Hot Issues

Document number: faqH
Copyright (c) 2001-2010 1stWorks Corporation. All rights reserved.

New issues for 7.5

New issues for 7.0

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"License suspended..." message after date/time has changed

This message indicates that you changed the date/time on your computer system, so your license time is invalid.

To correct this, update your hotComm software to revision 6.00.003c or higher, and make sure your computer system date/time is correct.

You can download the update from www.hotcomm.com/downloads.asp.

To correct your computer system date/time:

Right-click on the time in the lower right-corner of your Windows taskbar (usually the right bottom of your monitor), and select Adjust Date/Time.
This opens a calendar and clock. Reset to the correct date and time, and click OK.

Or, select the Internet Time tab, and click Update Now and then click OK.

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hotComm CL cannot connect to a room after computer date/time has been changed

Symptom: hotComm CL connects successfully to the 1stWorks Network (the headset icon turns red-and-blue) but is unable to connect to any rooms. You hear ringing, but the connection fails.

Cause: there are several possible causes. One is that your computer system date/time is incorrect. To fix this, update to revision 6.00.003cx or higher and make sure your computer date/time is correct.

You can download the update from www.hotcomm.com/updateCL.asp.

To correct your computer system date/time:

Right-click on the time in the lower right-corner of your Windows taskbar (usually the right bottom of your monitor), and select Adjust Date/Time.
This opens a calendar and clock. Reset to the correct date and time, and click OK.

Or, select the Internet Time tab, and click Update Now and then click OK.

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"HCFS-This parameter is incorrect" message in File Sharing.

This problem affects only hotComm Standard/Pro revisions: 5.99, 6.00.000, 6.00.001, 6.00.002.

If you get this message, update to revision 6.00.003c or higher. You can update from http://www.hotcomm.com/updateHC.asp

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Room Password Syntax changed

As of 6.0, the way to change a room password has changed.

The old 3-part syntax no longer works. In the old syntax, you entered the room password, CL moderator password and CL presenter password in one string, separated by colons. For example, proom:pmod:ppres

As of 6.0:

Log into your room as a Panelist.
Enter the room password in the Rpwd field. Note: if you leave this field blank, no password is required for the room.
Enter the CL presenter password in the Ppwd field. Note: if you leave this field blank, no one will be able to enter as a CL presenter.
Enter the CL moderator password in the Mpwd field. Note: if you leave this field blank, no one will be able to enter as a CL moderator.
Click Set My Room's Password.

Note: be careful about blanks. If you leave a field blank and click Set My Room's Password, you are removing whatever password was previously set.

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Recording

These issues relate to session and audio recording and playback.

WMV recording in Vista with Realtek HD

Added: 5/21/08

hotComm WMV recording does not work in Windows Vista if you are using the Realtek High Definition Audio driver supplied with Vista by Microsoft. You must use a driver from Realtek. For more information, see You can convert a WAV file to PCM format using Windows Sound Recorder. See Session Recording - Troubleshooting.

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Audio missing from second session recording in 6.00.002/6.00.003

Applies to: hotComm Standard/Pro 6.00.002, 6.00.003

Problem: If you are recording a session by making several smaller recordings instead of one big one, only the first recording has audio. This is a bug and will be fixed in a future release.

Workaround: Disconnect from the session and reconnect between recordings. This resets the recording settings. To disconnect without closing hotComm, click Session, then Close this Session.

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Session recordings don't include HiFi audio

Problem: hotComm Session recordings do not include audio if the presenter is using HiFi sound.

Resolution: that is by design. Presenters should use voice quality audio settings if attendees are going to record the session. The presenter should right-click the hotComm mic icon and set the Quality to 4 or less.

hotComm's HiFi settings are normally used for music. HiFi audio is coded differently than voice quality audio. Also, a recording of HiFi audio would also record incidental noise, such as any mouse clicks, min/max sounds etc.

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Session Recording Playback issues

It may take more computer memory and resources than you expect to playback a hotComm session recording. The hotComm session recordings have more overhead than the original presention due to the information necessary for the fast-forward and rewind features, and for displaying the graphics.

If you have any difficulty playing back a hotComm session recording, please close all programs except for hotComm. When hotComm is the only program running, then try playing the recording again.

