Knowledge Base Articles

1227 - THESKYX FOR WINDOWS CRASHES IMMEDIATELY UPON START UP

Daniel R. Bisque — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:47:54 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1227

THESKYX FOR WINDOWS CRASHES IMMEDIATELY UPON START UP

ISSUE

Launching TheSkyX for Windows crashes immediately with the error message "TheSkyX <Edition Name Here> has encountered a problem and needs to close."

Important note for this issue: TheSkyX does not ask for a serial number for this issue.

RESOLUTION

Mac OS X

This issue does not apply to TheSkyX for Mac.

Windows XP, Windows Vista, Window 7, All 32-bit and 64-bit Editions

First, update the computer's video driver. If the behavior persists, make sure that the computer meets TheSkyX's minumum system requirements. Specifically, the computer's main processor must support the SSE2 instruction set. Pentium III processor, and AMD processors manufactured before 2004, do not support the SSE2 instruction set.

Attempting to run TheSkyX on a computer that does not support SSE2 will cause TheSkyX to crash before requesting a serial number.

To Determine SSE2 Compatibility:

Run the CPU-Z application to determine which "instruction sets" are supported by the computer's processor.
On the CPU tab of CPU-Z application, next to the Instructions text box, the text SSE (1, 2...) must appear. See the highlighted area in the CPU-Z screen shot below.

If SSE (1) or SSE appears in this field, then the computer does not meet the minimum system requirements to run TheSkyX. A computer that has a main processor manufactured after 2003 is required to run TheSkyX.

APPLIES TO

TheSkyX First Light Edition for Windows, TheSkyX Student Edition for Windows, TheSkyX Serious Astronomer Edition for Windows, TheSkyX Professional Edition for Windows, TheSkyX Theater Edition for Windows

KEYWORDS

SBKB, SSE2 Instruction Set;AMD;Pentium III

Last Reviewed: August 30, 2010

1226 - THESKYX PROFESSIONAL EDITION CREATES A THESKYX THEATER EDITION FOLDER IN

Daniel R. Bisque — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:37:01 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1226

THESKYX PROFESSIONAL EDITION CREATES A THESKYX THEATER EDITION FOLDER IN <MY DOCUMENTS>

ISSUES

TheSkyX Professional Edition Full Installer

TheSkyX Professional Edition Full Installer exhibits the following behavior:

Launching TheSkyX Professional Edition after installing TheSkyX Professional Edition Full installer incorrectly creates a folder named <My Documents>\Software Bisque\TheSkyX Theater Edition.

TheSkyX Professional Edition Latest Update

TheSkyX Professional Edition Latest Update exhibits the following behavior:

Launching TheSkyX Professional Edition after installing TheSkyX Professional Edition Latest Update:

TheSkyX Pro incorrectly creates a folder named <My Documents>\Software Bisque\TheSkyX Theater Edition to store application support files (instead of using the existing folder named <My Documents>\Software Bisque\TheSkyX Professional Edition).
User must re-enter his serial number.
Previous TheSkyX Pro settings are not preserved.

RESOLUTION/WORKAROUND

TheSkyX Professional Edition Full Installer Workaround

Exit TheSkyX Professional Edition.
Rename the folder <My Documents>\Software Bisque\TheSkyX Theater Edition to <My Documents>\Software Bisque\TheSkyX Professional Edition.
CRITICAL STEP: In TheSkyX's folder, delete the Theater folder (and all the files and folders under this folder). By default, the Theater folder is located at: C:\Program Files\Software Bisque\TheSkyX Professional Edition\Resources\Common\User\Theater (32-bit Editions of Windows) or C:\Program Files (x86)\Software Bisque\TheSkyX Professional Edition\Resources\Common\User\Theater (64-bit Editions of Windows).
Launch TheSkyX Pro.

TheSkyX Professional Edition Latest Update Workaround

Exit TheSkyX Professional Edition.
Delete the folder <My Documents>\Software Bisque\TheSkyX Theater Edition.
CRITICAL STEP: In TheSkyX's folder, delete the Theater folder (and all the files and folders under this folder). By default, the Theater folder is located at: C:\Program Files\Software Bisque\TheSkyX Professional Edition\Resources\Common\User\Theater (32-bit Editions of Windows) or C:\Program Files (x86)\Software Bisque\TheSkyX Professional Edition\Resources\Common\User\Theater (64-bit Editions of Windows).
Launch TheSkyX Pro.

APPLIES TO

TheSkyX Professional Edition Full Installer that was available from 5 p.m. on June 23, 2010 to 11:00 a.m. on June 24, 2010 MST only (8 total downloads).
TheSkyX Professional Edition Latest Update that was available from 5 p.m. on June 23, 2010 to 11:00 a.m. on June 24, 2010 MST only (21 total downloads).

These issues are not present in the lastest full installer and latest update.

KEYWORDS

SBKB

Last Reviewed: June 24, 2010

1225 - HOW DO I UPDATE MY COMPUTER'S VIDEO DRIVER?

Daniel R. Bisque — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:41:43 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1225

HOW DO I UPDATE MY COMPUTER'S VIDEO DRIVER?

ISSUE

Software Bisque's latest software applications use OpenGL to display accelerated graphics (for smooth 2D and 3D animation, fast refreshes and image processing). For the best experience, make sure that your computer has the latest version of OpenGL installed.

RESOLUTION

Mac OS X

The latest version of OpenGL is included via OS X's Software Update feature. Click the Apple icon, then click the Software Update command to make sure your Mac is up to date.

Windows XP, Windows Vista, Window 7, All 32-bit and 64-bit Editions

The latest version of OpenGL is distributed as part of your computer's video driver (the video driver communicates with the computer's video display hardware). In order to obtain the latest version of OpenGL, you must install the latest video driver from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of your computer's video display adaptor.

Since video drivers are updated very frequently; chances are you don't have the latest driver installed right now. And, again a few months from now.

