|
Software Support & Frequently Asked QuestionsClick on a question below to see the answer. Check the update page here as downloading the latest version of Science Monitor will sometimes solve software problems. If your question is not answered, then use the contact form here to contact me. Please include which versions of Windows and Science Monitor you are using. Science MonitorInstallation issues Setting up issues Usability issues General issues
Please contact me here and I will tell you how to do this.
Why do I get an error 'link refresh failed' when I try to update Science Monitor from a CD-ROM? If you get an error as shown below:
it is because the ScienceMonitor.mde file has been set to read-only (because it has been copied off a CD-ROM). Locate the file, and right click on it and select Properties. Make sure that the Read-only attribute is NOT ticked and click on OK. Then run Science Monitor as normal to allow it to update.
How do I install Science Monitor on a network? Here is a copy of the instructions from the latest Help file for installing on a network: Requirements In
order to use Science Monitor the following are required
Installation Science
Monitor can be installed on a single PC as a standalone application or can be
deployed across a network with several users accessing a shared database. In the
case of a networked application the database resides on the server and the
software resides on each Client PC. To deploy Science Monitor
across a network see Setting up Science Monitor on a network below.
Click
Start > Program > Science Monitor > Run Science Monitor The
Science Monitor Registration Screen will be displayed. Enter
your DfES Number, School Name and the Registration Number exactly as supplied
and click Register. Your
school will now be registered to use Science Monitor. If
you do not have a Registration Number then click Demo to evaluate the program.
The User Name and Password are both demo. If you later wish to purchase Science
Monitor then I can send you the Registration Number on receipt of an official
order from your school. To order, you can use the order form in the leaflet that
was sent with this software, or visit the website at www.sciencemonitor.co.uk
and go to the How to order
page. Instructions for using the software can be found in the program’s Help
file – simply click on the Help button at the top of the screen. Note that if
you are using the demo version of the software then some features are disabled
– the menu items or icons will be greyed out. Setting
up Science Monitor on a network Science
Monitor can be deployed across a network to allow several users to access the
data at the same time. 1.
Select a PC to install Science Monitor on (this can be the server or any
workstation that has access to the shared drive that the Science Monitor shared
database will be installed on). 2.
Install Science Monitor as described above in Installation,
choose the Network Installation option and change the installation path to the
location for the shared databases (the default is “C:\Science Monitor
Server”, if your shared network drive is F change the installation path to
“F:\Science Monitor Server”). This
installation option does not install the client program, only the network shared
files. If a message appears stating that a certain .dll failed to
register this is normal and is not an error. 3.
There are 3 subfolders below the “Science Monitor Server” folder.
They are: a.
“\Client Install” – run the Setup.exe program to install the client
program on each workstation. b.
“\Client Upgrade” – this is where program upgrades will be placed
when they are issued. c.
“\Tables” – this is the location of the shared Science Monitor
database “SciMon02.mdb”. 4.
Now set up the client PCs that you wish to use Science Monitor on by
running the Science Monitor Client installation program from the server.
If you installed the shared databases to “F:\Science Monitor Server”
then the installation program is “F:\Science Monitor Server\Client Install\Setup.exe” When
Science Monitor is first started on a client PC, the program will ask where the
Science Monitor database is stored. The database file is called scimon02.mdb and
is stored on the server at location “F:\Science Monitor Server\Tables”,
where F: is the letter of the shared drive of the server. The database location and the school information are stored
in the Windows Registry in - The School information is picked up automatically from the text file in the \tables folder.
Why can't I open my other Access 2000 databases after installing Science Monitor? This is because Science Monitor uses Access 97 code in order that Science Monitor will run on as many types of computer as possible. This means that when you try to open one of your own Access databases after installing the program the computer will try to open it using Access 97 instead of your later version of Access. Access 97 will not recognise later versions of Access databases. To open a later version of an Access database, start your version of Access and then use the file menu to open the database you wish to view. After you have done this once, all other Access databases should open as normal.
Why do I get an error 'Cannot convert or enable MDE file' when I try to run Science Monitor? Some users have reported that Science Monitor will not run on a PC with Microsoft Office that has been upgraded from Office 97 to Office 2000. This only occurs with these particular versions of Microsoft Office - all other versions of Office (if installed) work correctly (Note: you do NOT have to have Microsoft Office installed to use Science Monitor). If you have had this problem, then please contact me here and I will send you the latest version of the Science Monitor CD-ROM that solves this problem. You will have to uninstall your original version of Science Monitor, and install the new one. To do this, go to: Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Add / Remove Programs and select Science Monitor from the list of Programs. Click on the Add / Remove button, and choose the Remove All option and click Yes when the setup program runs. Then install the new version of Science Monitor following the instructions that will come with the new CD-ROM. This will then allow Science Monitor to run correctly. This is a known Microsoft issue, and is not the fault of Science Monitor. When Office 2000 is upgraded from Office 97, the computer registry is not updated correctly. When Science Monitor tries to open the Science Monitor database (which is an Access file), it cannot open it because Office 2000 does not allow the file to open.
