Asure ID Questions and Answers
Click on the questions below for information about Asure ID software issues.
If you can't find help there, e-mail
support@oaktreedata.com.
Installation Issues:
» I want to be able to use our local area network with Asure ID Express. How do I do that?
Card Design Center Issues:
» I would like to "tile" our logo across the background of our card design. Can I do that?
Data Entry Center Issues:
» I want to link the data fields of different card designs. How do I do that?
Installation Issues:
Question: I´m installing Asure ID on my computer, and it crashes during installation with an error like "Starter.exe has encountered a problem and must close...". I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling, and I can´t get past this. How do I get the software to install?
Answer: When you are installing on a computer that has a Windows NT kernal operating system (Windows 2000, Windows XP), you need to be sure you are logged on to the computer with sufficent rights to install the software. This means at least Power User, preferably Administrator. Check to make sure you are logged on with Administrator rights, and try installing the software again. If you are unsure what level of rights you have, go to Start > Control Panel > Users, and see if your user account is part of the Administrator Group for the local machine (not network). If not, log on locally as the Administrator, upgrade your rights, and install the software. If you are part of a local area network, contact your network administrator for more information.
< top of list >Question: I´m reinstalling Asure ID on my computer, and it is giving me an "Already registered" error and not letting me install. What do I do?
Answer: When this error occurs during installation to a new computer or reinstalling on an existing computer, the user must call Synercard support (1.819.777.8229) for instructions on how to install their software.
< top of list >Question: We installed a new operating system on our computer, and then installed Asure ID and pasted in the old Asure ID database. Our user ID´s and passwords now no longer work. How do we get the old data to work with the new install?
Answer: When Asure ID installs, it will generate a new installation ID for the
database and store it in the registry and the database. The old database has the
original installation ID, and the Windows registry has the new installation ID.
What is happening is the two installation IDs do not match.
The small file in \\<install directory>\AsureID\Program\Starter.exe
needs to be run to sync these numbers, then the software needs to be
re-registered with Synercard.
(The install directory is usually C:\Program Files)
This is the procedure to follow:
- Insure the software is updated (v4.2 is latest version, update available on Synercard´s website; www.synercard.com)
- Reboot after update
- Paste old database in
- Run Starter.exe
- Insure company name matches old company name in database (database can be opened in MS Access)
- Check checkbox "Generate New Installation ID" (Note: This feature is only in version 4.2 and later)
- Continue thru Starter to finish
- Register software
You can now use old usernames and passwords.
< top of list >Question: Asure ID uses a database to store it´s data. I need to check something in there (like the old company name). When I open the database with MS Access, it prompts me for a password. What to do?
Answer: When you need access to the database, it is locked. The password for opening the database is "synerX".
Important Warning! Important Warning! Important Warning!
Making ANY changes to the database used by Asure can cause the program to
behave in unusal and possibly dangerous ways. Any changes to the database
are the end users responsibility, and NO SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED.
The old company name will be in any template file under the field "Client" or "Company". Access may only be able to open this in a read-only format, but that is fine.
< top of list >Question: When I try to register my software with Synercard, I get an "unable to contact Asure ID registration server" error. How do I register my product?
Answer: You can wait awhile for the server to come back up, or you can register the software by telephone. Contact Synercard (1.819.777.8229) for this.
< top of list >Question: During installation, I was asked if I wanted to install the SmartGuard reader driver, and I said yes. Now my software wants me to insert my SmartCard, and I don´t have one. How do I get access to the software?
Answer: This can be changed by editing the Windows Registry.
Important Warning! Important Warning! Important Warning!
Making changes to the Windows Registry can have potenially catastrophic effects to
your computer. Do not attempt to edit the Registry unless you know
exactly
what you are doing! Any changes to the Registry
are the end users responsibility, and NO SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED.
You need to change the DWORD value for one of the keys in the registry. Navigate to HKey_Local_Machine\Software\Synercard\AsureID. In the right pane of the editor, you should see a key labeled ForceCRd with a DWORD value of 0x00000001. You want to edit that value to 0. This will turn off the dialog requesting a Smart Card.
< top of list >Question: I want to be able to use our local area network with Asure ID Express. How do I do that?
Answer: Express has no inherent network functionality. Express is designed for
a stand-alone workstation, and connection to a LAN has no effect on any of the
functions of Asure ID Express. It is possible to use Windows for such things as
backing up a copy of the database, but doing this and restoring the database are not
native functions in Express, and are operations best left to people in your IT
department.
