FAQ
List, For M+3.0:
Chances are
good, that any questions you have, will have
been answered for other people before! We will
be adding to the list as we come across
information that will be helpful to our
customers.
Be sure to check the home page for
new patches or upgrades that may address your
problem as well. If you don't find what you are
looking for, please e-mail:
support@mkrhost.com
Here are some
of the common questions:
I keep getting a
startup error, number 76. What does this mean?
What is the datapath? And
why is my datapath.dat file so important?
How do I make a shortcut to my M+3.(X) program?
I don't know the password, or I have forgotten
my password, what can I do?
How do I backup my program files?
How
do I restore my program files?
I have been prompted to enter a pathname or
filepath. How do I find out the path to create,
restore or backup my files?
Notes for
Windows XP users.
PDF Papers addressing other
issues:
Installing Security Manager
M+3.X list of main program files
Upgrading or repairing your software & retaining
data
Moving your software to a new computer
Converting data from earlier versions 8.x and
9.x to M+3.X
No longer
supported:
Hot-syncing multiple PalmPilots running
MeterPalm
I keep getting a startup
error, number 76. What does this mean?
Click here for a picture of
the error image message.
When the program is
installed, a file containing information about
the location of your data is created in the same
folder as the program file. It is called
'datapath.dat'. The file can be opened in a text
editor, such as notepad, if you need to change
the location of your data. However, if the
program is unable to find any data by following
the path given in the 'datapath.dat' file, this
error will occur. Similar errors will occur if
other data files are not in the location that
the billing software expects. There is a list of
files given in 'What files should I expect to
see in the same folder as my verm30.exe program
file?' that you should take a look at if you are
receiving this error. Make sure that all these
files are located in the correct folder etc.
(default is 'C:\VERM3(X)\) and that the
datapath.dat file contains a line that reflects
that location; so in this case, the datapath.dat
file would have a single line of text,
'C:\VERM30\'.
Note. It is important that
you remember to put the '\' at the end of this
line of text, otherwise the error message will
still appear.
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What is
the datapath? And why is my datapath.dat file so
important?
(See also 'I keep getting a startup error,
number 76. What does this mean?')
A datapath is sort of like
an address; it provides a directions for your
program to follow. E.g. The default datapath for
'VERM30.exe' is 'C:\VERM30\'. Which means that,
on the C drive, in a folder called VERM30 we
will find the file we need. We could also say
that the billing program's datapath is
C:\VERM30\VERM30.exe.
The datapath file contains
information that lets your billing software know
the location of your data. If the datapath.dat
file is not in the same folder as your software
program then you will get an error indicating
that the program can't find your data.
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How do I make a shortcut to my M+3.(X) program?
There are two simple ways to
make a shortcut to your billing program:
1)
-
Open a windows explorer
(browser) window and locate the VERM3(X)
folder and the program file within it; this
should have either a faucet or a globe icon
and a file extension '.exe'.
-
Right click on the file.
-
An menu should appear
giving you the option to 'create shortcut'.
-
Take this option then
find the file created below, with the text
'Shortcut to VERM3(X).exe'.
-
Right click on this file
and the menu will pop up as before. This
time take the option to 'Cut'.
-
Come out of the browser
and right click onto the desktop. In the
menu, chose the option to 'Paste' and the
shortcut will appear on the desktop. (You
can paste the shortcut to any location that
is convenient to you.)
-
Right clicking again on
this icon will give you the option to rename
if you want to.
2)
-
Open a windows explorer
(browser) window and locate the VERM3(X)
folder and the program file within it; this
should have either a faucet or a globe icon
and a file extension '.exe'.
-
Make sure that the
browser window is not covering the whole of
the desktop.
-
Right click and hold the
right button down.
-
Drag/ Move the mouse
cursor as if you were moving the
VERM3(X).exe file to the desktop.
-
Drop/ let go of the
mouse button.
-
If a menu appears, take
the option to 'create shortcut here'.
-
Right clicking again on
this icon will give you the option to rename
if you want to.
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I don't know the password, or I have forgotten
my password, what can I do?
Instructions for this
occurrence are also given in your manual.
The default password for
older versions of the M+3.X software is 'BOB'.
On older versions, if you have forgotten your
password, look at the bottom of the startup
screen for the text 'Microsoft and Visual Basic
are Trademarks of Microsoft Corp.' Clicking on
the word 'are' in this sentence will allow you
access to the program.
The default password for
newer versions of the M+3.X software is 'MKR'.
On newer versions, if you have forgotten your
password, clicking on the globe in 'ELD.SOft
will allow you access to the program.
