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If
you have any questions, please ensure that you have read the PcounterNT-InstallGuide
or for brief text-only installation instructions, please read the
PCNT2_Start_Up,
which are included in the download.
Following
are some frequently asked support questions with their answers and
other useful tips.
If
you cannot find your answer here and wish to raise a question or
report a problem, please go back to the support
page and provide full details of your environment and the problem
requiring attention.
Printers
not being counted:-
If there isn't a thick black arrow to the left of the list of
printers - in Pcontrol, Server Configuration, Printers - then
they are Not being counted by Pcounter; probably due to only
running Setup & not the Service & Ports installs. |
Printing
working but not being counted:-
Possible cause is that the evaluation has expired.
Check in Pcontrol under server configuration and the "registration
and trial period". |
Error
-61 opening xxxx.dbf when clicking on a user in PAdmin:-
This is access denied, they need read/write permission to the
Data subdirectory (see manual). |
Error
-60 opening xxxxx.dbf in PAdmin:-
Means that the path is invalid (often happens first time in
- set Preferences to correct path, then exit & re-enter).
Also, it is necessary to run PAdmin once on the workstation
to configure it's settings before Pcontrol can run reports by
right-clicking on a printer. When Pcontrol runs reports and
histories, it is actually using PAdmin. |
To
allow non-admin personnel to be able to update account balances
on Pcounter for Windows :-
Only users who have Read/Write permission to the \\DataServer\Pcounter\Data
directory can modify account balances and the PCOUNTER.LOG file.
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When
updating versions:-
There is no need to un-install first. New versions can safely
be installed over previous so long as you are within your maintenance
licence period; otherwise the update will change Pcounter to
be an expired evaluation! (To check this, use the Register link
from the Global settings tab in PControl, Pcounter configuration.
Check-
Registration status: Registered
Maintenance valid through m/yyyy
such that the date m/yyyy is Greater
than the date specified in the version warning.)
Running Setup to install the software
does not automatically update the Ports & Services. These
need to be updated using PControl:
- Select the XP/200X computer and press the P icon or choose
the Server, Pcounter, Pcounter configuration menu.
- Next, select the Services/Ports tab. Stop both services,
click the Update button for each service, then re-Start
both services.
- Click the Update button for the Ports. This takes you
through a 5-stage menu, temporarily interrupting printing.
- Ensure that any utilities being used, e.g. WBalance for
workstations or Balance for Web, are also updated if they
are being run from anywhere other than the default Pcounter
install directory.
All configurations are left as before
the update. |
When
uninstalling:-
Uninstalling the software from your
server desktop does not automatically uninstall the services
and port monitors.
You need to configure Pcounter not
to be used for printer ports & uninstall the services and
port monitors first by running PControl. Select the NT
computer and press the P icon or choose the Server, Pcounter,
Pcounter configuration menu.
Take the Pcounter ports off all printers (i.e. no thick black
arrows to the left on the printing tab); Select the Printers
tab and for any printers shown with a bold arrow to the
left- Either run the Port Wizard to delete the port &
return to a non-Pcounter port; Or click Properties, click
Ports and change to a non-Pcounter port.
Then Stop & Remove the services & ports from the Services/Ports
tab; Select the Services/Ports tab, Stop both
services, Remove both services, Uninstall the
ports.
Finally exit Pcontrol & run uninstall for the Pcounter software
from the Windows; Start, Settings Control Panel, Add/Remove
programs. |
If
page-counting errors seem to be occurring:-
- Put the Printer/Queue on hold
in Pcontrol.
- Print a job that causes the
miscounting
- When the job is sat in the
queue to be printed, please highlight it on the right side
of Pcontrol, R-click & Save as...
- You can now take the Printer/Queue
off hold.
- Please email the saved spool
file & also the original document.
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Multiple
(trusted) Domains:-
Pcounter handles multiple domains by creating a database for
each - so long as a trust exists allowing the users to be accessed
- although all can be on one Data Server.
Pcounter Administration (PAdmin) only deals with one domain
at a time.
However, you can select a different domain by pressing the button
on the toolbar or via the menu (Utility, Select Domain/Server).
Then you will see all users in the new domain, and be able to
do accounting operations there.
To do this, access the userlist on the other domain's
PDC server directly - instead of via the domain - by
expanding the domain, servers are shown, select the PDC. Then
all Groups & users in the other domain should be displayed.
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Jobs
from Macintosh clients :-
Mac usernames
When Macintosh users submit print jobs to Windows XP printers,
the username typically shows up in parentheses, such as (username).
Pcounter automatically strips off the parentheses and processes
the print job based upon the username inside them. This name
is usually the desktop owner name from Control Panel.
Mac authentication
Windows XP Print Services for Macintosh do not require Macintosh
users to logon to the NT machine in order to print, so it is
possible for Mac users to impersonate other users.
