Using and Troubleshooting the Knowledge Base

Last reviewed: 12/30/2011
Article ID: R11088

The information in this article applies to:

Summary

This article discusses how to use the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Knowledge Base, which can be found at www.support.Tabs3.com (or www.support.PracticeMaster.com). In addition, it provides information regarding how to fix computers that may have problems viewing the Knowledge Base.

Return to the main Welcome Page

Using the Knowledge Base

Welcome to the Knowledge Base for Tabs3 and PracticeMaster products! Our Knowledge Base includes information regarding our software products and is provided for our end-users, resellers, consultants, and other third parties who work with our software.  A table of contents, index, and search button are provided for easy access to the information.

History

Our Knowledge Base was originally launched in 1999. Currently, our Knowledge Base consists of over 1,000 detailed articles, as well as conversion instructions, cost recovery system format information and interface instructions, task-based billing format information, and lists of program changes for each release.

Changes

Every year, new articles are added, old articles are revised, and occasionally a few are retired. If you have a suggestion for the Knowledge Base, please email that suggestion to kb@tabs3.com, or call our Technical Support department at (402) 419-2210.

Java is required for the catalog and index capabilities in our Knowledge Base. In order to use the Knowledge Base, Java must be installed on the local machine and enabled on the web browser in order to function.  Java technology is available in a number of formats. In most circumstances, Sun Microsystems' Java Runtime Environment (JRE) will allow a workstation to access the Knowledge Base. This application can be downloaded at no charge from www.java.com.

The STI Knowledge Base Window

The Knowledge Base consists of two sections. The left section contains three tabs, allowing you to navigate through the Knowledge Base. The right section displays the Knowledge Base home page, or the selected information.

Knowledge Base

The Contents Tab
Contents Tab

Click the Contents tab in the navigation pane to browse through topics by title. The table of contents is an expandable list of everything that is available in the Knowledge Base. To view a topic, click the topic in the table of contents.

To expand or contract a node

  • To open an item in the table of contents, click the plus sign (+) in front of a node to expand that node, then click the item you want to see.
  • Click the minus sign (-) in front of a node to contract that node.
  • You also can navigate the nodes by using the UP and DOWN arrow keys to move vertically, and the RIGHT and LEFT arrow keys to expand and contract the nodes.

Tips for using the contents

  • There are five main nodes available: STI Knowledge Base, which contains all of our Knowledge Base articles; Conversion Instructions, which contains instructions for converting previous versions to more current software releases; Collection Device Interfaces, which contains all the format information and interface instructions for collecting cost recovery information for use in Tabs3; Taskbill, which lists all of the task-based billing format information and Tabs3 Taskbill program instructions; and What's New Lists, which explains program changes in the current version of the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software.
  • Within the STI Knowledge Base node, Knowledge Base articles are listed by program (via Product Related) and/or Related by Type. For instance, to see common questions for the Tabs3 program, select STI Knowledge Base | Related by Type | FAQs | Tabs3. You will notice that there are several options for what portion of the program you are looking for information about. (Note: FAQ is an acronym for Frequently Asked Questions.)

The Index Tab
Contents Tab

Click the Index tab in the navigation pane to see a list of index entries, and then either type a word or scroll through the list. Similar to the index in a printed book, topics are often indexed under more than one entry. The Index provides a more focused method of finding information, particularly when using the Search tab finds too many hits.

To locate a topic using the index

  1. In the navigation pane, click the Index tab and then either type or select a keyword you want to find information about.
  2. After you have selected a keyword, click Display.
  3. If a Topics Found window is displayed, select the topic you want and then click Display.

Tips for using the index

  • Fatal Error Codes are listed by the four-digit portion at the beginning of the error. For instance, information on a Fatal Error with a code of 3001-0-c000005 can be found under the index of "3001 - access violation".
  • Programs are listed by their proper name, which is the name of the icon they are launched with. This can also be found under the Help topic for that program (press F1 while in that program to display information about that specific program). For instance, information about updating statements in Tabs3 can be found under the index of "Update Statements".
  • Many topics are listed under multiple indexes; if you are unable to locate a specific topic with one index, try a similar one or a different index that is also part of the process you are researching. If you cannot locate an index in this method, try using the full-text search, as described in the next section.