To Properly Update Your Windows Computer Video Driver (and OpenGL)

Windows Desktop Computers

Determine make and model of your computer's video display adaptor. Both are listed in the Windows Device Manager, under Display Adaptor (a sample screen shot for XP is given below). See Windows Help for details about accessing the Device Manager from XP, Vista and Windows 7.

Visit the Downloads page of the video driver manufacturer: AMD, Intel, NVIDIA or S3 Graphics. Note, do not use Windows Update to obtain latest video drivers and do not use the video driver that is supplied by Microsoft as they (often) do not include the latest version of OpenGL. If you use Windows Update, the latest driver will most likely not be installed.
Download and install the latest video driver according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Windows Laptop, Notebook or Netbook Computers

Notebook and Netbook computers integrate video hardware (from third-party video hardware manufacturers) directly on the computer's motherboard. For these systems, the computer manufacturer develops and distributes the video driver, not the video hardware manufacturer.

Visit the Downloads page of the manufacturer of the computer (not the manufacturer of the computer's video hardware). Note, do not use Windows Update to obtain latest video drivers and do not use the video driver that is supplied by Microsoft as they (often) do not include the latest version of OpenGL. If you use Windows Update, the latest driver will most likely not be installed. (IBM,
Download and install the latest video driver according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Getting Started with OpenGL

APPLIES TO

Seeker, TheSkyX First Light Edition, TheSkyX Student Edition, TheSkyX Serious Astronomer Edition, TheSkyX Professional Edition, TheSkyX Theater Edition

KEYWORDS

SBKB, OpenGL, video drivers, download, latest, display adaptor

Last Reviewed: August 30, 2010

1224 - CANNOT LAUNCH THESKYX THEATER EDITION FROM SYZYGY

Daniel R. Bisque — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:22:46 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1224

CANNOT LAUNCH THESKYX THEATER EDITION FROM SYZYGY

ISSUE

Clicking TheSkyX button on the Syzygy application (from Windows Vista 32, Windows Vista 64 and Windows 7) fails to launch TheSkyX Theater Edition.

Also, switching between the Seeker Theater Suite and Mojo applications from Syzygy takes about 10 seconds.

RESOLUTION

A known bug in the above operating systems prevents sockets from connecting to localhost with IP version 4 (IP4) when IP version 6 (IP6) is enabled.

The solution is to disable IP6 on localhost, by editing the hosts file:

c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

and commenting out the line that reads:

::1 localhost

APPLIES TO

Mojo, Seeker Theater Edition, TheSkyX Theater Edition, Syzygy all versions

KEYWORDS

SBKB, Syzygy, switch, Vista, long, time, fails

Last Reviewed: August 19, 2009

1224 - THESKYX (ALL EDITIONS) BEHAVES ABNORMALLY

Daniel R. Bisque — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:40:13 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1224

THESKYX (ALL EDITIONS) BEHAVES ABNORMALLY

ISSUE

Running TheSkyX results in the following abnormal behavior, including (but not limited to):

The moon's photograph disappears on the Sky Chart (randomly).
The Zoom tool on the Sky Chart disappears and reappears as TheSkyX's time changes.
The panoramic horizon disappears and reappears.
Sky background becomes black over time.
When the telescope is slewed to the Moon, the crosshairs and FOVI disappear when the Moon gets onto the displayed portion of the skychart, and the rotation tool will not appear when selected. (Slewing away from the Moon causes all of these to reappear.)
TheSkyX's Sky Chart is not drawn correctly (remnants of other overlying windows remain on the chart).
Object paths, such as asteroids, do not plot when the line option is selected.
Satellite paths do not appear at all when the "show satellites path" box is checked on the satellites menu.

The issue below was incorrectly assigned to this support case:

Toolbars and stacked windows cannot be docked once they have been dragged off the main window. (Resolution: toolbars cannot be "docked" unless there is sufficient "space" on TheSkyX's window. To allow toolbars to be docked, make the toolbars smaller (Preferences > Toolbars > Toolbar Button Options), maximize TheSkyX's window and/or increase the resolution of the screen to provide more screen real estate.)

RESOLUTION

This issue has been resolved in TheSkyX version 10.1.4 and later (not yet released; no release date at this time).

TheSkyX is not compatible with laptop or desktop computers that use Intel graphics hardware and version OpenGL 1.4 and earlier. If, after installing the latest video drivers from Intel does not resolve TheSkyX's abnormal behavior, then the computer is not capable of running TheSkyX.

For desktop computers, purchasing and installing a later model graphics card (from ATI or NVIDIA) will allow TheSkyX to run normally.

Incompatible Intel Display Devices:

All Intel Video Chipset Families, including the Intel 915 GM, Intel 945GM, Intel GMA950.

Important Notes

TheSkyX Compatibility Test shows a "passed" message when running for a computer running Intel graphis hardware and OpenGL 1.4:

When Software Bisque released TheSkyX Student Edition, TheSkyX Compatibility Test application was written to show a "passed" status for the absolute minimum version of OpenGL that SHOULD BE able to run TheSkyX. (That version should be OpenGL 1.3).
The minimum published version of OpenGL that Software Bisque requires to run TheSkyX (all Editions) is OpenGL 1.5.
Since TheSkyX Serious Astronomer Edition was released May 7, 2009, Software Bisque has learned that TheSkyX SAE is not compatible with Intel Graphics hardware that runs OpenGL 1.4 and earlier (despite what our engineers predicted, and contrary to what TheSkyX Compatibility test shows).

