Copyright: © 1996 Graphical Dynamics, Inc.


Bob


Error:  Program file not found.

When an alarm occurs, instead of running the program, ClockMan95 gives you the above message.

This error message appears when ClockMan can’t find the program to run.  Possible problems.

Resolution

The target file may have been moved or deleted.

If this program is on a network, the network connection may not have been established at the time the alarm occurred.  Make sure the required connection is established at the time your alarm is scheduled.

Verify the file named in the alarm (Event - Pgm line) is indeed correct.  Use the browse button to have ClockMan find the file instead of typing the filename in itself.  It’s easier and more reliable.

Tip

Don't forget to use the Test button when creating your alarm!


Can't find a window
Can’t find a window whose title starts with “title” to activate.

When an alarm occurs, instead of finding the window, ClockMan95 gives you the above message.

Resolution

You may be using the old method for finding window titles (see note below)

You may have incorrectly identified the title.

Note

We have changed the method in which ClockMan looks for window titles.  In earlier versions of ClockMan we used the quote marks (“”).  But with the advent of Windows95, Windows uses the quote marks for denoting long filenames.  (ex:  “c:\Program Files\filename”).  ClockMan95 adopts the new Windows naming convention and now we use the square brackets to specify window titles [ ].

Some program’s windows title changes dynamically when the program is running.  Microsoft Exchange’s title can change depending whether or not you’re viewing the Inbox, Outbox or a custom folder.  Carefully examine the program’s window title to make sure it is correct.  For some programs this can require some detection work.  For the most difficult programs, you should automate the program with the WIL language where the most comprehensive way of manipulating other program’s Windows.


Limitations in sending keystrokes to other programs

It is difficult to automate more complex jobs using the keystroke box in the Set Alarms dialog.

Resolution

Use the WIL language to automate complex or multi-step jobs.

Note

There are two different ways to send keystrokes and automate other applications with ClockMan.  The first is with the Keystroke in the Set Alarms dialog.  And the second is with the WIL language.  Generally, the more steps required in your jobs, the most likely that the WIL language is the correct tool to use.

Familiarize yourself with the commands that can be embedded in the Keystrokes line in the Set Alarms dialog.

If you find sending keystrokes to other applications demanding more power and flexibility than the simple Keystrokes line in the Run A Program line in the Set Alarms dialog offers, consider using the WIL language to handle these jobs.


ClockMan keeps telling me that I've exceeded the Evaluation Period.
ClockMan keeps telling me I’ve exceeded the Evaluation Period.

When you start ClockMan, you get a dialog box saying you’ve exceeded the evaluation period.

Resolution

You need to enter your license number to disable the introduction message that can appear notifying your evaluation period has passed.  This information is supplied in your ClockMan95 box and is a yellow card titled

"IMPORTANT! KEEP THIS CARD".

Note

You need to enter the information exactly as it appears on the card.


ClockMan keeps beeping after an alarm has gone off.

Resolution

If you wise to turn off the tune immediately, click "Turn beeper off" from ClockMan’s system menu.

Note

With most message types you can associate with ClockMan, when you acknowledge the message box, the alarm immediately stops.  However, by allowing you to have a tune associated with an alarm that has no message box (invisible), your computer can be playing a tune and you may not know why.  The best way to resolve this is by limiting the number of times a tune repeats in the Options dialog


When an alarm runs, I get this big blank box and that's it.
When an alarm runs, I get this big blank box and that’s it.

Resolution

With every alarm, you can choose whether or not you want a message to accompany it.  If you choose not to add a message to your alarm, make sure you select "invisible" as the message type.

Note

You can make the message type invisible by default in the Options dialog.


Sometimes some of my alarms interfere with my high speed downloads or Internet Web browsers.

There are a number of reasons why an alarm might interfere with a sensitive tasks such as surfing the WEB, they are:

Your alarm might be starting another resource hungry application.

You may have long tunes associated with alarms.

Resolution

Make the alarm use the Countdown or Confirm message types.

Use short tunes or the system beep if you want a sound associated with your alarm.

Note

Using the Confirm and Countdown message features gives the operator final control over whether or not events occur when they’re scheduled.  If there is a high likelihood the computer will be unattended when the alarm occurs, you should use the Countdown message as it will eventually time out and run the alarm.

Generating sound on a PC is a processor-intensive task.  We have taken pains to make ClockMan work well in a multitasking environment, but sometimes a real-time process running in a DOS session can get interrupted long enough to lose information.  Try using shorter tunes for your alarms, or turn audible alarms off from the Options dialog before running a high speed real-time process.  You can also press Esc while the tune is playing to cut it off.


Error -  "That date and time has already occurred.  Use it anyway?"

When you try to set the time of an alarm, ClockMan95 gives you the above message.

Resolution

Check to make sure the alarm time you specified isn’t in the past.

Note

If you've defined a one-time alarm with a date & time that comes before the current system date & time, the alarm will never go off.  Check the numbers in the spinfields.  Or perhaps you should choose PM instead of AM.

ClockMan95 will never give you this message unless the time you specified in the When box will never occur.