Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions...

We have added this page in response to Technical Support questions from users. Some questions relate to printing problems and/or to the detection of the security key. These are usually resolved by installing the latest Sentinel key drivers. Please take a look below to see if a fix for the problem has already been posted before calling for further advice.

1. Application Problems: 1.1 Application windows can't be re-sized in Win'95, Win'98, Win NT; 1.2 Tube Sheet Diagram won't start in Windows 3.1x; 1.3 Category List doesn't appear in the 'Select Legend' window; 1.4 "Illegal function call" message when creating |Table>Tube List|; 1.5 "File not found" message when loading the |Table| window.

2. Security Key Problems: 2.1 Activation Key not found...; 2.2 Hardware Key Error, Must Quit....
2.3 Software won't run under Windows XP

3. Printing Problems: 3.1 Printing stops, or produces garbage, or causes the system to lockup...
3.2 Message "A problem has occurred transmitting font information to the printer"...
3.3 Message "Printer Error 482"...
3.4 Message "Can't format this page... xxx exceeds printer bounds"...

4 .Application Notes: 4.1 E-mailing TSD reports using Adobe Acrobat PDF Files

1. Application Problems
1.1 Application windows can't be re-sized in Win'95, Win'98, Win NT: Applies to:; - Tube Sheet Diagram up to v1.32d,
- Floormap up to v1.11,
- PowerTube Wall-Map up to v1.08.

Problem:
When trying to adjust the size of windows within the programs, users are sometimes unable to drag the window boundaries. The problem occurs if the Windows 95/98/NT option to "Show window contents while dragging" is active.

Fix:: Tube Sheet Diagram - Upgrade TSD to version 1.44 or later; Floormap: Upgrade to FloorMaster32, or contact Silver Wing for upgrade to Floormap v1.14; PowerTube: Contact to Powergen plc for upgrade to WallMap; Alternative Workarounds...; In Win '95.
1. open the 'Folder Options' window using |Start|Settings|Folder Options|
2. select the 'View' tab,
3. select the 'Advanced Settings' panel; 4. in the 'Visual Settings' section, uncheck the option to "Show window contents while dragging".
: In Win'98
1. open the Control Panel using |Start|Settings|Control Panel|
2. open the 'Display Properties' window by clicking on the 'Display' icon in Control Panel,
3. uncheck the option to "Show window contents while dragging"...; In WinNT
Search Help for "Show window contents while dragging", then follow instructions to disable this option....

1.2. Tube Sheet Diagram won't start in Windows 3.11.: Applies to:; - Tube Sheet Diagram, all versions, in Windows 3.11 only.; Problem:
If TSD won't start and there are no other messages, then it may be that a soundcard is installed which uses a True Speech Decoder called TSD.DLL. Windows 3.1x fails to recognise the difference between TSD.DLL and TSD.EXE (the Tube Sheet Diagram executable file) and assumes that TSD already running... no system messages are generated by Windows.; Workarounds:; Rename the TSD executable filename:
Using File Manager, locate the 'c:\tsd' directory, then change name of the TSD executable file (tsd.exe) to a different name (e.g. tsd16.exe).
In Program Manager highlight the TSD icon, then use |File|Properties| to change the Command Line filename to tsd16.exe (or your new tsd.exe name).

: Alternatively, to remove the True Sound Decoder:
Remove the True Speech Decoder driver using the Drivers icon in Control Panel. (Beware: This may affect the performance of your soundcard or other audio programs).

1.3 Category List doesn't appear in 'Select Legend' window. (TSD; Floormap)

Applies to:

- Tube Sheet Diagram up to v1.43a
- Floormap up to v1.14

Problem:
Using computers with high screen resolution (e.g. 1280 x 1024) the category list doesn't appear in the 'Select Legend' window. The condition occurs on all screens whose vertical resolution exceeds 768 (usually expressed as 1024 x 768).

Fix (for TSD only): Upgrade TSD to version 1.44 or later

Alternative workaround...
Users should temporarily revert to a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 (or lower) then reconfigure the 'Select Legend' options using the |Categories>Select Legend| commands. Save the changes, then revert to the high resolution mode... the categories should then appear normally in the Diagram mode.

1.4 "Illegal function call" message when creating |Table>Tube List| in TSD

Applies to:

- Tube Sheet Diagram up to v1.43a

Problem:
When creating a Tube List using the |Table>Tube List| command an "Illegal function call" message can occasionally occur, especially if the ' Category List' has been recently created or amended. The error will occur if the name of one or more Categories exceeds 14 characters in length (despite the software actually permitting up to 15 characters to be entered.)

Fix: Upgrade to TSD version 1.44 or later

Alternative workaround...

Reduce the offending Category names to 14 characters or less. Use the menu command |Categories|Edit Current Categories|. Select each category in turn and 'Re-name' any that are too long.

1.5 "File not found" message when loading the |Table| window.

Applies to:
Tube Sheet Diagram up to v 1.44

Problem
The error message "File not found", with the heading 'SetupStats', sometimes appears when the Table page or Report Generator are opened. The error is caused by a missing file 'msafinx.dll', which should reside in the c:\windows\system directory.

Fix: Upgrade to TSD version 1.45 or later

Workaround
Copy the file msafinx.dll from another machine into the c:\windows\system directory of the troubled machine. The file should have a date of 10/10/95 or later.

2. Security Key Problems

The first actions in all cases of printer or security key problems should be the following...
A. Install the latest Sentinel key drivers (from our Technical Support page)...
B. Disable bi-directional printing (Item 3.1 below)...
If the problem still persists then try the following FAQ's...