At this time:

If your computer uses Intel Graphics hardware that runs any version of OpenGL earlier than 1.5, TheSkyX Compatibility Test application will incorrectly report that your hardware is compatible.
If your computer uses Intel Graphics hardware that runs any version of OpenGL earlier than 1.5, TheSkyX Serious Astronomer Edition will not run as expected because of OpenGL incompatibility with this graphics hardware.
Software Bisque will update TheSkyX Compatibility Test application to reflect these new findings as soon as possible.
If your computer uses Intel graphics hardware, and OpenGL 1.5, the behavior should not persist. Some users report otherwise. Software Bisque is researching the reasons why the Intel graphics hardware with OpenGL 1.5 behave unlike other OpenGL 1.5 video driver implementations, and make a determination as to whether these 'conflicts' are resolvable via "TheSkyX OpenGL implementation" software workarounds or not. That determination has yet to be made.

Update (August 18, 2009) 12:50 PM

Software Bisque has purchased a computer that uses the Intel graphics display hardware and researching software workarounds to the above Intel OpenGL video driver issues.

Update (August 18, 2009) 2:10 PM

Software Bisque has modified TheSkyX to workaround the Intel/OpenGL issue. The next update of TheSkyX Serious Astronomer Edition will resolve the Intel/OpenGL video driver conflict issues. There's no specific release date at this time.

APPLIES TO

TheSkyX Student Edition, TheSkyx Serious Astronomer Edition, all versions

KEYWORDS

SBKB, Intel Graphics hardware, OpenGL 1.4.

Last Reviewed: August 19, 2009

1223 - INSTALLATION OF THESKY6 STUDENT EDITION FAILS

Daniel R. Bisque — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:52:47 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1223

INSTALLATION OF THESKY6 STUDENT EDITION FAILS

ISSUE

While installing TheSky6 Student Edition, the following error message appears:

Window Title

Setup Needs The Next Disk

Message

Please insert disk 1 that contains the file 'Help\Patterns.chm'

Browse

RESOLUTION

Two folders (named Help and Adobe) are missing from TheSky6 Student Edition CD-ROM. These folders hold files that are required to complete the installation.

Workaround (Immediate)

Download and save the file MissingTheSky6StudentFolder.zip (49 MB) to your hard drive.
Extract the Help and Adobe folders in the zip file to a folder on your hard drive, or the Desktop. (Make sure to note the name of the folder that contains the Help and Adobe folders, it will be needed below.
When the installer prompts for the file Help\Patterns.chm, click the Browse button.
Select the folder that holds the Help folder (not the Help folder itself) and click OK.
Click OK to proceed with the installation.
Once the files in the Help folder have been copied to your hard drive, setup will next ask for the location of data2.cab that resides on on the CD-ROM media). When prompted, select the drive that holds TheSky6 Student Edition CD-ROM and click OK to proceed.
When the installer prompts for the file Adobe\Acrobat7.exe, click the Browse button.
Select the folder that holds the Adobe folder (not the Adobe folder itself) and click OK.
Click OK to proceed.

-OR-

Copy the entire contents of the CD-ROM to a folder on the hard drive.
Unzip the contents of the MissingTheSky6StudentFolder.zip into this folder.
Double-click setup.exe in this folder to begin the installation process.

TheSky6 Student Edition will now be installed on the computer. To obtain a replacement media (in case you ever need to reinstall TheSky6 Student Edition), see the Applies To below.

APPLIES TO

This issue applies to a shipment of TheSky6 Student Edition product that was sent to the Matador Bookstore at CSUN. Approximately 100 discs from this shipment are affected by this issue.

Software Bisque will ship replacement media to the bookstore on February 27, 2008; students who received the defective media should contact the Matador bookstore to obtain a replacement disc.

KEYWORDS

SBKB

Last Reviewed: 02/26/2009

1222 - SEEKER THEATER EDITION FOR WINDOWS SHOWS BLANK, WHITE OUTPUT ON THE DOME PROJECTION

Daniel R. Bisque — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:20:25 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1222

SEEKER THEATER EDITION FOR WINDOWS SHOWS BLANK, WHITE OUTPUT ON THE DOME PROJECTION

ISSUE

Using the truncated or fisheye projection in the Seeker Theater Edition for Windows results in a solid white output on the Dome window or to the Dome projection.

RESOLUTION

A missing file in the Seeker Theater Edition for Windows prevents successful rendering of the screen to the dome.

To resolve this issue:

Exit Seeker Theater Edition.
Download the file shadersDome.zip (20 KB)
Extract the file named: shadersDome.met and save it to Seeker's Shaders folder. The default location of this folder is:

C:\Program Files\Software Bisque\Theater Suite\Seeker Theater Edition\Shaders

APPLIES TO

Theater Suite for Windows, Seeker Theater Edition for Windows

KEYWORDS

SBKB

Last Reviewed: February 20, 2009

1221 - THESKYX FIRST LIGHT EDITION FOR WINDOWS FAILS TO INSTALL

Daniel R. Bisque — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:47:42 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1221

THESKYX FIRST LIGHT EDITION FOR WINDOWS FAILS TO INSTALL

ISSUE

When attempting to install TheSkyX First Light Edition from a CD-ROM that is distributed with a Celestron telescope, the following message appears:

Window Title:

TheSkyX First Light Edition Installer Information

Message:

Error 1335: The cabinet file 'Data1.cab' required for this installation is corrupt and cannot be used. This could indicate a network error, an error reading from the CD-ROM, or a problem with this package.

Options:

Abort, Retry, Ignore

RESOLUTION

Celestron International has confirmed that a batch of the First Light CD-ROMs was defective and attempting to install the TheSkyX First Light Edition for Windows always fails.

Celestron will replace the defective media. Please contact Celestron Technical Support (www.celestron.com, and click on the Support > Contact Support link) to request a replacement TheSkyX First Light Edition CD-ROM.

APPLIES TO

TheSkyX First Light Edition Bundled with a Celestron telescope

KEYWORDS

SBKB

Last Reviewed: February 18, 2009

1220 - HOW TO CONFIGURE @FOCUS2 TO NOT REQUIRE DARK FRAMES

Matthew L. Bisque — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:30:07 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1220

HOW TO CONFIGURE @FOCUS2 TO NOT REQUIRE DARK FRAMES

ISSUE

@Focus2 requires the use of dark frames to determine optimal focus, however, some cameras are not capable of taking dark frames.

