Problem:

If you are getting any of the following errors or error messages when starting News of the Past software
please follow the following instructions.

Error  Messages:

"Program has performed an Illegal Operation"
"Index does not match table"
"Table is not ordered"
"Index tag can not be found"
"Record is out of range"

Background:   News of the Past has a file titled Cust.dbf.  The Cust.dbf file contains your client names and birth dates when saved in News of the Past.  If your program is shut down incorrectly, if your hard drive is not cleaned up regularly  using Scan Disk, or if the computer is not shut  down properly, damage may occur to program files,  including News of the Past's the Cust.dbf file. If the Cust.dbf is damaged an error message indicating an illegal operation will display when starting News of the Past. Your might have to re-install News of the Past.
 

Backup News of the Past before proceeding!
Note: Spectrum Unlimited assumes no responsibility for lost or damaged data in News of the Past.  Use the following suggestions at your own risk. When deleting the file named Cust.dbf, you will  run the risk of loosing all of the names and address saved in News of the Past.

It is recommended to try the option #1 first if you have names and birth dates saved in the software that you want to recover. Option #2 might work or might not work depending on the  extent of the file damage. If no names and birth  dates are saved in the News of the Past, you might want to view option #3 to delete the program  and reinstalling a new copy. If you backed up News of the Past, go to option #4.

Option 1 - Data recovery with auto-backup version.
Option 2 - Replace the index file  with a new one.
Option 3 - Delete and reinstall.
Option 4 - Copy data from a backup.
 

Option 1 - Data recovery with auto-backup version.

This option assumes that you have a version of the  software that automatically creates a backup file upon exiting News of the Past, and also assumes that you have the original program diskettes  for re-installation.

Important  Uninstall and Reinstall Note:
The version of News of the Past that automatically writes a backup.txt file does so every time you exit News of the Past. So if you uninstall and reinstall News of the Past, be sure that you import the names from backup.txt by following  the instructions below before exiting News of  the Past - otherwise when you exit News of the Past, the backup.txt file will be overwritten  and you will loose the backup.txt content.

The  first step is to see if you have a backup file  titled backup.txt located in the following location:  c:\VNews\dbfs (this is the default location,  adjust accordingly.) The file named backup.txt  may or may not exist depending on the software  version.
 

If you cannot locate the file backup.txt, go to option 2.

Assuming you did locate backup.txt in the c:\VNews\dbfs folder, do the following.
Using windows explorer, make a second copy of  the folder named VNews (c:\VNews) and all contents  somewhere on your hard drive, or onto a backup  drive. We assume you are familiar with windows copy commands to do this, if you need help with windows commands, please refer to windows help.

After  making a second copy (or backup) of the VNews folder, click on windows start button, move the pointer up to programs, move the pointer to News of the Past, and click on Uninstall.  When News of the Past is uninstalled the file backup.txt (if present) will not be removed.

Install  News of the Past from the original diskettes  starting with disk 1. Put disk one in the drive and click on start, and click run, and enter a:\setup.exe (adjust according to drive location.)  and click the ok button.  Follow the onscreen instructions to install News of the Past. When finished installing the program you will need  to import the backup.txt file.

Importing  the Backup.txt file (if present)

1. Click on the button in the Recipient window  titled Import located under the name list.

2. Using the search window, locate the file Backup.txt  located in the VNews folder (c:\VNews\dbfs). Click on it once with the left mouse button, and click the Open button.

3. The data-matching window opens containing three  columns. The left column lists the data fields  in News of the Past, the center column lists  the contents of backup.txt, and the right column is where you place the matched fields when clicking the add button.

Note:  If the center column is blank, click on the next record button until information appears.

4. After matching the backup.txt fields with News of the Past's fields, click the Import Now button.

You  should be able to search and locate the records installed in the previous installation.
 

Option 2 - Replace the index file with a new one.
 

Rename the original News of the Past folder. By default,  News of the Past installs onto your hard drive into a folder named VNews. (C:\VNews). Rename  this folder and re-install News of the Past  from its original diskettes, or from the download file if purchased on the Internet.

1. Close all programs. Double click on the desktop  icon named My Computer (usually located in the  upper left corner of the screen.) In the My Computer window, double click on C: drive.

2. When C: drive opens, locate the folder named VNews. Move the mouse pointer onto the VNews folder, and click the left mouse button one  time, when the menu opens, click with the right  mouse button once on Rename. The name of the  folder turns a different color and is ready for you to type another name. Type the name  VNewsold.

3. Minimize the explorer window and re-install  News of the Past from the original diskettes  or from a file you might have downloaded from the Internet-like you originally did when you  first installed News of the Past. During the  installation, you will be asked to restart your  computer-choose NO to restarting the computer.

4. Maximize (open) the explorer window. You should  see a new folder named VNews. If you don't, you need to refresh the screen by pressing the F5 key on your keyboard. Next you need to copy one file from the newly installed VNews folder,  and place that file into the original program.

