ITSBITS has never started.

Step through the following steps and checks until you find and fix the problem.

• Are requirements met? Click on System Requirements here or above and see if you have met the system requirements.
• Is the database available in SQL Server? Have the database administrator go to the SQL Server Management Console and verify that the database is available there. Have the db administrator actually open one of the tables and be sure it has the schema loaded and present.
• Do you have the proper SQL User-ID and password to access your database? Verify the SQL user ID and password given to you by the database administrator.
• Does the SQL User-ID have rights to change the database? Verify this with the SQL DB administrator. Ask for the UserID to be a db owner for the ITSBITS database.
• Can you "see" the SQL Server machine on your network? If you are accessing the SQL database on a different computer (or trying to), open the Windows Explorer program (look under Accessories) and click the small "plus" to open Network Places. Now click the small "plus" to open Entire Network. Now click the small "plus" to open Microsoft Windows Network. At this point you will see the network ID. Verify this network ID with the database administrator to be sure you are both on the same virtual network. Click on the small "plus" to open the virtual network of which you are a member. Now you should see a representation of each computer that is available to you, including the SQL server computer.

  If you do not see it, there is a network problem. Go to a Command-line prompt and try pinging the SQL server. Compare IP addresses (use command IPConfig at the Command-line prompt to see what IP is assigned to your machines), etc. to clear up the network problem and begin this step over again.

  If you do see the SQL server machine, click on the small "plus" to view directories on the machine. Work with the database administrator to be sure you see the SQL database catalog on the SQL server machine.

• You "see" the SQL Server machine. Have you configured ITSBITS to connect to the database? Click on ITSBITS System Configuration here or above and follow the steps outlined there to build (and test) your database connection. ITSBITS cannot work until the system connection has been built. Talk with your database administrator to be sure you have all the information entered properly at this point. Do not proceed until you can test the connection and get a "successful" message.
• Have you configured System User ID's (SUID's) for ITSBITS? Click on ITSBITS System Configuration here or above and follow the steps outlined there to add and authorize users. No other program in the system will run until this step has been completed. The README.txt file on the CDROM wil give you a special ID/password combination to let you run the program for first/special setups.
• Was ITSBITS properly installed on your computer? Look under directory "c:\program files\protruk" and be sure that your ITSBITS programs are loaded there. If they are not, redo your install step.
• Does ITSBITS see a database connection? Run the "Port-Of-Entry" program. When there is no data in the system, you may receive a spurious error message or two, but what you want to be sure of is that in the lower-right-hand corner you see a green traffic light. If you see this, you are connected to the database and ready to enter ITSBITS data. If you see a stop sign or red-light, you are not connected to the database yet and the system cannot run. Ask your database and network administration folks for help to resolve your database connection issues.

ITSBITS starts but won't let me add data.

Step through the following steps and checks until you find and fix the problem.

• Does ITSBITS see a database connection? Run the "Port-Of-Entry" program. When there is no data in the system, you may receive a spurious error message or two, but what you want to be sure of is that in the lower-right-hand corner you see a green traffic light. If you see this, you are connected to the database and ready to enter ITSBITS data. If you see a stop sign or red-light, you are not connected to the database yet and the system cannot run. Ask your database and network administration folks for help to resolve your database connection issues.
• Are you entering data in the right order? Click on Getting Started w/Data Entry here or above. Read the Concepts section to understand what's going on here.
• I'm on step one, Company Table data, and I still cannot add data. Go back to your database administrator and ask them to allow your ITSBITS user ID to make changes on the ITSBITS database. The best thing here is to have them make you the db owner for the ITSBITS database.

ITSBITS starts but tells me it does not recognize me as a valid user.

Click on ITSBITS System Configuration here or above and follow the steps outlined there to add and authorize users. No other program in the system will run until this step has been completed. The README.txt file on the CDROM wil give you a special ID/password combination to let you run the program for first/special setups.

ITSBITS Is running fine, but does not expand some address abbreviations as you want it to.

Step through the following steps and checks until you find and fix the problem.

Click on ITSBITS System Configuration here or above-left and read the sections there on how to set this up.

I still cannot make it work.

Email IHS, Incorporated, for help with your problem.