RESOLUTION

The attached registry file "AtFocus2DarksOff.reg" will configure @Focus2 so that it will not require dark frames. It should only be used when absolutely necessary.

The file "AtFocus2DarksOn.reg" will cause @Focus2 to use dark frames and return to default behavior.

Save the attached file to your hard drive, unzip it, then double click on the desired file from the Windows explorer to invoke its setting. The setting will take effect immediately, CCDSoft does not need to be restarted.

APPLIES TO

CCDSoft Version 5.00.192 or later.

KEYWORDS

SBKB

Last Reviewed:

1219- RECOVERING SOFTWARE BISQUE SUPPORT CORNER SIGN IN NAME OR PASSWORD

Daniel R. Bisque — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:44:52 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1219

RECOVERING SOFTWARE BISQUE SUPPORT CORNER SIGN IN NAME OR PASSWORD

ISSUE

I forgot my sign in name and/or password to the Software Bisque Support Corner (SBSC). How can I retreive them?

RESOLUTION

To recover your sign in name and or password on the Software Bisque Support Corner:

1. Visit the Software Bisque Support Corner site at www.bisque.com/sc.
2. Click the "Sign In" link (in the upper right corner of the window).
3. On the Sign In page, click the "I forgot my password" link.
4. Enter your email address (the email address you used when you created your SBSC account).
5. Click "Recover Password".

You will receive an automated email that contains your SBSC sign in name and a link for you to reset your password.

APPLIES TO

Software Bisque Support Corner

KEYWORDS

SBKB, SBSC, forgot, missing, lost, user name

Last Reviewed:

1218 - AN OBSERVATORY HOUSING A PARAMOUNT ME IS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

Daniel R. Bisque — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 16:13:32 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1218

AN OBSERVATORY HOUSING A PARAMOUNT ME IS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

ISSUE

My observatory suffered a lightning strike (or other significant electrostatic discharge). How do I proceed to diagnose what needs repaired or replaced? Does the mount need to be returned to Software Bisque?

RESOLUTION

Typically, the component that fails when a Paramount ME suffers a lightning strike is the MKS 4000 controller; replacing this component will fix the mount. A worst case scenario is that every Paramount ME's internal electronic component and wiring has been damaged and needs replacement. For either case, the customer can perform the replacement in site (that is, the mount does not have to be returned to Software Bisque for repair).

To determine if the MKS 4000 controller has failed, see SBKB Article 1211 for a step-by-step procedure to check the fitness of the power supply and the Adaptor Panel. If the power supply and the Adaptor Panel have the correct voltages, but the mount still fails to power on, or communicate with TheSky, then it's safe to conclude that the MKS 4000 controller needs replacement.
Visually inspect all electronic components for burn marks or other damage. Other components could fail in the event of a more or less "direct" strike. If any other electronic components show damage, they should be replaced.

Paramount ME electronics can be purchased from the Software Bisque Store:

MKS 4000 controller (See the Specifications tab for warranty and non-warranty replacement costs)
Adaptor Panel
Instrument Panel (call for pricing and availability)
Replacement internal cabling (call for pricing and availability)
Replacement Paramount ME power supply

The document Paramount ME Electronics Upgrade Instructions describes how to replace the MKS 4000 control system.

APPLIES TO

Paramount ME with the MKS 4000 control system. If the main controller on a Paramount ME's that has the earlier model MKS 3000, then the mount must be upgraded to the MKS 4000 (The MKS 3000 control system is no longer in production.)

All prices subject to change without notice.

KEYWORDS

SBKB, hit, struck, power, surge, serial, port, failure, warranty, replacement

Last Reviewed:

1217 - CANNOT ATTACH CCDSOFT FOCUSER OR CANNOT REGISTER SBFOCUSER.DLL ERROR

Daniel R. Bisque — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 17:34:09 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1217

CANNOT ATTACH CCDSOFT FOCUSER OR CANNOT REGISTER SBFOCUSER.DLL ERROR

ISSUE

With CCDSoft version 5.00.177 or later, when attempting to select a focuser from CCDSoft (by clicking Camera | Setup, and then selecting any supported focuser), the following error message appears:

"Unable to attach to focuser"

Or, during installation of the update, the following error message appears:

Self Registration Error
The following files did not self-register or unregister C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\SBFocuser.dll
The operating system cannot run.
To continue, click OK; Otherwise, click Cancel.

Or, after installing CCDSoft, attempting to re-register the file SBFocuser.dll using regsrvr32.exe, the following message is displayed:

The following files did not self-register or unregister:

1. C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\SBFocuser.dll The operating system cannot run .

To continue, click OK; otherwise, click Cancel.

RESOLUTION

An older version of the file LIBFLI.DLL causes this message error message. CCDSoft version 5.00.177 and later distributes the latest version of the Finger Lakes Instruments Device Drivers in the file named LIBFLI.DLL, and places this file into the C:\Program Files\System folder. Other software vendors distribute this file, and place it in various locations on your computer.

If an **older** copy of LIBFLI.DLL is located anywhere in the computer's PATH, then Windows will load the older version of this DLL, and CCDSoft will therefore not be able to attach to any supported focuser.

Issues related to the Windows operating system loading incorrect shared files is known as "DLL Hell".

Background

Windows searches your "PATH" environment variable to locate shared files (called Dynamic Link Libraries or DLLs) associated with a particular application or executable. If there is an older copy of a shared library anywhere in the PATH, then Windows loads this library into memory first.
When an older library is loaded, then any application that relies on the latest (newer) version to be loaded will most likely experience problems.