5. Move the mouse pointer onto the VNews folder and double click the left mouse button. Inside the VNews folder, place the mouse pointer on the folder named DBFS and double click the left mouse button. Locate the file named CUST.CDX and move the mouse pointer onto that file and  click the left mouse button one time highlighting the file. Locate Edit along explorers top menu bar and click it with the left mouse button, and from the pull down menu, click copy.

6. Locate the original program folder we renamed  to VNewsold. Looking at the explorer window  (upper area) locate the word Address, and look for a down arrow to the right side of the field next to Address. Click the left mouse button on the down arrow, and from the pull down menu, click on C: drive. The explorer re-opens. Locate the VNewsold folder. Place the mouse pointer on the VNewsold folder and double click the  left mouse button. Locate the folder DBFS. Double click on the DBFS folder. Now the DBFS folder  should be open. Locate Edit along the top menu bar in explorer. Click once on Edit, and from  the pull down menu, click Paste.

7. Now that you replaced the index file with a  new one, try running New of the Past from the VNewsold folder. To run the program click the  explorer window button named BACK (located in the upper left area of the explorer window)  or follow the Address instruction above in section 6. Your goal is to open the VNewsold. In the VNewsold folder locate the VNews icon and double click that icon.

With luck the program will open. If error messages  appear, click ignore on each message until you  are in the software. Once you're in the program,  do a search using the search button, keep clicking ignore on each error message. Click the Search button, click  Birthdate, and enter the  date range 01/01  to  12/31, click  search. If you are successful, the name list will have all of your client names. Click on the Mark All button. Click the Export button (lower right corner.) The export button is you  method for exporting and transferring as well as backing up your client names and birth dates.  You can also use the export for moving client information from one copy of the software to another.

Follow the onscreen instructions for saving your client information to an exported file. Now that you have a back up of your client information you  have the option to import that information into the newly installed program in the VNews folder. It is recommended that import the client information into the newly installed version of News of  the Past if you receive error messages while  starting the program. If you did not receive  error message and the program appears to be working well, you have the option to continue  using that program, but you will need to rename the newly installed program, or delete it, then  rename VNewsold to VNews by following the instructions in section 2 above.

To import name and date information, you first  need an ASCII comma-delimited file exported from  the software you use to maintain your customer  data (in this case we are using VNewsold.) The  file must end with the extension .txt. Using  the import-search window, find the file you  exported. When you find the file, place the mouse pointer on the file name and double click  the left mouse button. In the following window,  click the Ok button, and the Map window will  open listing News of the Past fields on the  left column, the first record of your imported  file in the center column, (if the center column is blank, start click the next button until  data appears.) Match News of the Past's fields  (left column) to your file data (center column.) One by one, click on a News of the Past  heading, then click on your files Field that matches News of the Past's  heading. Click the Add button after each pair is matched up.  When you are finished matching your text files  information to News of the Past's  headings,  click the Import Now button.

Step by step import overview:

1. Click on the button in the Recipient windows titled Import (lower right corner.)

2. Using the search window, locate the file ending  with the extension .txt on your hard drive,  double click on it, then click the Ok button  in the following window.

3. Match your text file categories (left column)  one at a time with the appropriate News of the  Past category (center column) and click the Add button.
 Remember if no information appears in the center column; click the Next Record button until your information displays.

4. When ready, click the Import Now button.

CAUTION:
If you run through the import process again, the previous batch of imported information will  delete automatically.
 

Option 3 - Delete and reinstall.

If you do not have names and birth dates saved  in News of the Past, or you were not able to  recover the damaged information using the suggestions in section 1, and you do not have a backup of  News of the Past that  can be restored  at this time, you need to reinstall the software.  The following section outlines the recommended  method for deleting and restoring News of the Past.

Note:  Spectrum Unlimited assumes no responsibility  for lost or damaged data in News of the Past.  Use the following suggestions at your own risk. When deleting the file named Cust.dbf, you will  run the risk of loosing all of the names and address saved in News of the Past.

1. Close News of the Past and re-start your computer, and try running News of the Past again, this clears the memory and may fix the problem. If  the program still does not run, go to step 2.

2. Because the Cust.dbf file is not overwritten when you re-install News of the Past, you need to manually delete the Cust.dbf file before  re-installing News of the Past.

3. Open Windows Explorer by double-clicking the left mouse button on the My Computer icon located  in the upper left corner of the desktop.

4. Double-click the left mouse button on the drive  letter containing News of the Past.

5. Using the scroll bar located on the right of the explorer window, scroll down until you see  the folder titled c:\VNews (depending on drive  installation, adjust drive letter).

6. Open the c:\VNews, and in the folder open the  DBFS folder.

7. In the DBFS folder, delete the files Cust.dbf, Cust.FTP, Cust.cdx. To delete these files, place the mouse pointer on the file, click the left  mouse button once, click your keyboards delete  key.

8. Re-Install News of the Past using the original diskettes
 

Option 4 - Copy data from a backup.

Restore  from a backup:  For those users that actually have a backup of their program files, you can restore and/or copy the files Cust.dbf, Cust.FTP and Cust.cdx from your backup into the DBFS  folder. Proper location is outlined above, line 6.
 

End