For native network functionality, Asure ID Enterprise is the application to choose.
Networking is built into Enterprise, and allows you to store the database on your server, and
access from other networked workstations running Asure ID.
Question: I want to transfer my ID Magic information from that program to Asure ID. How do I do that without reentering all that data?
Answer: A TechNote is available for download from our TechNotes page. It is TechNote #1.
< top of list >Question: I am trying to move my files from one workstation to another. I managed to get the templates and data fields to move okay, but I can´t get the pictures to show up. How do I transfer the pictures from one Asure ID installation to another?
Answer: You can restore an archive in one-click, but it has to be to the same template (and same template name) it was created from. Otherwise, you can run Import Wizard on an archive, and there's only a couple of "tricks" when it comes to the photos:When you are at the "Photo" page on the import wizard:
- You must CLEAR the check box marked 'Do not import photo images'
- Next you must left-click (to select) both the photo database field (on the left side) and the photo template field (on the right side), and then click the ">>" button between them, to tie the fields together for the import.
- If you do not do either of these steps, the photos will not come over, but if you do both of them, there´s no reason why they would not.
Question: When the time changes over from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time, my Asure ID program locks me out. It tells me I need to register the program with Synercard, but I have already done this. Why can´t I use my software?
Answer: This bug affects only a small number of users. If you do have to issue,
there is a patch available at the Synercard website. Ensure that you software
is up to date first. The most recent version is 4.2.0.135 (as of 2/2005), and that can be
checked by opening the program, going to the Help menu and selecting About.
If your version is earlier than 4.2, download the upgrade from the Support page of
the Synercard website.
If your software is version 4.2, then download the patch from the Synercard homepage
and apply it. There are instructions included in the patch.
Synercard will soon be releasing version 5.0 of their software, and this bug will be
fixed in all releases of that version.
Card Design Center Issues:
Question: I want to have a background image on my card that is like a watermark version of our company logo. How do I do that?
Answer: First you add the file as background, by right clicking either the front
or the back or the card. Save the template.
Next, right click on the card again and select "Background Properties" and finally
click on the "Edit" option to modify the contrast, brightness, sharpness, etc.
Here the background will obtain the watermark effect.
Question: I would like to "tile" our logo across the background of our card design. Can I do that?
Answer: The only way to do this, you'd have to prepare the image in an external editor like Photoshop and then load it as a single image (background) on Asure.
< top of list >Question: I have some fields that I want to print the same on the front and back of the card, but when I put data fields on the back, the software wants me to re-enter the information when I go to create the card in the Data Entry Center! Is there any way to save me from all this typing?
Answer: You can have data fields echo the data in other fields, and even combine the values from several data fields in one. First, you need to create at least one data field on the card that will have information entered in it. Then, to echo that data in another place, create a new data field. When the New field dialog is up, instead of selecting text or number in the Data Type field, select Concatenate from the list. (At the bottom.) You will then be prompted to associate an existing data field with this concatenated field. Simply select the field you want from the left box, click on the associate arrow (>>), and the field will move to the right box. The data entered in the first field will now also be entered into this field.
< top of list >Question: When I save a photo for the ID badge, the people look funny. They are either stretched vertically or horizontality. What is going wrong?
Answer: The problem here is actually in the Card Design Center. When you created the photo field to hold the person's image, it did not match the format the camera is recording. The software will try to fit the image to the photo field by squeezing or stretching the image to fit. To stop this distortion, right-click on the photo field, select Properties, and check the box next to Maintain Aspect Ratio. You should now be able to crop the photo properly and still have the people come out looking like people and not horses.
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Question: I have a card design that I really like, but when I go to enter
the data to create the card, the data fields come up in no sensible order.
I want my Name field to be first, and it is last, I want my
Title field to be next,
and it´s third, and so on. How do I adjust the order in which the data fields
appear in the Data Entry Center?
Answer: That is actually set in the Card Design Center.
On the main menu bar is a selection labeled View. Click on that, and select
Show All Objects. This will display the record template for this card design,
with all the data fields that are part of the record. Along the right side of
this dialog box there are buttons that allow you to move a single field up or down.
Click on a field to select it, and then move it to where you think it would best fit.
This is the order in which the Data Entry Center will display the data fields
for this card template.
Data Entry Center Issues:
Question: I want to print a photo I have on a CD, but the software wants me to use the camera. How do I change where the software looks for an image?