Why can't I import more than 4 fields of pupil data? The function to import the forms and groups of pupils as well as the more basic pupil data (Candidate number, Surname, Forename and Gender) was made available from version 1.2.5 of Science Monitor onwards. If you have an earlier version then download the latest version from here.
In order for Science Monitor to show text correctly, the display settings for your monitor need to be set so that the DPI (Dots Per Inch) setting is set to 96 DPI (Normal Size). The settings can be found in the Monitor control in the Windows Control Panel.
This is not an error - it is to do with the way in which the level or grade thresholds are set up in the Level / Grade Thresholds option in the Administration menu. To prevent a level or grade being given for a certain test, assessed activity or exam you need to set the threshold to a value that will never be used e.g. 999. So, for example, if a test is out of 100% at KS3 and only goes up to level 6 you would set the thresholds as follows:
Note: The thresholds are given as examples only - you can set them to any value you wish. Also, if you set a threshold of 0 (zero) for a certain level or grade then that level or grade will never be given.
Why can't I open the Help files from within the program? Your computer needs to have Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5 or above to view the HTML Help files. Install the latest version of Internet Explorer.
How can I backup my pupil files? Or take my files home to work on? These are a copy of the instructions from the latest Help file: Backing up Science Monitor filesWhy back up: You should back up the main database from Science Monitor periodically in case of data corruption or computer failure. Science Monitor Software cannot be responsible for any data lost in this way. How to back up: To do this, save the scimon02.mdb Microsoft Access file from the following location: C:\Program Files\SciMon\tables where C:\ is the disk on which Science Monitor is installed. If you cannot find the file at this location, then go to the Administration menu and click on the Tools at the top of the page and select Open New Database. Here you can view or change the data path that the scimon02.mdb file is saved to. Note: The file contains all the cohort information, including pupils marks, teacher's names and administration settings. As a result, it can sometimes be too large for one floppy - you should then use a compression program such as Winzip (R) to compress the file first. A free, fully working copy of Winzip can be downloaded from Winzip.com. Alternatively, if your computer is on a network, save the file to a folder on the network. Some users have suggested using a 'Smart Drive' to transfer data between machines. These are small devices that can fit on a keyring and work with Flash memory and plug into a PCs USB port. If the PCs you are transferring from and to are Windows 98 or above and have USB ports, this may be an option for you - you will then not need to zip (compress) the data first. How to restore a previously backed up file: Simply replace the scimon02.mdb file from your backup location into the following folder: C:\Program Files\SciMon\tables where C:\ is the disk on which Science Monitor is installed. Alternatively, go to the Administration menu and click on the Tools at the top of the page and select Open New Database. Here you can view or change the data path that the scimon02.mdb file is saved to. You should replace your backup copy to the location listed.
How are the KS3 Potential Levels calculated? They are calculated by adding together the KS2 levels for English, Maths & Science. If there are only 2 KS2 levels, then the total is multiplied by 1.5, and if there is only 1 KS2 level, then the level is multiplied by 3 (the multiplication factor is shown on the individual pupil records). Pupils are expected to progress by around 2 levels over KS3 i.e. 2/3rds of a level each year. Therefore, in the KS3 Potential Level Thresholds tab on the Level / Grade Thresholds option in the Administration Menu, you should alter the KS3 Potential Level Thresholds to the following:
Some copies of Science Monitor were distributed with slightly different thresholds. If you find that the KS3 Potential Levels do not seem to be right, then alter them to the above values and then use the 'Recalculate Potential' button on the toolbar on the Pupil Records screen to recalculate the correct potential levels. The 'Recalculate Potential' button was available from v1.2.13 onwards, so if you have an older version of Science Monitor, please visit the download page here to download the latest update.
Why are some of the features advertised for Science Monitor not yet available? Some features are not yet available because we are constantly updating and upgrading the program. Each update or upgrade has to be thoroughly tested before it can be released. Please visit the download section of this website frequently so you can download updates as soon as they are available. If I have your email address you will also be emailed when an update is available. Updates are free to registered users of Science Monitor. Upgrades will be available annually for a small fee after the new Autumn Package data has been incorporated into the program and tested.
This could be for 2 reasons: 1.
You are using a demo version of Science Monitor
which only allows you to view certain details. You need to register your copy of
Science Monitor to have full access to it. To get a registration number to
register your software you can order Science Monitor at a cost of £150 (£120
for current SkillAn 2001 users) including p&p by sending an official school
order form to me at the address below. Please make sure that you state your
school’s 5 figure National Examination Centre number and 7 figure DfES number
with your order.
How can I change the data path for the scimon02.mdb file where the pupil details are kept? To change the location where the Science Monitor database file (called scimon02.mdb) is stored:
How do I change the 5 figure National Centre Number that the program prints on reports? Alter NCNThis allows you to alter the 5 figure National Examination Centre Number that appears on reports and printouts. To do this, you must be logged in as the SciMon Administrator. Then go to the Main Menu and select Administration. At the top of the screen, click Tools. Choose Edit NCN Number. Type in your NCN and click OK. |
|
|
Science Monitor Software 
