Couldn't open mixer
When I installed the program on my Desktop everything works well but, when I installed on my Laptop ( IBM Thinkpad 770x ) I get a message: "Couldn't open mixer. Return code =8" The player works OK but the "Mixer Tab" is greyed out. Can you tell what the problem might be and how I can correct it. Keeping in mind that I am only moderately computer knowledgeable.

I recall several years ago, another CSDS user had a similar problem. I believe he was also using a Thinkpad!

This is what he says:

I tracked the problem down to a Plug and Play C Audio Video card. The error message was annoying but didn't cause any functional problems. I ended up uninstalling the Drivers for the Card and the problem was resolved. Another work around was to leave the PCMCIA card installed. This also allowed me to load the program without any errors (But only on one configuration) Another option is to create a second configuration that does not have the audio card in it's configuration.

This error is really only just an annoyance. Since CSDS can't control the mixer, it simply greys-out the appropriate controls on the music player.

As of CSDS 1.15, there is a 'preference' that disables this error message from appearing. Goto 'System | Settings... | Music' and check the 'Disable error message 'Unable to Open Mixer' checkbox.

Database GETOUT has no sorted records

Sorry to bother you, but I have a small problem I've updated to your latest version of the choreo program. Each time I open the program it tells me the get out database has no sorted records and I should sort it as soon as possible. I do that each time and the program seems to work OK, but I suspect this isn't the way you have designed the program. Do you have a thought as to why it might be happening and what you might suggest I do? I did download again the most recent executable file and re-install it, but that didn't solve the problem.

I.e., is it...

WARNING: Database GETOUT has no sorted records! The database should be sorted as soon as possible.

If so, this error message has two causes:

1. The database is empty. In which case, perhaps this is why you get the error message each time. The GETOUT database is C:\SQDATA\SQUAREDB\GETOUT.DAT. Make sure that the file exists, is not of size 0, and isn't read-only.

   From the CSDS main menu, select 'System | Status'. What does it say about the GETOUT database?

2. The database has no sorted records. This might happen if the database was somehow corrupted, or if the first record in the database had a incorrect key value. Sorting the database should fix the problem.

You might try deleting file C:\SQDATA\SQUAREDB\GETOUT.PNA (note the file extension is PNA not DAT). This is the index file for the database. If CSDS detects that this file does not exist, it will re-create it.

Check for file C:\SQDATA\GETOUT.UPG. This is the upgrade file for the getout database. It is written when you do the 'complete release' upgrade. The file should be automatically deleted by CSDS after it upgrades the database. If, for some reason, it was 'read-only', perhaps CSDS couldn't delete it. If this file exists, you could try deleting it.

As a last resort, you could do the following: (note: doing this will delete any GETOUT records you may have added to the database)

1. Delete your GETOUT database (delete GETOUT.DAT and GETOUT.PNA from C:\SQDATA\SQUAREDB).
2. Place a copy of GETOUT.UPG in C:\SQDATA.
3. Run CSDS.

Definitions of Calls and Concepts

Clicking on "Definitions of calls and concepts" in menu "other" leads to the following failure message: INCORRECT FILE VERSION Web Definitions Index File Version 2 is required. C:\Programme\SQDATA\DEFINITIONS\WebDef.inx Then the window of "Definitions of calls and concepts" opens. But not a single definition is available. Isn't it implemented properly yet or do I need a newer version of WebDef.inx?

Download the following 4 files into C:\SQDATA\DEFINITIONS

1. CsdsActiveX.CAB
2. CsdsActiveX.HTM
3. WebDef.dat
4. WebDef.inx

Or, you can delete these 4 files from C:\SQDATA\DEFINITIONS, then do an install of the latest complete release.

Half Half Half Sashay
I have updated to the newest version 1.20.0 and there seems to be a bug with "sashay" any version of the call that I key in comes up with "HALF HALF HALF SASHAY" and then it won't perform the call because it reports the error call not found. I have tried a few different calls that have the word sashay in them and it happens everytime.

Goto 'Parse | Abbreviation database | Edit' and delete the bad entry, if you can find it.

If not, you can

1. delete the abbreviation database and re-install a 'complete release' of CSDS; or
2. send me your abbreviation database and I'll fix it.

The abbreviation database is c:\sqdata\sqabbrev\abbrev1.db

Microsoft Updates (XP SP2)
I downloaded the latest Microsoft update this morning and now CSDS is doing the same thing it did a couple of weeks ago after downloading the last MS update. the same error messages, crashes, etc. I'm getting ready to go through the entire re-install process for CSDS again. Isn't anyone else experiencing this phenomenon?

And, yes, it is due to the Microsoft update (Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)).

Microsoft has changed the interface to the Media Player. This causes CSDS to 'crash' when it tries to do a Rewind. I spent a lot of time this weekend with another CSDS user on the phone, debugging this problem. I don't think that re-installing CSDS is the correct solution. The problem is that the CSDS interface to the Media Player is based upon the Windows Media Player 6.4 ActiveX control, and apparently there is now a Windows Media Player 9 Series ActiveX control.

Anyway...

The recommended fix to this problem is to change the Player within CSDS.

Open the CSDS Music Player, select the 'Player' tab, and then select the 'Windows API' player. This is the player that I wrote, and should basically do everything that the Windows Media Player does. Another option is to install Winamp and PaceMaker 1.32, and select 'Winamp' as the player.

More than 30 SEQ databases specified

As you may know, during the winter months I have a workshop every week here in FL. I use the same dance and keep adding new 'stacks of cards' to the dance as others deplete. Well, the season is over and I want to mark all of the cards that I used, (in the hundreds).....well, I get an error message as follows: Error on Line XX - more than 30 seq Databases specified. In fact I have 41 different ones. Is there an easy way around this? I suspect it would require you to make a change in the program.

That being the case, the best work around is to create two (identical) dates, one which stores the data for the first 30 sequence databases, and one which stores the data for the other sequence databases.

MyAsc error
After installing the latest version of CSDS, I received the error message of "MyAsc Error" and I had to click "OK" twice. I deleted and reinstall it and downloaded the current version, but I could not fix this problem. Please advise as soon as possible how I could eliminate this error message.

The form of the error is

MyAsc Error: X (N)

where X is a character, and N is a numeric value.

By the way, this error is non-fatal. It is only an annoyance. It does not adversely affect the CSDS in any way.

Only one instance of CSDS may be active at a time
If I try to then run CSDS again, I get the error message ONLY ONE INSTANCE OF CSDS MAY BE ACTIVE AT A TIME

Sometimes, if CSDS crashes without properly exiting, the operating system hasn't cleared some interval values, and you may receive this message.

If this message occurs and you do not have another copy of CSDS running, you must re-boot your computer before running CSDS again.

Parse Database Upgrade error.
Since the last update 13.115 i have the following Error: ParseDatabaseUpgrade error: Parse database is not sorted. In addition, after skipping this message, csds loading proceeds but does not run. It just vanishes.

1. Delete file C:\SQDATA\sqparse.upg
2. Start CSDS, then
   1. from the main menu, select 'Parse | Edit parse database'
   2. Make a change to the database - any change (e.g., Delete '#2 Zing 1").
   3. Close the Window, Saving changes. This will sort the parse database correctly so that the next time you do a complete release, the problem will not occur.