The Search Tab
Contents Tab

Click the Search tab in the navigation pane to search for KB Articles by Article ID or by full-text search. To locate a topic, enter the Article ID number in Rxxxxx format, where "xxxxx" is the five-digit Article ID (all KB Articles begin with the letter R). To perform a full-text search, enter your query in the field and click Go to locate every occurrence of that word or phrase that may be contained in a topic.

To open a KB Article

  1. In the navigation pane, click the Search tab and then type in the Article ID number in the Search by Article ID field.
  2. Click Go to open that KB Article.

    Note: The Article ID number is in Rxxxxx format, where "xxxxx" is the five-digit Article ID (all KB Articles begin with the letter R).

Tips for searching

A basic search of topics consists of the word or phrase you want to find. You can use wildcard expressions, nested expressions, Boolean operators, similar word matches, the previous results list, or topic titles to refine your search. For help locating topics using search, see Tips for searching.

To perform a full-text search

  1. In the navigation pane, click the Search tab and then type the word or phrase you want to find in the Search all Text field.
  2. Click Go. Your search will return a list of the first 300 hits.
  3. Click on the link for the desired item to open that KB Article.

    Note: The Display Abstract option, if selected, will display a brief description with each result. The Tips for searching link displays a help topic for using this full-text search option.

Note: The Search on the home page uses the same search as the Search all Text "exact phrase" on the Search tab.

The Topic Pane
Topic Pane

Excerpt from KB Article R10200 - Redirector and Other Network Problems

The Topic Pane is shown on the right side of the Knowledge Base window and contains the text of the selected topic.

Right-clicking the topic pane will display a menu with several options, including the following:

  • Back
  • Forward
  • Select All
  • Print
  • Refresh

Ctrl+F can be used as a Find tool to search the current topic for specified text.

When the Knowledge Base is first opened, the home page is displayed in the Topic Pane. This page has links to some of the most often-used areas of the Knowledge Base, including a list of new articles, popular articles, special offers, what's new in the software, conversion instructions, instructions for our Taskbill program and Cost Recovery System Interface Instructions. At the bottom is our address, phone number, and links to our email addresses and Web site.

 

Troubleshooting the Knowledge Base
The left pane of the Knowledge Base has no information, or prompts for missing files.
If using Internet Explorer (or some other browsers, such as Opera), you must have a version of Java installed on the local computer. For most operating systems (including Windows Vista and Windows XP), Oracle has released a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) that allows Java applications to run on that workstation. This can be downloaded at no charge from www.java.com. Some versions of web browsers require specific versions of Java; for example, Firefox 3.6 requires Java version 6 Update 10 or later. We recommend using the latest version of Java available to best ensure compatibility.

If Java is missing, the Knowledge Base frames may resemble the following:

Java Required or Java Required or Java Required

 
A good troubleshooting step is to use a Java Tester such as the one on the Java.com Web site found at: http://java.com/en/download/help/testvm.xml. The test will begin automatically upon viewing the page, and if the Java logo appears on your screen Java is installed on your computer. This tester will show you the Vendor of your Java installation, the Version of Java that is installed on the computer, and the Operating System you are using.

If using Internet Explorer 9, 8, or 7, the following message may be displayed:
           The page you are viewing uses Java. More information on Java support is available from the Microsoft Web site
Clicking OK will attempt to display the page without Java information. Clicking More Info will display this page on Microsoft's Web site. To download Java, visit www.java.com.

Firefox Plugin

If using a 3rd-party browser, such as Firefox, additional plug-ins may be required. Visit the home page for your browser and check for Java compatibility software. There may also be alerts for recognized plug-ins when the browser detects them. For instance, in Firefox, if the Java Plug-in is not installed, the above toolbar is displayed.Install Firefox Plugin

Click the Install Missing Plugins button on the toolbar, or in the frame click the Download Plugin button, as shown in the graphic.

