InspecTrix Frequently Asked Questions

Choose a topic:
System Requirements
Setting Up The Program
Recovery
Troubleshooting
Printing
General Information
Emailing / Uploading Reports

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

1. What are the system requirements to run InspecTrix Pro on my PC?

* InspecTrix Pro run will run on any computer with the following:

Pentium 233 or greater processor (Including Cyrex 6/86, Intel Celeron, or AMD K-6 and Athalon processors)
A Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows ME, or Windows NT operating system.
2.0 GB or larger hard drive space remaining

2. Will InspecTrix Pro run on a laptop, palmtop or mini-notebook computer?

* Most palmtops do not utilize a hard drive, nor do they run the above operating systems. Some mini-notebook and most laptops do fufill the above requirements.

3. Is InspecTrix Pro available for MACs?

* MAC compatable versions are no longer available.

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SETTING UP THE PROGRAM

1. My new software does not have my company name anywhere. How can I get my company name installed?

* Access the "Edit Company Info" page. Enter your company name in the appropriate boxes.

2. I have my own logo, how can I put it in the program?

* At the Main Menu select "Edit Company Info". Once you are in the "Edit Company Info" page select the "Import Logo". Select the area you would like the logo imported into (letter, invoice, contract, etc.) Follow the on-screen instructions. When you are done exit out to the Main Menu. The logo will now appear in the areas you selected.

3. I want to change my contract from (or to) the CREIA, ASHI or standard contract. How can I do this?

* At the Main Menu select "Edit Company Info". Once you are in the "Edit Company Info" page select the "Select Contact ". Select the contract (pages 1 and 2) you wish to use and exit out to the Main Menu. All new inspections will contain these changes.

5. I want to edit my contract. How can I do this?

* At the Main Menu select "Edit Company Info". Once you are in the "Edit Company Info" page select the "Edit Contact Page 1" or "Edit Contract Page 2" buttons. Make the changes to the contract and exit out to the Main Menu. All new inspections will contain these changes.

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RECOVERY

6. When I try to start the program I get a message saying the file is damaged and I have to recover it. What can I do?

* The recover command will repair any damage to your data. To recover a file:

* First, close the program.
* When you are back on the windows desktop press and hold the CONTROL (Ctrl) and SHIFT keys down. Keep these keys pressed and double click the INSPECTRIX Pro icon.
* When you get to the "OPEN DAMAGED FILE" screen you may let up on the Shift and Control keys.
* Select the file that is damaged (usually the ita file) and click "OPEN".
* The program will automatically recover the file.
* When done you will see a screen telling you recovery is complete. Click OK
* You will return to the "Open damaged file" screen. Click "Cancel" and you will automatically start the program.

7. I have tried to recover the damaged file using the instruction but it will not work. What can I do?

* This is normal for users of a full version of FileMaker Pro. Simply refer to the FileMaker Pro manual for instructions on how to recover and rename the file in question.

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TROUBLESHOOTING

8. My computer says I am out of memory when I try to perform certain jobs in the software (Back-up, import pictures, recover, etc.). What can I do?

* Check your hard drive resources (see Windows Help). If the hard drive has less than 10 % of its storage space remaining it is time to do some computer housecleaning. Refer to Windows Help for guidance on freeing disk space, scanning the drives and defragmenting the hard drive.

9. I get a "Virtual Error" occasionally while working on the computer.

* A "Virtual Error" is normally a condition where WINDOWS(r) has had a memory conflict. This is often caused by too many programs trying to access the same memory at the same time. It is recommended that the computer be re-started and all non-essential programs be closed before opening the InspecTrix Pro program.

10. The program is giving me an error message of “JPEG Error #53.” What do I do?

* This error means one of the pictures is too large.  Use an image editing program to scale the pictures down to a resolution of 640x480 before attempting to load them into the program.

In some cases you may be able to use slightly higher resolutions, but our experience is that 640x480 always works and 800x600 works part of the time; anything higher probably will not work.

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PRINTING

11. My printer prints slowly. What can I do?

* The maker of this printer can best answer this question. One way in which a sluggish printer can be perked up is to visit the printer maker's web site and download the most current drivers for your printer. Even many newer printers can benefit from the updating of drivers.

* Running a printer on a network can often cause sluggishness.

* Printing speed can be affected by the number of other devices (FAX, answering machines, scanners, external ZIP or CD drives, etc.) sharing the same printer port.

* To speed up the printing of our software there are some suggestions that come to mind:

* Close any other programs running in the background.

* Printing in best or photo quality can slow down the printing. Try printing forms and text in an intermediate quality or, for file copies, in the draft mode.

* For networked units, try printing directly to the printer rather than through the network.

