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TROUBLESHOOTING Version 2.0 (DVD) Symptom 1: On the Photo-Atlas Home page the "Minerals" button does not function. The "Slide Show" and "Identification Game" buttons work, but no images are displayed. The Glossary, Instructions and Credits operate properly. Cause/Solution: The symptoms indicate that you did not respond to the "Image files not found" message box that came up when you started the Photo-Atlas. You probably either clicked the "Cancel" button or the "x" in the upper right corner of the box. You must select the drive letter that corresponds to your DVD drive. This will probably be your "d" drive. After you do that, the next two buttons will be activated. If you have enough space on your hard drive, we recommend selecting the first option, "Copy Image Files to Hard Drive". This will take awhile, but it is well worth it. If you choose "Use Images from DVD", you will be able to run the program, but operation (especially the loading of large photo galleries) will be markedly slower. Also, some of the atomic structures will not be accessible. If you choose the first option, make sure that you also see the note in the Instructions regarding making the atomic structure files writeable. Also note that if you copy the files to your hard drive, whenever you start the Photo-Atlas in the future it will recognize that you have copied the files and the "Image files not found" message box will no longer appear. Symptom 2: When you first start the Photo-Atlas the message below appears. When you try to start the Photo-Atlas a second time, it starts and operates normally.
Cause/Solution: This problem often occurs on slower computer systems. It is caused by the program essentially timing out – taking longer than expected to load. The second time you start the program it loads more quickly, because the SQL Server (sqlservr.exe) has already been started. (If this is the case, sqlserver.exe should show up under Processes in the Windows Task Manager after the initial failure of the Photo-Atlas to start.) You will probably continue to see the same behavior, but it should not affect Photo-Atlas operation once it is up and running. The ultimate solution is probably to upgrade your computer. In the meantime, I suggest that you take the normally recommended steps for improving performance, such as defragmenting your hard drive, making sure that you have a reasonable amount of free space on your hard drive, reducing the number of programs running in the background and clearing out any spyware using a program such as Ad-Aware. Symptom 3: Every time you try to start the Photo-Atlas you get the message:
Cause/Solution: You may have had an earlier version of Microsoft SQL Server installed on your computer or program files may have become corrupted. Go to "Add or Remove Programs" in the Windows Control Panel. Uninstall the Photo-Atlas of Minerals, Microsoft SQL Server (all instances) and Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0. Insert the Photo-Atlas DVD and follow the installation instructions. This will reinstall Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and the Photo-Atlas of Minerals. If you have copied the images and other content from the DVD to your hard disk, you do not need to remove them. They will not need to be recopied as long as you reinstall the Photo-Atlas program to the same directory as before. Symptom 4: The layout of the Photo-Atlas screens doesn't look right. On the Photo-Atlas Home page the title appears on the top and bottom and starts again on the left side. On the Mineral Indexes page graphical elements are shifted and boxes sometimes overlap text. Cause/Solution: You have the Windows font DPI setting set to "Large size (120 DPI)". The Photo-Atlas was programmed to operate with the Windows font set to "Normal size (96 DPI). To reset the font size go to "Display Properties" either by right-clicking on the Windows Desktop and choosing "Properties" or go to "Display in the Windows Control Panel. Select "Settings", "Advanced" and "General". In the pick-box for "DPI setting" choose "Normal size (96 DPI)". You will need to restart your computer for the change to take effect. Note that you can choose a larger font for Windows via the "Appearance" tab under "Display Properties" without adversely affecting the Photo-Atlas. Technical Support: If you are experiencing problems not addressed here or if the solutions suggested do not work, contact Tony Kampf and George Gerhold.
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The Photo-Atlas of Minerals |
