INSTRUCTIONS TO REPAIR INSTALLATION 22 May 05 Thank you for your interest in the MetaScient Oracle. We regret that you encountered a problem installing it. This document will help you make the necessary repairs. There are four kinds of installation problems: your installation cannot begin; your installation was successfully completed, but you cannot open the program; your installation completed, but repairs are required; your installation failed. Scroll down to the apppropriate section and follow the instructions. If you encounter a problem not discussed here, please contact MetaScient Technology as noted below. [Table of Contents] General Information Keep the Installation Log Causes of Installation Problems Installation Cannot Begin Description of the Problem Repairing the Problem Required Fonts Installing Fonts Additional Font Problems Installation Successful, Cannot Open Program Description of the Problem Repairing the Problem Installation Completed, Repairs Necessary Description of the Problem Repairing the Problem Identifying a System Component Registration Problem Note the Component and System Folder Find the Component on Your System Found a Single File Found Two or More Files Two of More Files, One System Folder Two of More Files, Two System Folder Register a Component Registry Conflict Register a Component with an Application Conflict Register a Component with a System Conflict Installation Failed Description of the Problem Repairing the Problem Open Programs During Installation Hidden Programs System Administrator Lockout Un-installing the Program Re-Installing the Program Contact MetaScient Technology GENERAL INFORMATION [Keep the Installation Log] Using 'Save As' on Notepad, save these instructions and the Installation Log that popped up after your installation was aborted. There are two types of installation logs: C:\Windows-or-Winnt\MsoracleInstallNew.log new installation C:\Windows-or-Winnt\MsoracleInstallUpd.log updated installation If you do not have them handy, search Windows for the file names, then open and save them to your preferred location. [Causes of Installation Problems] The MetaScient Oracle installer is compatible with all 32-bit Windows systems. Problems can arise when: A font is not installed or improperly registered. Other programs are open, from shared component conflicts. Hidden security (e.g., virus) programs prevent certain installation procedures. Other installers have updated or changed system components improperly. Old registered components remain after a Windows update. The installer encounters system refusals from a lack of administrator priviledge on your computer. There are bugs in certain Windows system files that require update. INSTALLATION CANNOT BEGIN [Description of the Problem] You ran the installer, the files were unzipped, then before the main setup program could run, you received a notice that one or two fonts must be installed; then the setup closed. If you encountered any other error that prevented the setup program from running, you may be out of memory, have a Windows system problem, or you are using a 16-bit version of Windows (before Win95 which cannot run the msoracle). [Repairing the Problem] If one or more fonts are detected as missing, you cannot run the installation program until all the required fonts are installed. For all other problems, close all programs and restart Windows. Then re-install. If the installer still will not run, you may need to repair Windows. [Required Fonts] The MetaScient Oracle requires the fonts "Times New Roman" and "Times New Roman Italic". [There may be a different name for Italic in non-English versions of Windows.] These fonts are standard on most Windows systems. If the installer has detected that either of these fonts is not installed, you must download the font from our website and install it. [Installing Fonts] Installed font file names must be exactly and no approximations or additional characters, etc., or the font is not correct. Search for these files to verify whether you have them. If you do have them, they must be properly installed and should be listed in the Fonts folder. [Non-English may be named slightly different, e.g. Times New Roman Cursive (instead of Italic).] In the Control Panel, Fonts folder, you may verify a font name and its file by right-clicking the font and selecting "Properties". Note the name of the font that is not installed, download the font (see below), then install it with the Fonts utility in the Control Panel. [See Windows Help, "Start, Help, Adding Fonts" if necessary. Install fonts only with the Fonts utility, never by moving files into folders, or you might create a Registry conflict.] After you install the font, you must exit then restart Windows to activate it. You may download these fonts from our website: Times New Roman www.msoracle.com/times.ttf Times New Roman Italic www.msoracle.com/timesi.ttf [Additional Font Problems] You have a Registry conflict if the correct