CAB Local Information System

No Help on Local Information after upgrade

Andy Henderson — Sun Dec 06, 2009 9:02 pm

Author: Andy Henderson
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 9:02 pm

I have just released version 2.5 of the Local Information System. It includes a new version of the local installer. This is the program that automatically detects updates and, if it finds one, installs it for you. This version looks for downloaded zip files and, if it finds any, unzips them into the program folder. Version 2.5 provides copies of the help files in a file called helpFiles.zip. This is unzipped after all the other files have been copied.

I'm hoping that, by copying the help files in a zip, and unzipping locally, we will by-pass the Microsoft security check that blocks the help files. I can't be sure this will work, however, because I can't replicate the problem on my network.

To install the new updater will require you to visit each PC in turn because the updater can't update itself. I'm sorry for that hassle. Once done, however, it should mean that help files won't be blocked for this and future releases.

No Help on Local Information after upgrade

Andy Henderson — Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:29 pm

Author: Andy Henderson
Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:29 pm

petewhodge wrote:

One extra point I have found is that only a authorised user can change the files from being blocked. This is going to be a real pain to update 30+ pc's as I am usually only in 1 day a week.

...

Is the anyway of stopping the help files being blocked when they are updated from the server.

Microsoft has been rather unhelpful with this change. It introduced a problem and didn't give us a way to overcome it. And it's not the first time either.

If something occurs to me I'll let you know. I understand your frustration - that's why we developed the auto update process in the first place. I will give it some thought.

No Help on Local Information after upgrade

petewhodge — Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:18 am

Author: petewhodge
Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:18 am

HI Andy

Sorry about the duplication only I had a server errorat your end and did not check if the message had been logged.

One extra point I have found is that only a authorised user can change the files from being blocked. This is going to be a real pain to update 30+ pc's as I am usually only in 1 day a week.

This is on all PC's linked to our server means that we have the database and distribution code on a server and 30 + pc runing the LIS program linked to the server.

The UNBLOCK worked on the local files on one pc so I only have 30+ pc's to change now.

we are running a windows 2003 server with winxp clients no win9x.

Is the anyway of stopping the help files being blocked when they are updated from the server.

Pete Hodge

No Help on Local Information after upgrade

petewhodge — Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:10 am

Author: petewhodge
Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:10 am

Hi Andy

The unblock on the local pc worked. :) so I only have 30+ pc's to update now.
:cry:
When I mean all PC's linked to our server we have the database and distridution code on our server and 30 + pc attached to the server.

Is there anyway of allowing the help files access without doing an UNBLOCK on all pc's.

Pete Hodge

No Help on Local Information after upgrade

Andy Henderson — Sat Oct 11, 2008 6:21 am

Author: Andy Henderson
Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 6:21 am

I'm sorry you are encountering a problem.

What do you mean by "This is on all PC's linked to our server"?

There are problems accessing help files over a network as a result of security rules imposed by Microsoft. You might be falling foul of these restrictions.

When copying help files across a network, Windows can 'block' them because it thinks you might have downloaded them from the Internet and wants to protect you from yourself.

There is also an issue opening a help file on a Windows 9x machine when it is already open in a Windows NT machine. Microsoft's advisory on this is a little vague. It might apply to the automatic update program if Windows NT and Windows 9x machines update themselves at the same time.

Please try the following...

Identify the Local Information System program folder - the folder where you run the LI programs from. By default this is C:\Program Files\CITA\CABLocalInformation. This folder also contains the help files used by the LI programs:
- CABLocalInformation.chm
- CABLIMaintenance.chm
- CABLIUpdater.chm
If the help files are missing, that will be the problem, you can recopy them from the distribution folder (the systemObjects folder below the folder containing your database).
Right click each help file, click 'properties' and look for an option to 'unblock' the file. If present, that will be your problem. You should be able to use the file after you unblock it.
Try double-clicking the help files to open them directly. Do you see the same error message?
Try double-clicking the help files in the distribution folder. Do you see the same error message?

If the problem is due to running help files on network shares or being blocked, Microsoft has provided a method to reverse the effects of its update. Unfortunately it is not easy to implement. You can find out more here. You might find it easier to manually unblock files when you encounter the error.

Please let us know what you find.

No Help on Local Information after upgrade

petewhodge — Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:49 am

Author: petewhodge
Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:49 am

On both the LIS and the maintenance sytem the help the following message appears

Navigation to the webpage was canceled

What you can try:
Retype the address.

This is on all PC's linked to our server

How do we get the help back

Pete Hodge
Horsham CAB

Sharing a database across more than one location

tyrrellm — Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:52 pm

Author: tyrrellm
Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:52 pm

Thnak you for the input. We are meeting tomorrow to discuss further changes necessary to merge bx.