Answer: The data field for the photo, created earlier in the Design Center, will look to a default source for the image. If that default is set to the camera, it will expect the data to be imported from the camera. To change where it imports data on a one-off basis, right click on the data field for the photo in the Data Center. A menu will pop up. Select Load Picture from the options (first option on list). This brings up a standard dialog box that allows you to browse the computer for a file or folder. Select the drop-down menu at top, select the CD drive, and then browse for the image you want.
< top of list >Question: I have used the Quick Find feature to help find something in my cards, but now I can't seem to be able to change the search criteria I set in my first search. I want to be able to sort my cards using differnet filters--how do I do that?
Answer: The criteria used by Quick Find can be changed by going to the Settings menu and selecting Quick Find Setings. When the dialog box comes up, the different fields that you can search will be displayed. Just put a check mark in the field you want to filter for, and run Quick Find. The new criteria will be used to sort the database.
< top of list >Question: I want to link the data fields of different card designs. How do I do that?
Answer: This is done in a process called binding. Create two (or more) card
designs that share the same data fields.
Note: the number and kinds of data fields
must match, as these designs will be sharing the same database, in effect.
Some fields could be made non-printing, but all must be there.
Next, before entering any data in the Data Entry Center, go to the menu
Templates > Bind Templates. The last card in the Card Design Center will be
listed first, then use the drop-down menu to select which designs to bind together.
Important! Binding templates will place two complete records for
this badge in the database. This will use up your storage space twice as fast, and
may cause problems in Asure ID Express due to the 1GB limit on the database.
Question: I am trying to save a card in the Data Entry Center, and I get an error "Duplicate card" and it doesn’t save. I know the cards are different, except for the first name. Why can´t I save more than one first name?
Answer: The problem is actually back in the Card Design Center. What is
happening is the criteria for duplicate cards needs to be adjusted to be less
restrictive. This is set in two locations, both in the Card Design Center.
The first place to check is to go to the menu along the top,
Tools>Define Duplicate Card Criteria. This will bring up a dialog that
allows you to select the various fields that will be used to determine what makes
up a duplicate card. If only the first name field is selected, then a lot of
cards will be kicked out. If first name and last name are selected, chances are
most will get through. You can also set all the criteria fields to "none",
although this will result in duplicate cards being entered into the database.
Another location to check is View>Show All Data Entry, and look for which
field is selected as the "key" field. The key field is used by the software to
manage the records, and if it is set to something like the name field, a lot of
duplicates can be registered. Set it to employee ID or card number, or some other
unique identifier. You can also uncheck all the boxes and the program will still work.
Question: I have a card I´m trying to save, and when I click "Save Record" I get the error "Unable to save photo". I have a lot of cards saved already, why can´t I save more?
Answer: Actually, Microsoft Access databases (used by Asure ID Express) have a limit of 1.0GB, and then
they cannot store any more information. If your database has reached it´s limit,
it may be possible to shrink it by performing a compact operation. Sometime this
cannot recover any space, in which case you will need to archive and delete
some of your Asure ID records, and then re-compact the database to recover
the space that you freed by deleting cards.
To compact the database, please follow these instructions:
- Go to the Windows Control Panel.
- If you are using WinXP or Win2000, go to Administrative Tools.
- Go to Data Sources (ODBC). If you are using Win98 or WinNT, this will be labeled "ODBC 32-bit"
- Go to the "System DSN" tab.
- In the list, double-click the DSN entry named "AsureCltData", and it´s properties will appear.
- Click the "Advanced" button.
- In the "Password" section of the Advanced Options, enter "synerX" (case-sensitive, note the capital X and do NOT enter the quote marks).
- Click "OK" to close the Advanced Options.
- Click the "Compact" button.
- Click "OK" on the "Database to Compact From" page.
- Click "OK" on the "Database to Compact Into" page.
- You will be prompted to replace the current database. Select "Yes"
- The compact operation will complete, and you will see a message stating this.
- Please check the file size of the database file to determine if you have been able to recover any space.
Note: The above procedure should work with Windows XP and Windows 2000. For older
operating systems you will need to download the stand-alone Jet Compact Utility from
the Microsoft Download Center. Click on the button below to be taken to the download
page.
Question: I am trying to print a two-sided card, and what I get are two one-sided cards. How can I get just one card to print front and back?
Answer: Two sided printing is usually set in the printer driver. That is the bit of software installed on your PC that tells the printer what and how to print the jobs it is sent. Check the settings for the driver in the software (Asure ID) and in Printers and Faxes in the Start menu. There should be a check box for two sided printing, print both sides, or something like that. Make sure it is checked, click OK, then try printing the card again.
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