Procedure for Resolving LIBFLI.DLL Version Conflict

CCDSoft always copies LIBFLI.DLL into the folder C:\Program Files\Common Files\System. The current Date Modified of this file is 9/25/2006.

Click Start | Search.
Click All Files or Folders.
Enter LIBFLI.DLL in the All or part of the file name text box.
Select Local Hard Drives in the Look In list.
Click Search.
When finished, for each located DLL, right-click the file name and then click Open Containing Folder.
Look at the date when the DLL was last modified (right-click on the file name and then click Properties, same as Get Info on the Mac. The “latest version” of LIBFLI.DLL (as of this writing) has a Date Modified date of 9/25/2006.
If an older copy of this file resides anywhere on your computer, then backup the older LIBFLI.DLL in that folder, and then copy the newer LIBFLI.DLL file into that folder.

Best "DLL Hell" Practices in General

Never summarily delete or remove files from your computer. This can cause serious problems and conflicts.
Use Windows Search to locate every occurrence of the particular DLL on your computer (in this case, it's named LIBFLI.DLL). Don’t forget to configure Windows Explorer to view system files.The latest version of a shared file is the file that should be used on the computer.
Backup all the earlier version files (by renaming the file from DLLNAME.DLL to OLDDLLNAME.DLL, and then manually copy the newer DLL into the folder where the older, backed up file resides.

APPLIES TO

CCDSoft version 5.00.177 and later

KEYWORDS

SBKB, focusers, Optec, RoboFocus, Finger Lakes Instruments DF2,

Last Reviewed:

1216 - USING A DIFFERENT COMPUTER WITH AN ESTABLISHED PARAMOUNT ME

Daniel R. Bisque — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 19:48:44 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1216

USING A DIFFERENT COMPUTER WITH AN ESTABLISHED PARAMOUNT ME

ISSUE

I have a new computer that I want to use with my Paramount ME, and my previous computer works perfectly with it. How do I get my new computer to use all the settings and TPoint model from my old computer so I don't have to start from scratch?

RESOLUTION

After installing the latest versions of the Paramount ME-related software (TheSky6, CCDSoft, TPoint, Orchestrate, etc.) on the new computer, copy the following files from the earlier computer to the new computer:

1. Normal.sky (this has your TPoint model embedded). Location: <My Documents>\Software Bisque\TheSky6\Documents folder.
2. MKSOptions.dat (settings specfic to the MKS controller). Location: <My Documents>\Software Bisque\TheSky6 folder.
3. Parmaount ME.cfg (general telescope settings). Location: <My Documents>\Software Bisque\TheSky6\Documents folder.

APPLIES TO

Paramount ME, TheSky6, TPoint, CCDSoft, Orchestrate

KEYWORDS

SBKB

Last Reviewed: 07/27/2004

1215 - LOST SERIAL NUMBER, PASSWORD OR MEDIA FOR A SOFTWARE BISQUE PRODUCT

Matthew L. Bisque — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 20:02:32 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1215

LOST SERIAL NUMBER OR PASSWORD

ISSUE

I've lost my Software Bisque software serial number, or the password needed to download a product or need new media. How can I obtain a replacement password, serial number or media?

RESOLUTION

If you registered your product at www.bisque.com/register, please visit the Pre-Sales Questions, Comments, Suggestions and Feedback forum at the Software Bisque Support Corner and request that your serial number be emailed to you. Please provide the name under which the product was registered. This forum is moderated, and any personal information supplied remains private.

If you have not registered your product, then Software Bisque requires proof of purchase to issue replacement serial numbers, passwords or media.

The following are acceptable forms of proof of purchase:

A Software Bisque web order number.
A Software Bisque invoice number.
The name or email address that was used to purchase a Software Bisque product (so we can find your original order).
A copy of the original sales receipt for the product. Please fax a copy to (303) 278-0045 including your name and email address, or post this information on the moderated Pre-Sales Questions, Comments, Suggestions and Feedback forum.

Contact Information: See the bottom of every page at www.bisque.com for phone and fax number. See this article for details about ordering replacement media from Software Bisque: http://www.bisque.com/sc/forums/p/358/342.aspx#342

APPLIES TO

All Software Bisque products

KEYWORDS

SBKB, missing

Last Reviewed: 08/147/2008

1214 - PROBLEMS JOINING OR SIGNING IN TO THE SOFTWARE BISQUE SUPPORT CORNER

Matthew L. Bisque — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 18:33:50 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1214

PROBLEMS JOINING OR SIGNING IN TO THE SOFTWARE BISQUE SUPPORT CORNER

ISSUE

I've filled out the Register and Join our Community form on the Software Bisque Web Site , accepted the services agreement, and then clicked the Create User button. After doing so, I never received the automated email that contains my user name and password. Why?

Or,

I cannot sign in to the Software Bisque Support Corner.

Or,

I receive an "access is denied" message when attempting to sign in.

Why?

RESOLUTION

There are many possible reasons why you may not be able to sign on to the Software Bisque Web Site.

Reason 1
The automated email that contains your sign in information may not be sent to you instantaneously. At least 30 minutes must pass before the automated email is sent from Software Bisque web server.

Solution 1
Wait at least 30 minutes after clicking the Create User button to receive your email. In most cases, the email delivery time is much shorter (about 5 minutes).

Reason 2
You are entering the wrong sign in name and/or password on the Sign In page.

Solution 2
This is a very common cause for SBSC sign in failure. Please double (and triple) check your sign in name and password. Remember, the password is case sensitive. You must type the exact password, without any errors or omissions.

Reason 3
The email from Software Bisque has been quarantined by anti-spam software on your computer.

Solution 3
Check your "anti-spam" quarantine folder to make sure that the email from Software Bisque has not been "removed" from your in box. Or, configure your anti-spam software to add the www.bisque.com domain as a "trusted source", or add it to your "friend's list".