font seems to be installed and you still get an error when you run the installer. [In the Control Panel, Fonts folder, you may verify a font name and its file by right-clicking the font and selecting "Properties". Fonts cannot simply be placed in the Fonts folder; they must be installed with the Fonts utility.] If you have a Registry conflict, use only the Fonts utility to correct it as follows: copy the font file to a safe place elsewhere on your disk, then uninstall (remove) it from Control Panel, Fonts. Exit and restart Windows. Then install the font downloaded from our website. Again exit and restart Windows. The conflict should be corrected and the installer should run. INSTALLATION SUCCESSFUL, CANNOT OPEN PROGRAM [Description of the Problem] Your installation successfully completed. When you tried to open the program, the MetaScient Oracle banner showed, then you received the error message "Error 5: Invalid procedure call or argument". When you clicked the error, the program closed. Otherwise, if you received an error message that a system module is not accessible or is not registered, then go to the section below, "Installation Completed, Repairs Necessary". If you cannot open the program for any other reason, please go to the section below, "Contact MetaScient Technology". [Repairing the Problem] Certain versions of WinXP include a system module which has been verified by Microsoft to contain bugs. Updating this system module will correct the problem. Download the file www.msoracle.com/vbrun60sp6.exe and run it. This is a Microsoft update which installs the latest . Restart Windows after the update is completed. If this does not work, it may be necessary to install the latest WinXP service pack. Go to www.microsoft.com for those details. INSTALLATION COMPLETED, REPAIRS NECESSARY [Description of the Problem] Your installation completed, but you were notified that there was a component registration error, and at the end you were notified that repairs are necessary. The Repair Manual and Installation Log popped open. The MetaScient Oracle may or may not open. [Repairing the Problem] If the MetaScient Oracle opens properly, another program installer placed a system file into an improper folder. You may leave it as is, or your may correct the system component registration as noted below if you fully understand how. Windows will not allow you to open the MetaScient Oracle with an unregistered system component. Since the setup program could not do so, you must manually register the system component. Generally, you identify the component causing the problem from the Installation Log, locate that component on your system, determine from these instructions what kind of problem it is, then repair it by manually registering the component. [If you do not have the Installation Log, go to the top of this document, "Keep the Installation Log".] Once repairs are made, Windows must be restarted before opening the MetaScient Oracle. [Identifying a System Component Registration Problem] If a system component registration problem was encountered, during the setup you received an error message like "Registration Fault 3 registering C:\Windows\System\Threed32.ocx...", or "Error 374 registering...", etc, i.e. the word "registration" appears. This component error was written on your Installation Log. [Note the Component and System Folder] From your Installation Log, note the name of the component which cannot be registered, for example: Threed32.ocx. [We will use Threed32.ocx as the most common example. If the name of your component is different, substitute it.] From your Installation Log, note your Windows System folder: C:\Windows\System (for 95/98) C:\Windows\System32 (for XP) C:\WinNT\System32 (for 2000/NT) This is the folder in which all of your system components are placed and registered. [Find the Component on your System] Click 'Start, Find (Search), Files...'. Using the Windows Find (or Search) utility, search all folders (under C:\) for the component by name (e.g., Threed32.ocx). When found, note its complete name (with its folder). Verify that it exists in your Windows System folder. For example, for Win98 and component Threed32.ocx, the file is found as c:\Windows\System\Threed32.ocx. This verifies that the file exists in the proper folder. [Found a Single File] If there is only one found file in the correct system directory, go now to the subsection below, "Register a Component". [Found Two or More Files] If you find more than one of the same components, note their folder names and dates. You may have an application or system conflict. [Two or More Files, One System Folder] For example in Win95/98, you found two files named Threed32.ocx with different folders, and only one of them is a system folder: C:\Windows\System\Threed32.ocx (in the 95/98 system folder) C:\Program Files\Acme\Cmps\Threed32.ocx You may have an application conflict. The component may be registered in other-than the Windows System folder. This