* For printers sharing a port with other units (FAX, scanners, Zip drives, etc.) try printing directly to the printer instead of through these peripherals.

12. When I print the Narrative report I sometimes get a half-printed line of text at the bottom of the page. How can I fix that?

* The easiest way to adjust the text is to place a couple of "Enters" in the text box above the half-printed line. This will slide the comment off of the current page and on to the next page.

13. When I print the MATRIX Compiled Comments report I sometimes get a half-printed line of text at the bottom of the page. How can I fix that?

* The easiest way to adjust the text is to place a couple of "Enters" in the text box above the half-printed line. This will slide the comment off of the current page and on to the next page.

14. I tried to print a report (letter, invoice, etc.) but all that came out was a line of gibberish across the top of the pages. What could be wrong?

* This is normally an indication that the wrong printer has been selected for use. To verify your print setting, Select "File". Select "Print Setup". At the first print screen check to see that the printer listed matches the printer physically attached to the computer.

* If the settings in print setup match the model printer you are using, close the program and attempt printing from another program on your computer. If the printing error occurs in other software, call the makers of the printer for further instructions.

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GENERAL INFORMATION

15. How do I move files from one computer to another?

* Single files (without photographs) may be exported to a 3-1/2 " floppy disk. Detailed instructions are available in the User's Manual shipped with the software.

16. How many reports can I get into the software?

* The program will support in excess of 2,500 total inspections (without photos). The total number of inspections with photos is wholly dependent on the number and size of the digital photograph file sizes (each photo can range in size from 200kb to 1,600kb+).

17. I want to back up my files. How is this done?

* One method is to use the "Master Back-up" button on the Main Menu. Once in the Master Back-up screen select the modules you want to back-up. Click "Next" and follow the instructions on screen.

* Another method is to copy the itav2000 folder directly to your storage device (ZIP or CD-RW, etc.). This may be done as a "copy and paste" operation via Windows Explorer or the My Computer icon, or by using the software provided by your CD-RW manufacturer. (refer to the Windows Help, ZIP Help or CD-RW file software Help for further information).

18. My Business reports only print a single record. How can I print all?

* Select "Print". At the first print screen there will be a box with the words "Print: Current Record". Change this to "Records being browsed".

19. Is my computer compatible with voice recognition software?

* The maker of the voice recognition software may answer this question.

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EMAILING / UPLOADING REPORTS

20. How do I Email/Upload a Report to a Customer?

* Because Inspectrix Pro Software is built upon a database program, individual inspections are records, not files. All inspections are contained in the ita.DUO file. These records cannot be directly emailed to persons not having the software themselves. The recipient has nothing to view the records produced. To solve this problem we use third party software, Adobe Acrobat Full Version. This sends the inspection as a number of files that can be emailed and viewed by persons not owning Inspectrix. The files are not modifiable by the recipients so that the integrity of the inspection is maintained. They can be printed in color after receiving.

Adobe Acrobat full (paid) version can be purchased at most stores that sell software (note: this is not the same as the free Adobe Reader software). Installed on your computer, it will appear as one of your printer options. This is similar to "print to a file". We have broken the body of the inspection (the Matrix Forms) into two parts to facilitate emailing with ISPs that restrict the size of email attachments. Many current ISPs (AOL, MSN, Juno, and others) will reject large (usually 500 Kb or more) attachments and return them undelivered. Breaking the inspection into smaller parts that can be sent as separate emails helps overcome file attachment size restrictions.

To create your PDF files for sending, first select the inspection. Then from the Main Menu, click "Print Inspection."

At the Print Inspection Report screen click the left Fax/Email button (Grounds to Interior). This opens the print dialogue screen.

Print current record and pick "Acrobat Writer" as the printer name and "All" as the print range. Then save the file Acrobat creates to your hard disk (in a convenient place to find it). Then repeat the process, clicking on the right "Fax\Email" button (Garage-Pool/Spa). You now have two files that contain 8 pages each of the forms.

If you wish to include other pages (Cover Page, Keys, Contract, Order Form, and Picture Pages) print them separately to Acrobat from the individual pages.

To combine the PDF files into one or two files use the Add Pages function under Document on the Tool Bar. Check the file sizes you create to avoid email file size restrictions.

Using Adobe Distiller, which is included with the program, may help if the files are too large. Adobe Distiller will also appear as a Print option and can further compress files. There are too many settings to include here for Distiller, but the defaults will pare the file sizes down.

There are also several other third party software programs capable of "printing to" PDF files.

Kaplan ITA's home inspector WEB online service offers an excellent feature for uploading your reports directly to your website, with a secure interface for your customers to download their own private report. Our Report Upload feature is included with many of our home inspector WEB website plans.

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