Other Technical Issues and FAQs

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Support | Other Technical Issues and FAQs

Before attempting to solve a support issue, please ensure that you have access to change permissions on your school computer, server or network.  If you are unsure or do not have the correct permissions, please contact your school technician for the solutions.

When you contact Technical Support, please ensure that you initially complete the online form.  Requests for help that are submitted to us before 3pm on a school day will usually receive a reply on the same day.

• “I receive an error message that reads: ‘Cannot find resource.ini file’”
• "I receive an error message that reads: ‘Could not find the application. File not found.’”
• "After I register my software with the product password, I am still told that the software is unregistered."
• "When I run the software I get an error message indicating that a file is already open with write permission for another user."
• "The screen fonts look jumbled, with text overlapping or running off the screen."
• "The program does not fill the screen."
• "The CD doesn't auto-run."
• "Some of the animations or video clips do not run smoothly, or at all."
• "I cannot hear the voiceover, or sound effects, or see any video."
• "My Windows XP computer gives an Application Error message when I try to start the software."
• "Is the software compatible with my version of Windows?"
• "I cannot save my Databank, Word Search or Labelling activities in the Create Your Own software."
• "What type of licence do I have with my software?"
• "When I run the software, my system reports an error relating to "C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT""

 

 

“I receive an error message that reads: ‘Cannot find resource.ini file’”
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The resource.ini file stores all the important information about products such as whether they are registered or previously installed and allows online updates to take place.

If you have done an Express Installation you will need to check that the datapath.ini file of the application points to the resource.ini file (as in below layout)

[StoreData]
assess=1
[SharedFolder]
path=C:\Program Files\Birchfield\AT data\
media=C:\Program Files\Birchfield\LessonBuilder\Media\
[resource]
path=C:\Program Files\Birchfield\

You can find your resource.ini file in the default setting: C:\Program Files\Birchfield\Resource.ini

If you have completed an Advanced Installation, you will need to check where you have designated the Resource.ini file to go.

The default folder will be C:\Program Files\Birchfield\Resource.ini

In the Advanced Installation you had the option to change this to somewhere more central

Once found, you will need to check that the Datapath.ini file of the application (Subject launcher / Instant Lesson or Lesson Builder) points to the Resource.ini file.

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

 

I receive an error message that reads: ‘Could not find the application. File not found.’”
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If the Resource.ini file is missing the correct folder name, the software will not be able to load correctly. If you have done an Express Installation you will need to open the Resource.ini file (located by default at C:\Program Files\Birchfield\Resource.ini). Find the correct product key by using the product code (located on the spine of the CD/DVD case), or the product name key.

Check that the folder key is pointing to the correct folder for the application:

[BCDS00100-LK]
subjectname=RE
productname=Moral_Issues_Ages_14-16
version=1.00
folder=C:\Program Files\Birchfield\BCDS00100-LK\
application=play.exe

If you have completed an Advanced Installation, you will need to check where you have designated the Resource.ini file to go.

The default folder will be C:\Program Files\Birchfield\Resource.ini

In the Advanced Installation you had the option to change this to somewhere more central

Once located, you will need to open the Resource.ini file (located by default at C:\Program Files\Birchfield\Resource.ini). Find the correct product key by using the product code (located on the spine of the CD/DVD case), or the product name key.

Check that the folder key is pointing to the correct folder for the application.

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

 

"After I register my software with the product password, I am still told that the software is unregistered."
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The majority of our products create a registration file on your hard drive (or, in the case of Resource Packs, a key in the Windows Registry), to indicate that the software has been registered.

The Version 3 titles and most Revision Tools (Create Your Own, Wordsearch & Group Challenges) create a registration file in their installation folder. Granting write permission for everyone in this individual file will resolve the majority of registration issues.

The Professional Edition, Standard Edition and Question Genie titles create their registration file in the root folder of the C: drive. If installing locally, granting write permission to this file for everyone may resolve your registration issue.

If you are installing these software titles on a server, you may need to copy the registration file to each of your client machines. The easiest way to do this is to include the registration file in a distribution package for the software, or to create a batch file to copy the file to each of the client machines.

Replacement CD-ROMs that do not require passwords are available, free of charge, for some of these titles; please contact us for further assistance.

Known password issues have been resolved with the introduction of the Lesson Kit range of software titles; upgrade options are available for the Version 3, Professional Edition and Standard Edition titles, please contact us for more information and pricing options.