is most likely to happen with Threed32.ocx. Your installation may work anyway in this situation, so it may not be necessary to correct the problem. But if you cannot open the MetaScient Oracle, it must be corrected. Go to the subsection, "Register a Component with an Application Conflict". [Two or More Files, Two System Folders] In this example for WinXP, the correct Windows System folder is C:\Windows\System32\ For example in WinXP, you found two files named Myfile.dll with system folders: C:\Windows\System\Myfile.dll (in the 95/98-type system folder) C:\Windows\System32\Myfile.dll (in the XP-type system folder) In this example, you are using the later XP Windows, so the earlier component might be registered in the incorrect system folder, thus cannot be registered into the correct one. Go to the section below, "Register a Component with a System Conflict". [Register a Component] System components must be in your Windows System folder. Manually register the component (e.g. Threed32.ocx) as follows, using your Windows System folder as the path (example for Win98): Click 'Start, Run'. Type in: Regsvr32.exe C:\Windows\System\Threed32.ocx Click 'OK' to run the registration program. The program should return that the component was successfully registered. If the registration program again returns that the component cannot be registered, then first unregister it as follows (with the /u switch): Click 'Start, Run'. Type in: Regsvr32.exe /u C:\Windows\System\Threed32.ocx Click 'OK' to run the registration program. The program should return that the component was successfully unregistered. Repeat the first step above to now register the component. The program should return that the component was successfully registered. If you still have problems with registering a single component, then you may have a Registry Conflict (see below). [Registry Conflict] If you try to register a single component in the system folder (no others on your computer), and the Regsvr32 cannot register it, then you have a Registry conflict. [Probably, a component was once on your computer, registered, then the component was deleted without unregistering it, leaving an error in the Registry.] This problem is for expert users, because the Registry must be edited. [Do Not edit the Registry unless you are certain how.] However, a "Windows repair" utility may also repair it for you (by removing the Registry entry that has no file). Once the Registry is repaired, you should be able to register the component as described above. [Register a Component with an Application Conflict] This is necessary only if the MetaScient Oracle will not open, showing a component registration error. You must unregister the component not in the system folder, then register the same component placed in the (proper) system folder. Another application may have improperly installed and registered the component into one of their folders (instead of the Windows System folder). Component files can be assigned only one registration, so the component properly placed into the system folder cannot be registered. WARNING: Do not proceed unless you understand what you are doing. It is possible that this procedure may interfere with another application, although not likely. If so, you will have to reverse it to the original state. If the MetaScient Oracle opens, you do not need to change anything. Locate the component(s) with the find-search utility. If there is more than one other file, unregister each to be sure the incorrect component is unregistered: Note the other (non-system) file name, e.g. C:\Program Files\Acme\Components\Threed32.ocx. That file must be unregistered with the complete file name and the /u switch as follows (example): Click 'Start, Run'. Type in: Regsvr32.exe /u C:\Program Files\Acme\Components\Threed32.ocx Click 'OK' to run the registration program. The program may or may not return that the component was successfully unregistered, because it might not be registered in the first place. Repeat this procedure for all of the earlier files you found in your computer. Now register the (example, Win98) proper component in the system folder C:\Windows\System\Threed32.ocx. Click 'Start, Run'. Type in: Regsvr32.exe C:\Windows\System\Threed32.ocx Click 'OK' to run the registration program. The program should return that the component was successfully registered. [Register a Component with a System Conflict] The component may be registered to a system directory which is not the actual Windows System folder, thus preventing proper registration. E.g., both C:\Windows\System\ and C:\Windows\System32\ directories can exist, yet only one of them is WinSysDir. Windows updates may not have re-registered a pre- existing component to WinSysDir. It is necessary to unregister the component in the non-WinSysDir system directory, then re- register it into WinSysDir. Realize that you might disable the use of this component in other applications. However, all these components