

The solution is to change the ‘Save as type’ to ‘Webpage, HTML only(*.htm,*.html)’.

Alternatively:

Dont save the report. It has already been saved correctly by the Scoring Progam. Just copy the HTML (in Reports Folder) to where you want it for the web upload OR

On Administration screen, set Scorer to use your own Browser rather than using the built in VB Browser.

 

Bridgemate Problems

 

Launch BCS fails with file not found

This may happen on Windows 7 because it defaults to loading BCS in c:\program files(x86)\bridgemate pro whereas the Scorer defaults to c:\program files\bridgemate pro.

There are in fact two folders in Windows 7 - Program files is intended for 32 bit progs, program files (x86) is intended for 64 bit progs.

You can set the BCS(and Nat Player Database file)  location on the Bridge Unit Scorer > Bridge Admin screen

 

Run-time error '429': ActiveX component can't create object

a) This is most likely to happen  on a new Vista machine and is caused because the Active X files are inbuilt in Vista. A reboot of the machine may overcome this problem.

b) The most likely cause is that the correct Active X component has not been properly registered sometimes because other software has installed older or incorrect such components. The simplest remedy is to run the full installation file (as an Administrator) again.

 

PC seems to stop after an hour or two when using Bridgemate for results.

a) Ensure the Power settings are correct – Dont hibernate/standby, dont switch disk/screen off after a certain time etc

 

BM Entered Numbers decoded by BM’s but not in Scorer

Ensure you do not have ‘Disable Player Id Check’ ticked on Names Screen if you are using Player IDs.

 

Warning when you try to Create (BCS) Database for Table Top Unit Scoring

“Database Already Exists. Do you want to overwrite the database…

 

This ‘BCS database’ is labelled according to the Event Number (check the number in the list of events) – not the date. If the event you have already run is ‘event 1’, and you have now created an ‘event 2’, then there should not be any problem.

Likely reasons for this message:

(a) You have already tried to run wireless scoring for this new event; you abandoned this and when you returned, you tried to ‘Create Database’, but there was already a database created for this event.

(b) You have created an event earlier (& got as far as creating the wireless database), then deleted it. When you created a new event on the same day, it uses the same event number as the previous test. The Scorer is therefore trying to create a database with the same name as that for the old event.

In either case, there should not be a problem in overwriting the existing database.

The ‘BCS database’ is only used for transferring information between the scoring program & the BCS controller (Bridgemate Server, if that’s what you are using).

Once an event is finished, this database is redundant (though I wouldn’t normally delete it immediately). Similarly, if you create a database but never start receiving scores, then there is no harm in recreating it.

 

However, it is conceivable that during an event you are required to exit and return to the ‘Wireless Scoring’ screen, and you may have to click on ‘create database’ again. This is where it is important that you do not overwrite (though you shouldn’t be able to do so if your Bridgemate Control Software is accessing it) – just say ‘No I don’t want to overwrite’ & you should be able to access the existing database.

 

Excel Format Warning

When reports are sent to screen in excel file format get error message:

The file you are trying to open, Ranks6.xls is in a different format to that specified by the file extension. Verify that the file is not corrupted and is from a trusted source before opening the file. Opens ok if you say yes.

Its a Microsoft Security Issue explained on http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948615

You can clear it by either method, but it its hardly worthwhile - if you just reply Y each time, all should be fine.

 

BMII Names Display not working in Individuals/Swiss Teams

 

Individuals are not fully supported as of yet in Bridgemate II. Names will not come through correctly at the moment.

There are also issues with Swiss Teams because they are multi section.

 

Scoring for Different Clubs on one PC

 

There are two possibilities for supporting different Clubs on one PC.

 

1) Set a top level folder for each club eg c:\Maidstone and c:\Kent and install separate copies of the Scorer to each folder. You can then switch between folders to invoke the appropriate Club Scorer. It is sensible to set up a desktop icon to run the appropiate copy the Club Scorer every time.

 

2) Set up a different User Account (as Admin to forestall access problems) for each club.

To create a User account, use Control Panel > UserAccounts in XP, Vista, Windows 7

You can give each account as 'admin' or 'user'. It is simplest to make the accounts with 'admin' privileges to forestall any download/access problems. 

Create a separate User Account (eg Tonbridge BC, Maidstone BC etc) for each Club. This ensures separate Club defaults, player database etc for each Club. (The player database address is held in the registry and there is a separate registry for each user). Only one copy of the Scorer need be downloaded. Then you just switch between users! When you logon, you will see the choice of Users and just select as appropriate. Switching between users only takes a few seconds (it's mainly setting up the new desktop look).

