Pcounter for Novell NetWare, NDPS and Windows XP/200X Support FAQ How to check the Pcounter registration maintenance date Run Pcontrol, Network View. Find and select the registered server, right click, choose Pcounter, Configuration. On the Global Settings tab, follow the link to Registration and Trial Period, and the registration information will be displayed. Moving account balances and data between NetWare and NT or between servers Moving balances between NetWare servers on the same tree Since balances are stored in NDS, the only action required is backing up and restoring of NDS partitions - which is outside the scope of Pcounter. Moving balances between NT or 2000 data servers in the same domain If the Pcounter data server is a member server or BDC, the same domain account balance databases can be easily moved or copied to a new data server. Just copy \\DataServer\Pcounter\Data\*.DBF and *.CDX to the new Pcounter share on the new data server. Moving balances between Pcounter 2.x for NT and 5.x for NetWare, or Pcounter 2.x data servers in different domains In Pcounter Administrator, select Utility, Save all Balances. This will save a batch file which can be used with Account.exe later to reset the account balances again. Locations of Account.exe: NetWare: d:\PcounterInstallDir\NetWare\Account.exe XP/200X: d:\PcounterInstallDir\NT\Account.exe Before running the batch file in the command prompt, set the path to include the directory where Account.exe is located. Example: @ECHO OFF PATH d:\PcounterInstallDir\NetWare;%PATH% BALANCES.BAT Moving balances between Pcounter 3.x/4.x for NetWare and Pcounter 2.x for NT or 5.x for NetWare In WAccount, select Statistics, View all Balances. This will create a text file which you can convert into a batch file which can be used with Account.exe later to reset the account balances again. The text file will look like this: admin 14.00 john 166.28 mary 15.90 The modified batch file should look like this: d:\path\ACCOUNT.EXE balance admin 14.00 d:\path\ACCOUNT.EXE balance john 166.28 d:\path\ACCOUNT.EXE balance mary 15.90 Moving data between Pcounter 2.x for NT data servers Once the Pcounter share has been created on the new data server, just copy all files including subdirectories from the old data server to the new data server, ie. from \\oldDataServer\Pcounter to \\newDataserver\Pcounter. Please also see notes regarding account balances above. Moving data between Pcounter 5.x for NetWare servers Copy \sys\system\pcounter\*.* (Support files) between servers. Copy \sys\public\pcounter.ini (Global Settings) between servers. In Pcontrol, run the Pcounter configuration for the new server and make sure that any log file and/or popup database location references from the old server are changed to locations on the new server. Then copy the affected files from the old server to the new server. Printing-related usenet newsgroups Windows XP: microsoft.public.windowsxp.print_fax Windows 200X : microsoft.public.win2000.printing Windows XP : microsoft.public.windowsnt.print NetWare NDPS: novell.support.os.server.printing.ndps-neps NetWare queues: novell.support.os.server.printing.queue-based NetWare iPrint: novell.support.os.server.printing.iprint Pcounter Popup is hidden beneath other windows This should not be a problem on Windows 95 or Windows XP 4.0, but a change was made in later versions of Windows to prevent applications from stealing focus from other programs. Open the registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop Set the REG_DWORD value: ForegroundLockTimeout to 0 This value can also be set using the optional TweakUI Control Panel - on the General tab, make sure that the option Prevent applications from stealing focus is not selected. Prices revert to zero after being saved Typically this occurs if fractional/decimal prices are entered and the Global Setting option Numerical Format=Pages. If Numerical Format=Pages, then only whole number integer values are allowed for prices. To set the Numerical Format to Currency, open the Pcounter server configuration, and change the Numerical Format on the Global Settings page to Currency - then Pcontrol will save the decimal values in the price fields. Multiple popups occurring from Excel print jobs Microsoft Excel prints each level of a worksheet as a separate print job. This can cause a popup to appear for each print job. Multiple popups can be overridden in PPopup, Preferences - make sure Process multiple jobs is selected. PPopup will handle all jobs resulting from a single Excel print request if the user waits until the last job is finished spooling before entering a response in the popup window. Pagecount errors on Canon BubbleJets Pcounter supports page counting on Canon BubbleJet printers starting with versions 5.12g and 2.08a. Please consider updating your Pcounter version if BubbleJet accounting is required. Print jobs are recorded but account balances are not modified NetWare In the Pcounter printer or queue configuration, make sure that Accounting=User account balances and log file. Also in the Pcounter printer or queue configuration, make sure that the paper size prices are set to something other than zero. Make sure