Unknown users can be prevented from printing. |
Jobs
from LPR clients :-
LPR usernames
When LPR clients submit print jobs to Windows XP printers using
the Microsoft LPD service, the username typically shows up as
a username followed by the client IP address in parentheses,
such as username (192.168.1.27). Pcounter automatically strips
off the IP address portion and processes the print job based
upon the username.
LPR authentication
There is no protocol for user authentication using LPR/LPD,
so it is possible for LPR users to impersonate other users.
Unknown users can be prevented from printing. |
Using
the Popup - Print job Client/Cost-centre billing and Password
Security :-
Popup Overview
Any Win32 (95, 98, ME, NT, 2000)
station on the network can be setup to have a window pop up
after each print job, allowing users to enter additional information
for the logging of the job. All that is necessary on the workstations
is to run PPOPUP.EXE on each station where this feature is required.
PPOPUP is activated for each printer by checking the Enable
popup window box in the Pcounter printer configuration. Pcounter
uses Super Pause automatically if PPOPUP is enabled. When a
print job is submitted, Pcounter pauses the job until the user
enters the information, and then releases it.
For PPOPUP to automatically run when a user logs on, create
a shortcut to PPOPUP.EXE in Start Menu, Programs, Startup, or
add PPOPUP.EXE to a login script. If PPOPUP is launched from
a login script, use the following syntax: START DRIVE:PATH\PPOPUP
[/options] PPOPUP can display in English, French, German, Spanish,
Portuguese, Italian, Finnish, Dutch, and Swedish.
Requirements and limitations
If Pcounter is running on a Windows XP 4.0 server, it is required that each Windows 95/98/ME client
have its own separate logon account. This does not mean that
users require individual logon accounts, but that each station
needs a logon account. (Pcounter running on Windows 200X servers
and Windows XP 4.0 or 2000 clients do not have this problem.)
For example, workstations can logon as STATION1, STATION2, etc.
However, if everyone is logged on as GUEST, PPOPUP will not
work reliably. There are no problems if users are logged on
with their own account names.
The following Window types are supported; Client code list,
Entry Form, ID and password (Shared logon accounting), Matter
number list, Confirmation.
The default window is Client code list; this & the options
can be changed form the Popup tab in Pcontrol, Server configuration.
The Pcounter Administrator (PAdmin.exe) can be used to create/import/amend/delete
client codes & also produce reports on printing by client
codes.
Certain users can be configured to be exempt from Popup. |
How
does Pcounter interact with Active Directory and Domains:-
Pcounter for Windows 2.x works
with Windows 200X in mixed or native mode. It works with and
can display user lists in NT4 and Active Directory domains and
AD organizational units. Any users added to AD or NT Domain
are automatically available to Pcounter for printing. |
I am about to buy a new printer - will Pcounter work with
it:-
I have installed a new printer - Pcounter doesn't seem to
work with it:-
Pcounter counts pages printed on any PostScript or PCL printer,
from all major manufacturers such as HP, Xerox, Lexmark, Canon
and more. Also included are Ricoh RPCS, Canon BubbbleJet and
Epson (ESC/P, ESC/P2) inkjet printers. This covers most lasers,
inkjets and multi-function devices on the market today. Support
for TIFF printing is included and Pcounter also tracks plot
size on HPGL/2 and PostScript plotters.
Any WPS or GDI printers - or printers not able to support the
above languages - are not currently supported except counting
by job. |
Upgrading
from Pcounter 1.x:-
- Run the DBUpdate utility on
the Pcounter 1.x accounting server. This will convert Pcounter
1.x registry and database accounting formats to the new
DBF format. Accounting files will be placed in the \\ServerName\Pcounter\Data
directory. The Pcounter Data Server service should now be
run on this server.
- DBUpdate will also convert
the PMAX.INI client code popup information file to the new
DBF format and place the file in the \\ServerName\Pcounter
shared directory.
- Once it is certain that the
data is safe, the Pcounter 1.x PDB files that were previously
used can be deleted if Database files were used for accounting
- if Registry accounting was used, the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Pcounter\Balances
registry key can be deleted.
- If a different data server
will be used to run the Pcounter Data Server service, move
all of the accounting database files to \\DataServer\Pcounter\Data,
and client code database files to \\DataServer\Pcounter.
- If Pcounter 1.x is currently
being run, uninstall the Pcounter service using Psetup 1.x.
- It is necessary to use Pcounter
port monitors for accounting. Configure existing Pcounter
printers to use Pcounter port monitors.
- The PcounterService account
used for accessing remote servers in Pcounter 1.x is no
longer needed nor required and can be deleted.
- Print job datatypes no longer
need to be RAW, although if the Pcounter LPR Port monitor
will be used, it is a good idea to force RAW printing. See
the Pcounter LPR Port section in the manual for more details.
- Printer configurations and
prices will migrate directly from Pcounter 1.x to 2.x, so
no reconfiguration is necessary. However, the Banner Position
option has been removed, as all banners are printed before
the job in Pcounter 2.x.
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If
you cannot find your answer here and wish to raise a question or
report a problem, please go back to the support
page and provide full details of your environment and the problem
requiring attention.
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