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

 

"When I run the software I get an error message indicating that a file is already open with write permission for another user."
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If this occurs, you will need to modify the access permissions for the software. To do this, browse to the folder in which the software is installed. By default, software is installed to the following folder:

C:\Program Files\Birchfield\[Installation Folder] where [Installation Folder] is product-specific, e.g. "Finance"

Inside the folder you will find one or more files with an ".exe", or ".dxr" extension. For each of these files:

• Right-click on the file icon.
• Choose the Properties option from the pop-up menu. A new window will appear.
• Tick the box labelled ‘Read-only’.
• Press the 'OK' button to close the window.

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

 

"The screen fonts look jumbled, with text overlapping or running off the screen."
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Professional Edition & Standard Edition titles require "write" access to the folder:

C:\Windows\System32

This will write the temporary font files required for the program to display the correct screen fonts.

Unfortunately, there is no easy solution for this issue with the Professional & Standard Edition titles, other than to grant the appropriate permissions to this folder.

However, this issue has been fully resolved with the introduction of the Lesson Kit range of software titles; upgrade options are available for the Version 3, Professional Edition and Standard Edition titles, please contact us for more information and pricing options.

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

 

"The program does not fill the screen."
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All Birchfield software is designed for a screen resolution of 800x600. If your computer is set to display a higher resolution, the software will be displayed in the middle of the screen with a black border.

To change your computer's screen resolution:

• Right-click on a clear part of your computer desktop.
• Choose the Properties option from the pop-up menu. A new window appears.
• Click on the Settings tab.
• Drag the screen resolution slider to change your screen resolution.
• Click the 'OK' button to use the new setting.

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

 

"The CD doesn't auto-run."
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If the setup program does not automatically run when you insert the CD/DVD, choose 'Start' then 'Run' and type D:\Setup.exe (Where D is the letter of your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive).

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

 

"Some of the animations or video clips do not run smoothly, or at all."
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The mostly likely cause for this problem is that QuickTime is not installed. QuickTime is a third-party program which enables your computer to play various types of animation and video clips.

A copy of the QuickTime installer is supplied in the QuickTime folder you will find on your product CD-ROM for all Standard Editions, Professional Editions and Version 3 titles:

D:\Quicktime\QuickTimeInstaller.exe (Where D is the letter of your CD-ROM drive)

Alternatively, you may download the latest version of QuickTime from Apple's website:

• http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
(Offsite link)

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

 

"I cannot hear the voiceover, or sound effects, or see any video."
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You should install the latest version of Microsoft DirectX. DirectX is a third-party program that enables your computer to play various types of sounds and video clips.

Installers for Windows 95, Windows 98 & Windows 2000 can be found in the Support folder on the Birchfield product installation CD. More information can be found at Microsoft's website:

• http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en&categoryid=2
(Offsite link)

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

 

"My Windows XP computer gives an Application Error message when I try to start the software."
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To solve this problem:

• Right-click on the program icon for the software in the Start menu or on the desktop.
• Choose Properties from the pop-up menu. A new window appears.
• Click on the Compatibility tab to select it.
• In the Compatibility mode section, click on the check box labelled ‘Run this program in compatibility mode’ so that a tick appears in the check box.
• Click on the drop-down menu box and select 'Windows 98/Windows ME'.
• Press the 'OK' button to record the change.
• Run the software again.

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

 

"Is the software compatible with my version of Windows?"
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All of our products are compatible with Windows 98/2000 and XP. Our primary range of titles are also compatible with Windows 95/NT. Please view the individual technical specifications for more details.

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

 

"I cannot save my Databank, Word Search or Labelling activities in the Create Your Own software."
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Ensure that the Data folder in each of the following locations has read/write access permissions:

C:\Program Files\Birchfield\WSTool\Data\Qs & WB
C:\Program Files\Birchfield\LabTool\Data
C:\Program Files\Birchfield\DnDTool\Data
(The above file paths assume that you have installed the software to the default location.)

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

 

"What type of licence do I have with my software?"
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All Birchfield software titles are supplied with a full, unlimited user site licence, entitling the software to be installed on any number of individual computers, or network servers on a single educational site.

If you require documentary evidence of your licence, please contact us or for Lesson Kit/Instant Lesson titles, please see the 'Copyright Notice' at the start of the installation of your DVD-ROM.

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.

"When I run the software, my system reports an error relating to "C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT""
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It is likely that Windows has incorrectly created the shortcut for the software.

• Locate the shortcut for the software (on a Windows XP system, for example, this may be by selecting 'Start, All Programs, Birchfield Interactive'
• Right-click on the shortcut, and select ‘Properties’
• Edit the box marked 'Target', and remove the reference to C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT

If the above explanation has not solved your issue and you require further assistance, please contact our Technical Support team.