Many problems can be solved without a call to Technical Support. This help file provides a few guidelines for help in troubleshooting. Because these instructions may involve making changes to your system, make sure that you have a recent backup before continuing. If you make a backup after a problem starts, DO NOT use the same tape or disk that was used for a previous backup. You could be overwriting good data with bad.
First, document exactly what is happening. If there is an error message or TeleMagic locks up, write down the exact steps needed to duplicate the problem. This includes every button clicked, every key pressed, and what was on the screen when the problem occurred. Error messages are extremely important, and must be noted exactly as they appear on the screen. This includes the error number, the message itself, and sometimes includes the name of a file or table. A typical error message might be "Multi-user Conflict 6: Too many files open". This includes the number and message, but you may also see something directly below this that reads: "Sorry, the Activity table could not be opened". This part of the error, specifically the table name, can be just as important as the error message itself. (The "possibilities" that may be listed below this are for general information only, and are displayed regardless of which error message you receive.)
Windows requires occasional maintenance. Many unexplained Windows problems and errors can be eliminated by following these simple steps:
o Using Explorer or File Manager, change to the \WINDOWS\TEMP directory and delete all files found in that directory. Do not delete the \TEMP directory itself. Be absolutely certain you are in the \TEMP directory in order to avoid deleting important files! If you are not comfortable doing this, and there are a lot of files in the \TEMP directory, have your system administrator or other technician assist you.
Note: The \TEMP directory may not be located under the \WINDOWS directory. To find out the location, go to the DOS prompt and type SET. Look for a line that reads TEMP= followed by a path. This is the directory Windows will use to store temporary files.
o Run ScanDisk. If "lost clusters" are found, have ScanDisk delete the files to free up hard drive space (usually lost clusters do not contain important data, rather they are what is left of temporary files). It is normal for ScanDisk to find problems after a computer crashes or locks up.
· If you are using Windows 3.1, exit Windows and type SCANDISK at the prompt. If typing SCANDISK returns a "bad command or filename" error, type CHKDSK/F instead.
· If you are using Windows 95, click the Start button and select Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then ScanDisk.
o Check available hard drive space. If this is extremely low (below 10MB, or 10,000,000 bytes), you will need to free up space or purchase a larger hard drive.
o Check available file handles and increase if necessary. Complete instructions for doing this are provided in help file #WIN028.
o Check System Resources. Complete instructions for doing this are provided in help file #W15040.
o Restart the computer.
Narrow it down. A little deduction goes a long way toward solving a problem. If you are getting an error or the program is locking up when trying to take a particular action, see if the same thing occurs in other parts of the program. Does the problem happen…
o in other databases?
o with other user ID's?
o on other workstations?
o when running TeleMagic directly from the network, rather than from a workstation setup?
o with a different network login?
o in a different installation of TeleMagic?
For example, if the problem cannot be duplicated using a different TeleMagic user ID on the same workstation, then we know that the user ID is most likely the cause of the problem.
Is the problem caused by other software in the system? Sometimes a problem may be due to a conflict between applications or drivers in Windows. To determine if this is the case, use the following checklist. If you do make changes to your system, make only one change at a time and keep a written record so that you can easily reverse the changes.
o Has a new software package been installed recently? If so, this may be the source of the problem. Try temporarily uninstalling or otherwise disabling the new software and see if the problem continues.
o Remove all programs from the Startup group then restart the computer. If the problem no longer occurs, add the programs back to the Startup group one at a time, restarting the computer each time, to determine which one is the source of the problem. Programs may also be starting automatically from the WIN.INI file. To determine if this is the case, open the WIN.INI file using a text editor such as Notepad. Look for two lines near the top of this file, one starting with LOAD= and another with RUN=. You can disable all programs that are listed after the equal sign by placing a semi-colon (;) in front of the line, or by deleting the path and program file name. Save the file and restart Windows.
o What printer has been selected as the default in Windows? If it is a device other than a printer, such as a fax driver or plotter, try making your printer driver the default instead.
o Change your video driver to the Windows standard VGA. Some video cards require that you use the manufacturer's software to change video drivers (Diamond video cards are a good example), so check the video card's documentation to see if this is the case. Booting in "Safe Mode", as outlined below, will change your video driver as well.
o Boot in Safe Mode. To do this, hit the F8 key while your computer is booting up, immediately after the "System Configuration" screen appears. (This is the screen which shows information such as CPU type, display, hard drives installed, etc.) This will display a menu allowing you to select either Safe Mode, or Safe Mode with network support. If you have a single user copy of TeleMagic installed on a local hard drive and are attached to a network, select Safe Mode without network support. This will help determine if the problem is network related. If you have a network version of TeleMagic, you will need to select Safe Mode with network support in order to access TeleMagic.
Use all available sources of support. There is a good chance that the problem you are having has already been documented, along with instructions on how to remedy the situation. Check alternative sources for the solution, such as the Answer Disk, help files on the TeleMagic web site or the fax back system. While there is no substitute for speaking with a technician on the phone, if you use the same methods we do in troubleshooting, you can potentially solve the problem yourself.
-- End of FAQ #493
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