are 32-bit, so that is not likely. But if you encounter a registration error with this component when opening another program, then this procedure must be reversed to its original state. WARNING: Unless you have a complete technical understanding in this matter, do not proceed. MetaScient Technology Does Not Support the unregistration of system components in any system folder, correct or otherwise. The issues are too complicated to insure the proper results. Proceed at Your Own Risk. Follow this example for Windows XP: As noted on the Installation Log, the XP Windows System folder is C:\Windows\System32\. Therefore, the correct system file is C:\Windows\System32\Threed32.ocx. The (example) incorrect system file is C:\Windows\System\Threed32.ocx. This file was probably left over from a Windows update. The incorrect file must be unregistered using the /u switch and its complete file name as follows (example): Click 'Start, Run'. Type in: Regsvr32.exe /u C:\Windows\System\Threed32.ocx Click 'OK' to run the registration program. The program should return that the component was unregistered. Now register the (example WinXP) correct component C:\Windows\System32\Threed32.ocx. Click 'Start, Run'. Type in: Regsvr32.exe C:\Windows\System\Threed32.ocx Click 'OK' to run the registration program. The program should return that the component was successfully registered. INSTALLATION FAILED [Description of the Problem] Your installation did not finish because errors were encountered checking or attempting to modify your system. The Installation Log and Repair Manual popped open, and the setup closed without finishing. The error message and the log states the nature of the problem. [Repairing the Problem] From the information provided below, correct the cause of the failure. Then re-install the program. If re-installation does not work properly, it is necessary to remove the components that may have been installed. Go to the subsection below, "Un-installing the Program": un-install then re-install the program. [Please note: un-installing and re- installing the program will make the MetaScient Oracle a demo without a trial.] [Open Programs During Installation] Open programs can cause installation failures. These include non- obvious Startup programs (like utilities) that appear on the far right of your Task Bar (System Tray), and/or hidden background programs (like virus checkers, etc.) which do not appear anywhere on the Task Bar. If you feel that open programs may have caused the problem, close them all, including those in the System Tray (on the far right, near the clock). You may do this by right-clicking the icon, then selecting "Exit" or "Close". When all the programs are closed, you may re-install. [Hidden Programs] Programs that run hidden on your computer, particularly virus checkers, can interfere with system modifications. Close them before re-installing. [Restart Windows to start those hidden programs again.] [System Administrator Lockout] Certain Windows systems and setups (e.g. Windows 2000/NT) require system administrator priviledges to modify the Windows system. If there is an administrator lockout, an installation program may start, then be blocked from executing certain steps. If you feel this may be the problem, obtain the administrator priviledge to modify Windows. Then re-install. [Un-installing the Program] Check to see whether there is a "MetaScient Technology" program group in your start menu. If so, click "Uninstall Oracle" and run the program. Or download www.msoracle.com/unmst4.exe and run it. You may also uninstall the program manually as noted below. To manually remove the installation: Locate and delete the folder C:\Program Files\MetaScient Oracle\. Click 'Start, Settings, Taskbar, Start Menu Programs'. Remove "MetaScient Technology". Drag the Desktop shortcut to the Recycle bin. [Re-installing the Program] Before you re-install, check www.msoracle.com/latest.htm to see if there is a newer installer available. If so, download and run the later-dated program. In all cases, make sure you use the New Installer . CONTACT METASCIENT TECHNOLOGY If the repairs as described cannot fix your problem, contact MetaScient Technology as follows: In an email, note which Windows operating system you are using. Transcribe the error message exactly (including the caption and body text), describe what happened before the error, and your attempts at repair. Search for and open (and if you are updating). Copy the text and paste it (them) into the email. [Do not attach the file. Attached emails are deleted without opening them.] Type the subject line "Request installation support for the MetaScient Oracle" and send it to the address available from www.msoracle.com/contact.htm. Please note: MetaScient Technology cannot help you without this information. Once again, thank you for your interest in the MetaScient Oracle, and for your patience with the installation difficulty. MetaScient Technology www.msoracle.com