2.1 & 2.2 Activation Key Not Found, or Hardware Key Error: Make sure that the key is fitted securely into the LPT-1 printer port of the computer. If the key is fitted to a different port (e.g. LPT-2, 3 or 4), the program may start but will soon generate the message "Hardware key not found... must quit.". (Note: If the computer has only one printer port it will always be called LPT-1). If the problem persists, then ensure that the latest security key drivers are installed.... Click here to install the latest Sentinel key drivers.
If the security key is removed or accidentally knocked out of the port whilst a program is in use, the message "Hardware Key Error... Must quit" will appear after an interval.; Note: If users are running Tube Sheet Diagram and Floormap on the same machine, then only one security key can be used at any time, since the two keys are not compatible with each other. Always use the latest version of the security key drivers, no matter which version was delivered with your software. Installation of an earlier version may disable all ISL software!

2.3 Software won't run under Windows XP

Windows XP operating systems need completely new drivers (v5.41 or later), in order to detect the Sentinel key correctly. Windows XP also requires that drivers be loaded using the Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI). If MSI is not already loaded on your machine, v5.41 will load it automatically prior to loading the Sentinel drivers. It is the MSI that causes the installation file to be so large, i.e. ~4.3Mb.

Click here to install the XP drivers. (This installation file is also suitable for Windows 9x, ME, and 2000).

3. Printing Problems
3.1 Printing stops, or produces garbage, or causes the system to lockup...: Most printing problems are caused by conflicts with the security key. The problems can usually be resolved by installing the latest version of the Sentinel driver from our Technical Support page. The driver intercepts the calls to the security key, and organises them so as to avoid conflicts with the printer. Windows MUST be shut down and restarted after installing the drivers. (In Win'95, Win'98, and WinNT it is not sufficient to simply log on as a new user.); If installation of the drivers fails to resolve the problem, then printer may have been configured with a 'bi-directional' interface... ( a configuration favoured by Hewlett Packard but which can conflict with our security key). We suggest that the bi-directional printing facility be disabled as follows...; Disable bi-directional printing in Windows 3.11...
Re-boot the computer. At startup hit F1 (or the appropriate key) to enter the BIOS setup. Carefully navigate around the BIOS settings until the Printer Port configuration is found, then ensure that LPT-1 is set to Normal or Compatible or Uni-directional, rather than Bi-directional or Enhanced, ECP, etc.; Disable bi-directional printing in Win'95, Win'98 or WinNT...
Open the Printers folder using |Start| Settings|Printers|...; Click with mouse-right on the current printer, then click on |Properties|Details|SpoolSettings|...; Disable the 'bi-direction printing' option if it is available. (If it is 'greyed-out', the facility is not available on the selected printer.)

3.2 Message "A problem has occurred transmitting font information to the printer"...: Applies to:
- Tube Sheet Diagram , all versions; - Floormap, all versions; - PowerTube WallMap,all versions.; The error can occur under two conditions...

: Problem #1:; A font-name or font-size is not recognised by the printer. The problem can occur if a report that was previously prepared for a printer using a specific 'printer' font is transmitted to a different printer which doesn't possess the same font. To avoid this condition, only TrueType fonts should be used in reports.; Fix #1:
Use only true type fonts for report text, and try to ensure that only Windows fonts are used, not third party fonts.; Note that the following fonts MUST be installed at all times...; Arial; MS Serif; MS Sans Serif; Small Fonts; Problem #2:; The printer may configured with an incorrect, or incorrectly configured printer driver... try installing the latest printer drivers. These are supplied by the manufacturer, and can often be downloaded from the manufacturers web-site. Alternatively it may be possible to experiment with the existing driver configuration to alleviate the problem.; Fix #2:; Contact the vendor of the printer

3.3 Message "Printer Error 482"...: A.The printer may have not have been installed, or may have been installed in-correctly.... re-install the printer, using the latest drivers if possible.
B. The printer driver may have been configured to receive only text, not graphics.; C. The destination printer may not have been setup as the Windows default printer...; To configure a printer as the 'default' in Win95 or Win NT...; Open the Printers folder using |Start| Settings|Printers|...; Click with mouse-right on the current printer icon, then click on 'Set as Default'..

3.4 Message "Can't format this page... xxx exceeds printer bounds"...: This error is generated by the ISL Report Generator when an embedded text frame lies outside the current limits of the printer. The message can occur when a page previously configured for a large page size (e.g. A3) is transmitted to a printer configured for a smaller page (e.g. A4), or when a 'portrait' page is transmitted to a printer configured in 'landscape' mode, or vice versa.; The problem can be resolved by correcting the printer page size or orientation.; Alternatively the offending text frame(s) can be deleted or re-located. Use the |Edit>Edit Text| menu command in the Report Generator to identify the text frame, then hit either the 'Delete' or 'Find' buttons. Frames which have been 'found' will be re-positioned at the top of the page.


4 Application Notes
4.1 E-mailing TSD reports using Adobe Acrobat PDF Files: Several users have asked about methods of e-mailing TSD reports to clients in a read only format. One successful method is to create a PDF file directly from TSD using Adobe Acrobat v4 or v5, then email the PDF file to the client . The file is an exact replica of the usual printed report, but in read-only format, and can be viewed and printed by clients using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader program. Minor changes must be made to the Acrobat printer configuration to work with TSD16... for full details download either of the following files...