 

Backups

It is sensible to do a backup of Event Data using the Administration>Backup Scorer Data button from time to time.

The Event Data consist of

Events File (All Scorers)

Boards File (TeamsScorer, SwissPairsScore & SwissTeamsScorer)

Contracts File (TeamsScorer, SwissPairsScore & SwissTeamsScorer )

Names File (SwissTeams Scorer only)

The Event Data and Player Database will be stored in a dated folder in the Backup folder.

 

Restoring Backups

You can restore previous Backup Event Data at any time by using the Administration > Change Data facility.

The Event Data Files will be located in the Backup Folder. To point to a file or folder:

-  Administration Button

-  Change File Button

-  Browse to the drive and file(s).  (Select folder titled 'Computer' in left Browse area, navigate to actual drive name F:)

-  Open Button

The filename will appear in the text box (eg C:\PairsScorer\PSEvents.dat). 

 

In a similar way, you can revert to an earlier Player Database using the Player Database>Change Database button.

 

Switching Between Events

Use the Change Event File (All Scorers), Change Boards File and Change Contracts File  (TeamsScorer,SwissPairsScorer & SwissTeamsScorer), Change Names File (SwissTeamsScorer only) buttons to switch Event Data. This is for recovering backups, switching between scoring different competitions and for diagnostic reports. The Events may be on the same PC or even copied to/from a memory stick to another PC. Plugging in a memory stick just creates another drive (E: or F: etc) for location of file(s)

 

Transfer Players List to new  PC

You can either use a memory stick or send it by email (as an attachment) to yourself on the new PC

The Players file location is shown on the Player Database screen (usually called PSMembers.dat)

 

The Scorer on the new PC may pick it up automatically if you stored it at the default location (eg c:\pairsscorer\psmembers.dat).

If it doesnt, you can always go to the Player Database screen and point at it.

 

Editing Movements Manually

The format is reasonably straightforward. As an example, this is from the Individual Movements.

 

F145
3,3,22,2,11,12
1,2,3,4,1,1,3,5,11,2,1,5,9,6,3,1,9,10,7,4,1,10,4,12,5,1,4,11,8,6,1,11,6,2,7,1,6,7,3,8,1,7,12,5,9,1,12,8,9,10,1,8,2,10,11
5,6,7,8,5,9,7,12,2,6,10,12,8,3,7,4,8,2,5,8,11,2,3,9,9,6,3,5,10,10,7,5,9,4,11,12,9,10,11,1,8,10,4,6,2,2,4,11,7,3,3,11,6,12,4
9,10,11,12,8,10,4,6,8,9,4,11,7,2,10,11,6,12,3,11,6,7,8,5,1,7,12,2,9,2,12,8,3,10,3,8,2,5,4,4,2,3,9,11,5,3,5,10,6,6,5,9,4,7,7

 

First line

 3=Type (Individual), 3 Tables, 22 Boards, 2 Boards per Round,  11 Rounds, 12 layers

 

There follows a series of N, S, E, W,Set for each Table

 Thus 1=N, 2=S, 3=E, 4=W, 1= Boards 1-2, 1=N, 3=S, 5=E, 11=W, 2=Boards 3-4 etc etc 

 

Experienced users can enter Movements in Excel in the above format (cell equates to a comma) and Save as csv files.

 

Printer Errors

Error 482: General printing error.

Scorers work seamlessly with the vast majority of printers on the market. Many reported printing problems have typically been associated with incompatible printer drivers. Note that the programs simply print to the Windows printer device and we have no specific knowledge or control of your printer. 

Under many circumstances, printing to a Postscript driver will improve compatibility. This is the single-best workaround. Check with your printer manufacturer for a Postscript driver. Sometimes simplifying or changing the printer settings such as reducing resolution to no more than 600 dpi can help. Network printers normally work properly but the network adds complexity to the system and can introduce a problem. One user reported a resolution to his printing problems when the printer was connected to a TCP/IP port that directly addressed the printer rather than printing through the server that the printer was connected to.

Another workaround is to print a PDF file with the Adobe Acrobat PDF printer or any of the freeware third-party PDF-compatible printer devices (DOPDF is recommended). No matter the source of the PDF printer, create the PDF file and then use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader utility to print the file.

 

Error 484: Problem geting Printer Information from the system (Make sure the printer is set up correctly)

This is most like to happen when printing Movement cards. A utility called SpeedyPCPro will clear the problem.

 

Asterisks on Travellers

 

Asterisk indicates that the board has been played in the same denomination both ways eg North plays 2H+1 and E plays 1H.

Its a common form of input error to put in the wrong declarer so in large tournaments, it helps the Scorer identify this type of error.