Reason 4
Your email provider requires email senders to fill out a separate form before you can receive email messages from the sender. (Earthlink, and other email providers, use this method.)

Solution 4
Configure your email account so that you can receive emails from www.bisque.com. Although Software Bisque tries to fill out the separate form, the process often fails, so that all Software Bisque emails to you are rejected.

Reason 5
You have not actually joined the Software Bisque Support Corner. (There was a problem or other error during the sign in process).

Solution 5
To verify whether or not you've actually joined the Software Bisque Support Corner:

Go to the Software Bisque Web Site and click the Join link.
Fill out all of the entries on the Register and Join our Community page.
Click Create User.

If you see an error message stating A user with this email address already exists it means there is already an account with the email address you've entered.

To recover your forgotten sign in name (or alias or user name) or password,

Click the Sign In link.
On the Sign In page, click I Forgot My Password or Sign In Name link.
On the Recover Password page, enter your email address (the same one you entered above), and then click the Recover Password button. Note that all of the above reasons still apply for receiving an email with your sign in and password.

Reason 6
You've visited the Recover Password page, entered your email address, and then clicked the Recover Password button, but have not joined the SBSC.

Solution 6
If you do not already have an account on the SBSC, and attempt to recover your sign in name or password, you will not receive an email. In this case, please Join the SBSC to proceed.

Reason 7
Cookies are not enabled.

Solution 7
See the First Time Users page for details on how to enable cookies.

Reason 8
Multiple browser windows are open on your computer, and the sign in information cannot be updated properly due to caching.

Solution 8

Exit all browsers.
Restart a single browser window and try signing in again.

APPLIES TO

Software Bisque Support Corner

KEYWORDS

SBKB, sign in, join, logging on

Last Reviewed:

1213 - LOCATION OF ORCHESTRATE INSTALLER WITH THESKY6 PROFESSIONAL EDITION

Matthew L. Bisque — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 21:04:52 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1213

LOCATION OF ORCHESTRATE INSTALLER WITH THESKY6 PROFESSIONAL EDITION

ISSUE

I've just installed TheSky6 Professional Edition and cannot locate Orchestrate. How can I install Orchestrate?

RESOLUTION

By default, TheSky6 Professional Edition installer does not install Orchestrate. You must run the Orchestrate installer separately to do so.

TheSky6 Professional Edition installer copies the Orchestrate installer to the following folder:

C:\Program Files\Software Bisque\TheSky6\Orchestrate

Navigate to the above folder and double-click on the file "OrSetup.exe" to install Orchestrate.

Notes

Orchestrate does not require a serial number.
If the Orchestrate installer is not present in the above folder, then TheSky6 Professional Edition installer's option to copy the Orchestrate installer to your hard drive may not have been selected (using the Custom installation option). Reinstall TheSky6 Professional Edition and mark the Orchestrate option.

APPLIES TO

TheSky6 Professional Edition

KEYWORDS

SBKB

Last Reviewed:

1212 - THESKY6 DOES NOT RUN WHEN PC TOOLS SPYWARE DOCTOR IS RUNNING

Daniel R. Bisque — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 13:14:26 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1212

THESKY6 DOES NOT RUN WHEN PC TOOLS SPYWARE DOCTOR IS RUNNING

ISSUE

I have to disable the Spyware Doctor software before TheSky6 will launch. Why?

RESOLUTION

Spyware Doctor is preventing TheSky6 from launching. Here's the response Software Bisque received from PC TOOLS technical support:

Regarding the problems with 'TheSky' program.

This may be occurring because it uses a file that behaves in a similar way to a Keylogger. To stop these programs from being detected please follow the instructions below.

Open Spyware Doctor.
Try to open the programs that you have been having problems accessing.
Go back to Spyware Doctor and click on OnGuard -> KeyLogger Guard 4. Click on results and you should see that the 'Keylogger Guard' has blocked those programs from operating.
Right click on any programs that you want to run and select 'Allow Application'.
After adding these files please try to run these programs again to ensure that Spyware Doctor is not blocking them any more.

Software Bisque has send a copy of TheSky6 to PC TOOLS (February, 2006) so that they can determine why Spyware Doctor is causing this behavior.

As a last resort, you can manually terminate the Spyware Doctor "process" using the Task Manager. To do so, click CONTROL+ALT+DELETE, click the Task Manager button, select the process "swdoctor.exe" and then click End Process. TheSky6 will now run.

APPLIES TO

TheSky6, all Editions

KEYWORDS

SBKB

1211 - THE PARAMOUNT ME FAILS TO POWER UP

Matthew L. Bisque — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 19:16:16 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1211

THE PARAMOUNT ME FAILS TO POWER UP

ISSUE

When the Paramount ME is turned on, the two blue and orange LEDs flash briefly, but there's no sound coming from the motors.

Or,

When the Paramount ME's power switch is turned on, no LEDs illuminate, and the mount does not emit any sounds.

RESOLUTION

If the Paramount ME control system fails to initialize properly, the problem can be caused by a number of different reasons, including:

electrical component failure
improper cable plugged into the Adaptor Panel's Aux I/O Port
fuse failure
internal wiring break or failure (rodent invasion)
improper balance (mount beeps when motors try to initialize)

Where to start:

Replace the SloBlo fuses in the Adaptor Panel. The Paramount ME manual describes this procedure.
Remove all guider cables, the joystick, and every other cable that may be plugged into the Adaptor Panel. Critical: there should be nothing plugged into the port labeled Aux I/O on the Paramount ME Adaptor Panel. This port contains four general-purpose, high-powered, driver outputs that can be used to drive a DC servomotor or a stepper focus motor, or other device. There are also two general-purpose pins that can be used as inputs or outputs. We are currently looking at possible uses for these functions such as a “abort slew” button, limit switch, or other use. If the behavior persists, proceed.
Verify that the voltage coming out of the 48V power supply to is actually 48 volts. If not, then the power supply may have failed. Contact Software Bisque for details on how to proceed.
Access the Adapter Panel electronics by removing the black Adapter Panel cover on the back of the mount. This procedure is described in the Paramount ME Electronics Upgrade Instructions PDF document. There is a 6-conductor cable (see page 9) that carries three pair of leads for 48 volts, 12 volts and 5 volts. Each is labeled on the Adapter Panel board. Verify that these voltages are correct (that is, the first two wires are 48 V, and a ground, the second two are 12 V and ground, and the third set is 5 V and ground). The photograph of the Adaptor Panel board on page 4 of this document shows these connections. If any of the leads measures 0 V, the Adaptor Panel needs replaced. A replacement Adaptor Panel can be purchased from the Software Bisque Store. Please carefully read the Specification tab on the Adaptor Panel Store page for details about warrany vs. non-warranty replacement policy.
If the mount still will not power, then the issue may reside in the main controller board, or with one or more of the internal cables. Remove the RA side panel (described in the Paramount ME manual). Gently press each connector on the Adaptor Panel and main controller board to ensure they're properly seated. Also, make sure the cables are not damaged. Many customers report that rodents (field mice in particular) enjoy the flavor of the Paramount ME's internal wiring, and can destroy the internal cabling.

If the behavior persists, please contact Software Bisque for more information on how to proceed.

APPLIES TO

Paramount ME using the MKS 4000 control system

KEYWORDS

SBKB

Last Reviewed:

1210 - THE PARAMOUNT ME'S TRACKING MUST BE ENABLED ON EACH TIME THE MOUNT IS POWERED

Daniel R. Bisque — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 22:58:47 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1210

THE PARAMOUNT ME'S TRACKING MUST BE ENABLED ON EACH TIME THE MOUNT IS POWERED

ISSUE

After the Paramount ME's tracking rate has been enabled, each time the Paramount ME is powered, the Telescope | Options | Tracking command is unchecked (that is, TheSky6 reports that tracking is turned off).

RESOLUTION

A Registry setting is saved "opposite" to what is stored in the Paramount ME's firmware. To resolve this behavior:

1. Click Start | Run, enter "Regedit" and then click OK.
2. Navigate to the following Registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Software Bisque\TheSky6\MKS

3. Right-click the "bTracking" option (on the right side of the Registry window) and then click Modify.
4. If the value for bTracking is set to 1, set it to 0. If the value is 0, set it to 1.
5. On the Registry window, click File | Exit.

APPLIES TO

The Paramount ME communicating with TheSky6 Professional Edition version 6.0.0.40 and earlier. This issue is resolved in later versions.

KEYWORDS

SBKB

Last Reviewed:

1209 - THESKY6 AND CCDSOFT REPORT DIFFERENT POSITION ANGLES FOR IMAGES

Matthew L. Bisque — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:35:45 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1209

THESKY6 AND CCDSOFT REPORT DIFFERENT POSITION ANGLES FOR IMAGES

ISSUE

TheSky6's Image Link position angle does not equal CCDSoft's AutoAstrometry position angle. Why?

Position angle reported by TheSky6's Image Link Information

Position angle reported by CCDSoft's Insert WCS/AutoAstrometry command.

RESOLUTION

TheSky6 and CCDSoft use a different convention to measure position angle. TheSky6's Image Link measures the position angle counterclockwise from north. CCDSoft's Source Extractor algorithms measure position angle clockwise from north.

To convert TheSky6's Image Link position angle to CCDSoft's AutoAstrometry:

CCDSoft's position angle = 360 - TheSky6's position angle

APPLIES TO

TheSky6 Professional Edition and CCDSoft Version 5.00.159 and earlier. Later versions of CCDSoft do not exhibit this behavior.

KEYWORDS

SBKB

Last Reviewed:

1208 - ERROR MESSAGE USING THE INSERT WCS/AUTOASTROMETRY COMMAND

Matthew L. Bisque — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 16:38:43 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1208

ERROR MESSAGE USING THE INSERT WCS/AUTOASTROMETRY COMMAND

ISSUE

Clicking the Research | Insert WCS/AutoAstrometry command from CCDSoft gives the following error message:

"Undescribed error: Error code = -2147221005 (800401f3)"

RESOLUTION

The error message may appear if CCDSoft is configured to use TheSky version 5 when TheSky6 is installed.

See SB KB Article 1065 for details on how to configure CCDSoft to use TheSky6 and not TheSky version 5.

If the behavior persists, SBKB Article 1072 for additional troubleshooting procedures.

APPLIES TO

CCDSoft version 5, TheSky6 Professional Edition, TheSky Version 5 Level IV

KEYWORDS

SBKB

Last Reviewed:

1207 - DISPLAYING PICTURES IN THESKY6

Matthew L. Bisque — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 23:06:03 GMT

Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article - 1207

DISPLAYING PICTURES IN THESKY6

ISSUE

How can I be sure that all TheSky6's pictures are turned on?

RESOLUTION

Verify that TheSky6 can locate all the pictures databases, compressed image databases and image group databases. To do so, click Data | File Locations and then click Verify All. A green check mark in each of the folders in the Pictures folder indicates that TheSky6 can successfully locate the pictures. An exclamation mark in one or more folders indicates that some pictures are missing. Reinstalling TheSky6 using the Typical installation option, will install these files.
Turn on all TheSky6's pictures options. To do so, click View | Display Explorer. Under the Sky Databases node, mark the Anglo Australian Images and Solar System Pictures options. Under the Image Groups Node, mark all the desired image groups. To view the Hubble Space Telescope images, see article 1141.
Turn on TheSky6's thumbnail images. To do so, click View | Non-Stellar Options, and mark the "Plot DSS Thumbnail Images of NGC, IC, PGC, and PLN Objects" and then click OK.

TheSky6's pictures will be turned on.

See TheSky6's Help for more information about displaying pictures.