that the printer/queue configuration that you are applying is for the specified printer/queue object, and not the server default. The server default configuration only applies to a particular object if that object has not had its own Pcounter configuration saved. To restore an object's configuration to the default: Queues: On the Printing tab of the Pcounter server configuration, right-click the queue and choose Reset default values. NDPS: On the Printer Agents tab of the Pcounter NDPS Manager configuration, right-click the printer agent and choose Reset default values. (Queues) You may need to restart Pcounter.nlm if you have made changes to the configuration. Make sure that you have granted the Pcounter print server (NDS queues) or the NDPS Manager attribute rights in the top-level user containers so that Pcounter can modify account balances in NDS. This can be done in Pcontrol (Global Settings) or NWAdmin. If Pcounter has insufficient permission to modify balances, then all balances are interpreted as zero. Check the Error log: \sys\system\pcounter\errorlog.txt. If there are any Pcounter errors, they will be recorded here. XP/200X In the Pcounter printer configuration, make sure that Accounting=User account balances and log file. Also in the Pcounter printer or queue configuration, make sure that the paper size prices are set to something other than zero. Make sure that the printer configuration that you are applying is for the specified printer, and not the server default. The server default configuration only applies to a particular printer if that printer has not had its own Pcounter configuration saved. To restore a printer's configuration to the default: On the Printers tab of the Pcounter server configuration, right-click the printer and choose Reset default values. Check the Application Event Log on the data server. If there are any Pcounter errors, they will be recorded here. Running Pcounter utilities from login scripts Login scripts or batch files will appear to hang when running Pcounter utilities such as PPopup.exe or WBalance.exe. This is because the script waits for the program to terminate before continuing. Instead of running the utility directly, use: XP/200X start d:\path\ppopup or command /c d:\path\ppopup NetWare It is best to create an external batch file which contains the utilities to run, for example \\ServerName\sys\public\pcounter.bat: @echo off start d:\path\ppopup Then add the following line to the login script: (NetWare login scripts use a # before each external program.) #\\ServerName\sys\public\pcounter.bat Users have enough credit, but print jobs are rejected with insufficient balance NetWare Make sure that you have granted the Pcounter print server (NDS queues) or the NDPS Manager attribute rights in the top-level user containers so that Pcounter can modify account balances in NDS. This can be done in Pcontrol (Global Settings) or NWAdmin. If Pcounter has insufficient permission to modify balances, then all balances are interpreted as zero. See also: Permissions required to manage users, balances, and client codes. XP/200X Make sure that the SYSTEM account has full control permission to the PCOUNTER share and the DATA subdirectory on the data server. Also check the Application Event Log on the data server. If there are any Pcounter errors, they will be recorded here. Imported client codes are not displayed in Pcounter Administrator When importing a 2-dimensional client code list into PAdmin, make sure that each client code has its own record as well as associated subcode records. For example, the following list will import 2 client codes with 2 subcodes each. Note that the empty subcode field implies a client code record. clientCode1,,description of clientCode1 clientCode1,subCode1,description of subCode1 clientCode1,subCode2,description of subCode2 clientCode2,,description of clientCode2 clientCode2,subCode3,description of subCode3 clientCode2,subCode4,description of subCode4 The following list will import 4 client codes with descriptions. Note that the empty subcode field is still used. clientCode1,,description of clientCode1 clientCode2,,description of clientCode2 clientCode3,,description of clientCode3 clientCode4,,description of clientCode4 This example is incorrect because there are no dedicated client code records. clientCode1,subCode1,description of subCode1 clientCode1,subCode2,description of subCode2 clientCode2,subCode3,description of subCode3 clientCode2,subCode4,description of subCode4 This example is incorrect because the description field is in the wrong position. There should be a blank subcode field in each record. clientCode1,description of subCode1 clientCode1,description of subCode2 clientCode2,description of subCode3 clientCode2,description of subCode4 Permissions required to manage users, balances, and client codes Windows XP/200X   Modify balances: Full control share permission to \\DataServer\Pcounter. Read/Write NTFS permission to \\DataServer\Pcounter\Data. Run reports: Read share permission to \\DataServer\Pcounter. Read NTFS permission to \\DataServer\Pcounter\Data.  (Write permission required for writing log file when modifying balances.) Modify client codes: Full control share permission to \\DataServer\Pcounter. Read/Write NTFS permission to \\DataServer\Pcounter.     Novell NetWare   Modify balances (NetWare 4.x): Read/Write permission to All Properties in the top-level user context(s), or Read/Write permission to Account Balance, Allow Unlimited Credit, and Low Balance Limit properties of each user. Modify balances (NetWare 5.x): Read/Write/Inheritable permission to Account Balance, Allow Unlimited Credit, and Low Balance Limit properties in the top-level user context(s). Run reports: Read/File Scan permission to the Pcounter.log location.  (Write permission required for writing log file when modifying balances.) Modify client codes: Read/Write/Erase/Create/Modify/File Scan permission to the PPopup.dbf location. How to grant permissions to properties in NWAdmin: (Note: Low balance limit may be shown as Minimum account balance in other applications such as ConsoleOne.) Select a top-level user context, right-click, choose Trustees of this object. Press Add Trustee, and find the object to whom the permissions will be granted. (NetWare 4.x) Under Property rights, select All properties and check Read and Write. (NetWare 5.x) Under Property rights, select Account Balance, Allow Unlimited Credit, and Low Balance Limit, and check Read, Write, and Inheritable. Full name does not appear on banner NT Fullnames can be modified in User Manager, User Properties. In Pcounter Administrator, full names will be shown automatically if they have been defined. NetWare The Pcounter print server or NDPS Manager needs permission to read the Full Name property of all users. This property can be modified in NWAdmin, (select user), right-click, Details, Identification page. In Pcounter Administrator, full names will be shown if "Display fullnames" is checked in Utility, Preferences. NetWare 4.x: Read permission to All Properties in the top-level user context(s), or Read permission to Full Name property of each user. NetWare 5.x: Read/Inheritable permission to Full Name property in the top-level user context(s).  How to grant permissions to properties in NWAdmin: Select a top-level user context, right-click, choose Trustees of this object. Press Add Trustee, and find the object to whom the permissions will be granted. (NetWare 4.x) Under Property rights, select All properties and check Read. (NetWare 5.x) Under Property rights, select Full Name, and check Read and Inheritable. Date/currency formatting is incorrect XP/200X Pcounter services run in the context of the SYSTEM account, which has no user profile. Therefore the default system locale settings must be used. Make sure that the correct language/country is selected in Control Panel, Regional Settings. Restart the services if you make a change. NetWare If your registration (or trial period) permits, please use 5.10d or later. Otherwise the Pcounter NLMs will use the Windows locale settings (see XP/200X above) of the the machine which saved the Pcounter server configuration in Pcontrol. How to find out the meaning of an error code Microsoft:   Part 1: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/ articles/Q155/0/11.ASP Part 2: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/ articles/Q155/0/12.ASP Novell NetWare:   Requester (8800 to 88FF): http://developer.novell.com/ndk/doc/general/genl_enu/ data/hv4at9cn.html Server (8901 to 89FF): http://developer.novell.com/ndk/doc/general/genl_enu/ data/hgyfi8b5.html NDS (-601 to -799): http://developer.novell.com/ndk/doc/ndslib/dsov_enu/ data/hcvwzt90.html Others: http://developer.novell.com/ndk/doc/general/genl_enu/ data/hv9aw5v8.html   How to delete all client codes and start over Delete the popup database files PPOPUP.DBF and PPOPUP.CDX. It is important that PPOPUP.CDX (the index file) also be deleted, or else the index will be out of sync the next time client codes are added. If it is necessary to reset the client code user/group associations, the files PASSOC.DBF and PASSOC.CDX should also be deleted. XP/200X The files are located in the PCOUNTER share on the data server. NetWare The files are located in the directory specified in the file server's Pcounter Popup configuration. PPopup client code list is empty First Make sure that the user(s) have read permission to the directory where the client code database is stored. If the user presses the Reload list button and an Error -61 or Access denied message is displayed, then grant users read permission (write permission is not required) to the following location: XP/200X: This is found in the Pcounter share on the data server: \\DataServer\Pcounter NetWare: This is found in the location specified in the server Pcounter configuration, on the Popup page. Second In the server Pcounter configuration, on the Popup page, make sure that Associate client codes with network user and group names has not been selected. If this feature is enabled and no associations have been made in Pcounter Administrator, then all popup lists will be empty. Use client code associations only if it is necessary for users to be shown different lists of client codes. Otherwise turn off this feature, and everyone will see the same complete list of client codes.