Once you have accessed the
software's main menu screen, if you are prompted
for a password to access any other areas of the
program and are not running the Security Manager
Module, simply (typing [space], [space]/)
tapping the space bar twice, and then pressing
return, will bypass the password prompt.
If you are running the
Security Manager module with your billing
software you will need to contact technical
support for assistance.
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How
do I back up my program files?
-
Within the billing
software program, under the 'Maintenance'
menu, select the 'Backup/ Restore Datafiles'
option. You will then have a choice of which
data set you wish to back up.
-
Select the destination
for the backup files in the top left-hand
corner. You can backup to floppy disc, or
enter the destination path. You may wish to
create a separate folder 'VERM3XBAK' to
indicate backup files; then you would enter
'C:\VERM3XBAK\' into the text box after
checking 'pathname'.
-
To backup to a CD, first
backup your files to a folder on the
computer (see above) and then use your
computer's CD burning software to copy the
files to a CD.
A quick and effective
alternative to this method, is to simply make a
copy of the entire program folder. This can then
be saved to a separate area of the computer or
to disk, monthly backups can be made and stored,
labeled by date or other backup id, in a very
small amount of space especially if they are
zipped or compressed.
The advantage of this method
is that, in the situation where it is necessary
to restore data, by reinstalling the software
from the original installation disc and then
swapping out the newly installed VERM3(X) folder
with the last VERM3(X) folder copy with a good
set of data, is all that you will need to do in
order to have your program back up and running
in no time. (If your backups are renamed in
order to label them, be sure that you restore
their original name when replacing the program
folder.)
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How
do I restore my program files?
-
Within the billing
software program, under the 'Maintenance'
menu, select the 'Backup/ Restore Datafiles'
option.
-
In the top left-hand
corner, select the destination of the files
you wish to restore or enter the pathname.
-
To restore from a CD,
first copy your files to a folder on the
computer and then type this path/ location
into the pathname textbox.
-
Click on the button
'Restore Data Files'. You will be given a
warning, restoring files will overwrite any
current data with the backup data.
Acknowledge this and then press the next
button to confirm you actions.
-
When you next use the
billing software program, the data set from
the backup you selected will be displayed
and processed.
A quick and effective
alternative to this method, is to simply take a
copy previously made, of the entire program
folder and replace the damaged one. If you make
a mistake, data gets corrupted or lost, then
renaming or removing the damaged VERM3(X) folder
and replacing it with the backup folder
containing the last good set of data will
restore the entire data set and other
information to the exact state it was in when
the backup was made.
The advantage of this method
is that, in the situation where it is necessary
to replace a damaged program and restore data
quickly, reinstalling the software from the
original installation disc and then replacing
the newly installed VERM3(X) folder with the
last good VERM3(X) folder copy will restore your
entire program to the latest correct data set.
Your program is back up and running in no time.
If you only need to restore
the data itself, the solution is even simpler.
There is no need to reinstall the software,
simply swap out the folder containing damaged
data with a backup folder copy and you are ready
to continue using the billing software with a
non-damaged data set. (Remember to rename your
backup folder to the same name as the folder
that it is replacing when you swap them.)
It is also possible to
backup and restore individual files and data
sets if necessary. Please contact technical
support for assistance in this situation.
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I have been prompted to enter a pathname or
filepath. How do I find out the path to create,
restore or backup my files?
You will be prompted to
enter a path, filepath or path name in a number
of places within the software. This means that
you are telling the program where to find, put
or create the files you need. If you know the
location then you can enter it manually, be
certain that you use the correct capitalization
for files and the correct folder sequence.
One of the easiest ways to
enter the path correctly without having to type
it, is to do the following:
-
Find the files or the
folder to put the files in, by using a
windows explorer browser. (The window you
use to open files.)
-
At the top of the window
you should see a text box containing the
'Address'. The text that is displayed here
is the path for your data.
-
Select the path and
right click to 'copy' it. When you return to
the billing software program you will be
able to right click again, in the text box
for the pathname and 'paste' the path
straight in.
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Notes for
Windows XP users.
In many of the FAQ sections
we refer to 'file extensions' such as '.dat' or
'.exe', or 'pathnames' and 'Addresses'. Windows
XP has settings which hide this information by
default. In order to be able to view this
information you will need to:
-
Open a windows explorer
browser.
-
Under the "Tools' menu
at the top of the window, select 'Folder
Options'.
-
In the 'Folder Options'
window select the 'View' tab.
-
Under 'Advanced
Settings' make sure that the checkbox next
to 'Display the full path in the address
bar' is checked and that the checkbox next
to 'Hide extensions for known file types' is
not checked.
You should now be able to
view filepaths and extensions as discussed in
the FAQs.
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info@mkrhost.com