APPLIES TO

TheSky6, all Editions.

KEYWORDS

SBKB

Last Reviewed:

1044 - COPYING REALYSKY CD DATA TO A HARD DRIVE

Matthew L. Bisque — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 23:09:47 GMT

COPYING REALYSKY CD DATA TO A HARD DRIVE

ISSUE

The RealSky data resides on 18 data discs that must be swapped when viewing different portions of the sky. Can I copy these discs to my hard drive to avoid CD-ROM swapping?

RESOLUTION

The solution sounds simple: just copy each CD-ROM to the root folder of your hard drive, then setup the Digitized Sky Survey retrieval software (either CCDSoft or RealSkyView) to use the hard drive, rather than the CD-ROM drive. However, this seemingly simple solution requires further explanation...

Background Information

The RealSky data is comprised of over 1.3 million relatively small data files. In order to minimize the space required to hold these files, the CD-ROMs were created using 512 byte sectors.

RealSky Data "Issues"

The 18 RealSky CD-ROMs occupy 10.1 GB of data on CD-ROMs that were formatted using 512 byte sectors.
In order to be accessed from your hard drive, all the RealSky Data must reside on a single hard drive, and in the root of the drive, or in a "mapped network" drive.

Caveats

If you try to copy the RealSky data to a hard disk that has been formatted with 1024 or larger sectors, then significantly more hard disc space is required. For example, if your drive is formatted using 2048 byte sector size, then the RealSky data will occupy over 40 GB of disk space.
Older operating systems (Windows 98/Me) do not allow drive mapping, so the RealSky data must reside in the root folder of the hard drive.

Windows 98/Me

Purchase or use a hard drive with a minimum of 40 GB of free space. A 60 GB or larger capacity drive is recommended. Windows 98 and Windows Me do not allow you to specify the sector size when formatting the hard disk, so, depending upon the minimum sector size of the drive, ample free disk space is required.
Copy the entire contents of each RealSky disc, 1-18, to the root of the hard drive. This is a time consuming process. Be patient!
Configure CCDSoft or RealSkyView to use the drive letter of this disk in the Digitized Sky Survey Setup dialog box.

Windows Vista/XP Home/XP Professional/2000/NT

Create a 20 GB Partition

Purchase or use a hard drive that has a partition of at least 20 GB of free space (with 512 byte sectors). If the drive or partition does not have 512 byte sector size, it must be formatted using an Administrator's account. See the Windows Help file for details about creating disk partitions and formatting hard disc drives. Warning: You cannot create a new partition on a hard drive without reformatting the entire drive. Therefore, do not try to create a partition on any drive that has data you need to keep!
Using Windows Explorer, create a folder on the 20 GB partition to store the RealSky data. For example, name the folder "RealSky Data." See Windows Help if you're unfamiliar with using Windows Explorer.
Copy the entire contents of each RealSky disc, 1-18, into this folder.
Share this folder. To do so, right-click it and then click Sharing and Security (or Sharing under Windows 2000 and NT).

XP Professional-Specific Dialog Box

XP Professional users, mark the Share This Folder option and then click OK.

XP Home-Specific Dialog Box

XP Home users, click the Share This Folder on the Network option and then click OK.

Note: Because there are so many folders and files the sharing process will take a considerable amount of time. Be patient!! Depending on the drive this could take as long as 10 to 15 minutes or even more to share the 1.3 million files. Do not interrupt the process. Accessing the folder that contains all the data will similarly require a considerable length of time.

5. Map this shared folder as a network drive. To do so, highlight the folder in Windows Explorer, then click Tools | Map Network Drive.

Once the shared folder is mapped to a drive your "My Computer" will have another drive listed as "R". The drive is actually the folder named "RealSky Data."

6. Configure CCDSoft or RealSkyView to use the drive letter of this disk in the Digitized Sky Survey Setup dialog box.

This article was previously published under SBKB number 1012.

APPLIES TO

RealSky CD, Digitized Sky Survey Data

KEYWORDS

SBKB

1045 - SCREEN REDRAWS ARE EXTREMELY SLOW

Matthew L. Bisque — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 22:57:31 GMT

SCREEN REDRAWS ARE EXTREMELY SLOW

ISSUE

When running TheSky, screen redraws take a very long time (up to 30 seconds or even longer).

RESOLUTION

TheSky is a "disk intensive" application. That is, TheSky opens and reads data from many different disk-based database files with each screen redraw.

By default, some anti-virus software (such as NOD32) scans every file for a virus every time it is opened. This causes the computer to become very sluggish, especially when scanning TheSky's large database files.

Disable the anti-virus software's requirement to scan every file every time it's opened resolve this behavior. Please contact the manufacturer of the anti-virus software for details on how to do this.

This article was previously published under SBKB number 1011.

APPLIES TO

TheSky6 (all Editions), TheSky version 5, all Levels

KEYWORDS

SBKB

1046 - DOUBLE STARS DO NOT APPEAR

Matthew L. Bisque — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 22:51:21 GMT

DOUBLE STARS DO NOT APPEAR

ISSUE

Clicking (toggling on) the double star button on the Object toolbar (at 50 degrees field of view and greater) has no effect on the displayed stars (only the single star button which makes "all stars" disappear); is there a problem with this?

RESOLUTION

This behavior is by design. Double stars are displayed at small fields of view. At wide fields of view, double stars (which are not resolvable) are not displayed.

To view double stars (and star systems)

Click Edit | Find.
Click the Frame Object option.
Navigate to Stars | WDS. Washington Catalog of Double stars are separated into blocks of 20000. Open any block and highlight the first double star. The Virtual Sky is updated to display it. Use the down arrow to view the next double star in list. Note that the Virtual Sky is automatically updated to frame this double star (or star system).

This article was previously published under SBKB number 1005.

APPLIES TO

TheSky6 (all Editions)

KEYWORDS

SBKB