§ 26 - Basic Issues & Solutions
This section tries to give you a brief overview to some of the issues that might be encountered while trying to install or run F/x, while providing some solutions to those.
Tip:
One of the things to try early on if you're hunting for something in the program is to check the index, always available from the quick navigation bar at the top of each page. The index contains many, many references to subject matter using terms that aren't usual for our products, but which you may be familiar with from using other products.
Problem: The Toolbox and other controls are off of the edge of the window, and I cannot retrieve them.
Solution: In most cases F/x will automatically place the Toolbox and all other windows inside the program window. If this does not occur (the Toolbox or some other window is off the screen), close the program, and delete the WINFX.INI file located in your Windows directory. The next time that you run F/x, the tools should appear in their correct position.
Problem: After the program opens there is an Access Violation (Pointer.dll GROWSTUB) error message.
Solution: This can occur if you are using a very old Microsoft mouse driver (version 9.0). You should update your mouse driver to version 9.01 or later as soon as possible.
Problem: The image I specified for loading will not load.
Solution: The image you specified may not be one of the supported image file types (a complete list is available in the File Menu documentation). If one of the supported image formats does not load, please contact technical support
There are several things that can critically affect the operation and speed of the program. These can range from simple changes to your virtual memory setup to purchasing new hardware for your system. It is important to keep in mind that you can never have enough "horsepower" for graphics applications in general, and F/x can use all the power you have, and then some! Here are a few suggestions that can improve the speed and suitability of F/x on your system:
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Buy more RAM or a faster CPU for your computer system.
This is the suggestion that people like to hear the least — because it is expensive — but increasing the amount of RAM and/or power of the CPU in your system can have amazing effects on the speed of F/x and many other applications. More RAM allows you to load larger images, and more of them at the same time. This can also increase speed by reducing the systems need for virtual memory which can eat up a good deal of time. Upgrading your CPU will make the entire system run faster, and in most cases, more efficiently. So, if you feel that your system could benefit from more RAM, use the Black Belt Systems Rule of Thumb:
Use your thumb to peel $$$, and give these to your local memory vendor. Make sure that you get memory in return.
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If you are using a fixed size Virtual Memory setting, increase its size or let Windows manage its size.
This is a simple way to effectively get more memory, though it is much slower than actual RAM SIMMs. This will give you a larger chunk of virtual memory to work with, which will allow you to do more. Slowly. Veeery slowly.
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Use 32-Bit disk access.
All of the file loaders and savers in F/x use 32-bit disk access. This can be activated through the Window's Control Panel in the Virtual Memory allocation dialog. 32-bit disk access is not available for all types of hard drive controllers, therefore, this option may not be available to all users.
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Conserve Memory
If you are low on memory, you may want to close other applications. This will free up more memory for F/x, and will reduce some of the strain on the CPU. F/x is fully capable of multitasking, but if your system is not well equipped, you may want to stick to running a single application at a time. You can conserve memory inside the program by closing the filmstrip, and any un-necessary image views. This will also free up valuable memory and system resources for F/x.
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WinImages F/x Manual Version 7, Revision 6, Level A