Marion

Sharing a database across more than one location

Andy Henderson — Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:07 am

Author: Andy Henderson
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:07 am

I asked Margaret for a view on sharing data across multiple locations - to get a data administrator's point of view. She makes the following points:

Crawley, Horsham and East Grinstead are not too distant from each other and all come under West Sussex so much of the LI data will be shared.
Local Information has the wider meaning of being information that is held locally rather than that which is only relevant to the local area. It is meant to supplement the infomation provided nationally by Citizens Advice. This means that many entries, such as for charities, are national in nature.
It's possible you will be centralising some services in one location in which case a view over all entries would be useful.
By adding the individual town names as search terms to entries that are more specific will help advisers narrow the search down. Also make use of the priorities facility to create a better order to search results.
Adding the town name to the title of entries that are exclusively local will allow people searching to skip irrelevant entries
If your database is getting very large - over 1000 entries, then I suggest trying to prune it down by deleting more obscure entries and combining related entries.

Our view is that you are better trying to maintain a single database rather than multiple databases or some kind of database hierarchy.

Even if you manage to build a permanent data link between the offices, it's unlikely the Local Information System will perform well over the link because the technology we use is optimised for use over fast, local networks. Instead, the system will perform best if locally installed in each office. That would mean creating a single function based in one of the offices to manage the data. You could then send copies to each site after an update session.

Having said that, there are technologies - such as Terminal Services or Citrix - that would support systems like LIS across relatively low speed connections, but they are expensive.

As for document links, there is an option to create links that would work across an electronic connection to a single server. If, however, you need to create local copies of each document, the easiest way to do that is:

Put all the linked documents into a single folder, or hierarchy of folders.
Put a synchronisation mechanism in place to recreate the folder(s) in each office.

Again, the simplest way to do that is to have one office maintain the document library on behalf of the rest. They can send out updates to the library with each release of the LIS. There are various ways to semi-automate that process. Let us know if you need help with that.

Sharing a database across more than one location

tyrrellm — Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:59 am

Author: tyrrellm
Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:59 am

Any suggestions as to how we could share a database across one or more locations?

We have some data that is common to all locations and some that could be relevant to one or more locations. Ideally, a search would display all entires relevant to the location.

We have three separate servers at the moment planning to have one.

Any suggestions as to how to easily maintain the document links if we copy the database on to more than one server?

Fix for use with High Contrast colour schemes

Andy Henderson — Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:58 am

Author: Andy Henderson
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:58 am

Version 2.4 is compatible with high contrast colour schemes so we have withdrawn the temporary fix for this problem.

Fix for use with High Contrast colour schemes

Andy Henderson — Mon May 12, 2008 8:29 pm

Author: Andy Henderson
Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 8:29 pm

Windows includes a High Contrast colour scheme designed to help people with sight difficulties. Leeds CAB pointed out that the enquiry screen shows black text on a black background in this mode.

We have therefore prepared a fix to address the problem. We'll include this fix in the next version of the Local Information system.

The updated program is contained in this zip file.

To use this fix, first make sure you are using version 2.3a. The version number is displayed at the bottom left of the enquiry screen. You can get an update from here if you need it.

To roll this fix out to your network:

Extract CABLocalInformation.exe from the zip file and copy it to the systemObjects sub folder to the folder containing your database.
Use 'Worksheet I - Update configuration details' from the Installation Guide to increment the version number.

The update will distribute itself to all your PCs automatically.

Problem updating configuration details

Andy Henderson — Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:56 am

Author: Andy Henderson
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:56 am

Version 2.4 fixes the configuration problem. We have therefore withdrawn version 2.3a.

Problem updating configuration details

Andy Henderson — Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:34 pm

Author: Andy Henderson
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:34 pm

There is a bug that has been present since version 2.0 that affects bureaux that:

Use a drive letter to connect to their central PC
Do not use a folder to contain the database

For example, one bureau that saw the problem uses Z:\LocalInformation.mdb as their database address.

The system will install and run even though the bug occurs when the system is installed. However, you will be unable to update configuration details using program CABLIUpdater.exe. You will see a message complaining that a folder doesn't exist - even though it does.

In practice, very few bureaux will encounter this problem. There is no need to take any action unless you do.

To correct the problem, download the updated version from http://www.SeeITA.com/CAB/Version23.zip and use worksheet H from the Installation Guide contained in the systemDocumentation folder to update your system.

Run the Local Information System to trigger an automatic update, you will find you can now run CABLIUpdater.exe without problem. The corrected program is version 2.3b

Our apologies for the inconvenience this bug has caused.

Problem checking web links

Andy Henderson — Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:54 am

Author: Andy Henderson
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:54 am

Version 2.4 fixes the problem with link checking. We have therefore withdrawn version 2.3a.

Problem checking web links

Andy Henderson — Fri Nov 09, 2007 6:38 pm

Author: Andy Henderson
Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 6:38 pm

We've encountered a bug when checking web links in the maintenance program.

The program crashes if it finds a web link that is badly-formed. For example, it fails if you put a telephone number in the web address by mistake.

The program correctly handles well-formed addresses that point to non-existent sites or pages, so the chances are you will not encounter the problem.

If you encounter the problem, download the latest version from http://www.SeeITA.com/CAB/Version23.zip and use worksheet H from the Installation Guide contained in the systemDocumentation folder to update your system.

Run the Local Information System maintenance program to trigger an automatic update, you will find you can now check your web links without problem. The corrected maintenance program is version 2.3a

Our apologies for the inconvenience this bug has caused.