 
Note: Different browsers have different requirements. Some browsers, such as Internet Explorer and Opera, will use the standard Java Runtime Environment. Other browsers, such as Firefox and Mozilla, will require additional software to be installed. If you have installed the Java Runtime Environment (www.java.com) and your web browser still will not display the Knowledge Base, please visit the home page for your browser and check for Java plug-ins.
 
Internet Explorer has closed this webpage to help protect your computer.
It has been reported that when using Internet Explorer 9 or 8, it is possible to receive a message when opening the Knowledge Base (or many other websites). The message is:
 

Internet Explorer has closed this webpage to help protect your computer
A malfunctioning or malicious add-on has caused Internet Explorer to close this webpage.
 

This indicates that Windows Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is preventing an add-on from loading. This can normally be solved by removing conflicting add-ons, or updating add-ons which are not fully compatible with IE9 or IE8. This includes updating the Java plug-in, and selectively disabling your add-ons until the conflicting add-on is found. To disable add-ons, perform the following steps:
 
  1. In Internet Explorer, select the Tools menu, then click Manage Add-Ons.
  2. Under Add-on Types, select Toolbars and Extensions.
  3. Select the first Add-on with a Status of "Enabled", then click Disable.
  4. Close the Manage Add-ons window, then attempt to reload the webpage.
  5. Repeat steps 1-4 until the page loads.
  6. Once the webpage loads, you can re-enable all of the Add-ons except the last one that was disabled. This Add-on will need to be removed or updated. If you need assistance removing or updating an Add-on, please contact your network technician.

Alternatively, attempt to load the webpage in another web browser, such as Firefox or Chrome. Firefox can be downloaded at http://www.mozilla.com/firefox, and Chrome can be downloaded at http://www.google.com/chrome. There are many other web browsers, such as Mozilla and Opera, which can also be used. Some browsers will require a Java plug-in to be installed before they can load the Knowledge Base.
 
The browser displays a warning message when attempting to access the Knowledge Base.
Internet OptionsCertain settings may disable Java use on a web browser. In Internet Explorer, select Tools | Internet Options, click on the Security tab, and select the Internet zone. If the Security level is set to Custom or High, this can cause browsing issues with Java. Either select the Default Level button to change to Medium security, or click the Custom Level button and verify under Java VM that Disable Java is not selected.
 
Furthermore, on the Advanced tab of Internet Options, under Microsoft VM, some Java applets will require the JIT compiler for virtual machine enabled option to be selected.

Other web browsers will have similar features. For instance, in Firefox, select Tools | Options, click on the Web Features option, and verify that both Enable Java and Enable JavaScript are selected. The Advanced button allows you to restrict what JavaScript is allowed to change on the browser window, including moving and resizing windows, hiding the status bar, or changing images.
 

These are not the only warnings that web-browsing software can display. Be aware that any warning message displayed does not necessarily mean that the above changes will correct the issue. Antivirus software, anti-spam and anti-spyware software, plug-ins for the web browser, Windows Security settings, Firewall settings, and more can all generate warning messages in a web browser. If you need assistance correcting any setting, please contact your firm's computer technician. 

References

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY, INC. KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY, INC. DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY, INC. OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY, INC. OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

© 1999-2012 Software Technology, Inc.   All rights reserved. Terms of Use
The maker of Tabs3 and PracticeMaster
Tabs3, PracticeMaster, and the “pinwheel” symbol (The "Pinwheel" symbol is a Registered Trademark of Software Technology, Inc.) are registered trademarks of Software Technology, Inc.
e-Mail Suggestions for the Knowledge Base to: kb@Tabs3.com
Technical Support via e-mail is not available.
Knowledge Base:   http://support.Tabs3.com
Web Site:   http://www.Tabs3.com