If problems persist, restart your computer once to clear out memory, make sure all other programs are closed, and try again.

Increase Virtual Memory

You can also try increasing the initial virtual memory on your computer. For Windows XP:

1.  Open Windows Start

2.  Right-click on My Computer and select Properties.

3.  Select the Advanced tab.

4.  Under Performance, click Settings.

5.  In Performance Options, select the Advanced tab.

6.  Under Virtual Memory, click Change.

7.  In Virtual Memory, check Custom size, and type in the sizes you want.

  Although there is no single right answer, we often recommend these sizes:

  Initial minimum: 1536 or 3072 or 4096

  Maximum: 4096

8.  Click Set, then OK, and restart your computer. Top

How do I convert hotComm recordings to other formats?

hotComm records audio in any session using TruSpeech, which is a very compact recording format . However, some specific applications require a different format, for example, Dragon NaturallySpeaking which requires 11.025 Khz at 16-bit minimum in order to be eficiently transcribed through its Speech to Text facility.

You can easily convert our hotComm recorded audio to a variety of different audio formats by using the Sound Recorder feature in Microsoft. You will find in the Entertainment folder by following Start/Run/Program Files/Accessories/Entertainment/Sound Recorder

Open the hotComm UPLOADS folder on your desktop and select the .wav fole you need to convert.
Select the format you need in Sound Recorder.
Select the Save As command to save the converted file as a new file name or replace the existing content.
Open the saved file in the new format required for the application you wish to use.

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Converting a WAV file to PCM format

You can convert a WAV file to PCM format using Windows Sound Recorder. See Abbreviations - Audio.

Also, you can download a WAV file conversion program from us. Click here to download a program to convert formats. Start the program, select Options - Convert Format, then select File-Save and save it as a PCM format file.

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Routers, Firewalls and Connections

These issues relate to routers, firewalls and connection problems.

Netgear issues

Problem: hotcomm will not stay connected when I switch to wireless access. Other online programs operating at the same time do not have this problem. How do I fix this?

I have a NetgearWTG624 v.2 firewall router. The computer is a Dell Inspiron notebook, brand new. I have SBC DSL, Windows XP Home. The only other software running at the time is an order entry system with a live data feed continually updating, and it did not disconect. Hotcomm is in continual activity too, because the trading pit audio is in the feed, and there is always noise.

Resolution: You were right, it was a Netgear problem. For future reference, the instructions don't state that the wireless settings need to be changed to " auto108 mbps". It works perfectly now. The initial directions tell you not to change this setting, but if you go in after initial setup to the website, they tell you to do this.

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Losing connections with Trend Micro PC-cillin

From a customer:

PC-cillin users may keep losing the hotComm connection unless you configure PC-cillin as follows:

Open PC-cillin
Go to AntiPhishing & content protection
Un-check Filter Access to Web Sites

Information about PC-cillin is at www.pccillin.com.

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Verizon highspeed wireless on laptop - connection problems

Several customers have reported that they upgraded to Verizon highspeed wireless, and found that they could connect to the 1stWorks Network, but the Relays on hotComm Standard don't turn green, and hotComm Lite can't connect to any rooms.

Information on the Venturi card is available at: http://support.vzw.com/how_to_use/vzaccess_venturi.html

One customer reports:

I seem to have found the problem ... the Verizon software installs VZAccess which is their connection soltware, but it also bundles this Venturi web acceleration utility: www.venturiwireless.com/tech_support/VerizonWireless.html. If I turn off Venturi before starting hotComm then I can connect and have sound and live charts working. To turn off Venturi, right-click on the "Venturi Client" icon in the taskbar and check OFF.

Note: initially reported in connection with Verizon wireless 5220 card.

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Zone Alarm 5 blocks hotComm

September 2004 - This problem has been resolved for hotComm access, except for license imports. We recommend that you shutdown Zone Alarm before you import a copy of your hotComm license or apply a hotComm unlock code.

For more information about Zone Alarm, please see www.zonelabs.com

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hotComm stays "Signed out" (5/8/03)

Applies to: all products

Symptoms: You see Signed out or Online-Tunneled in the lower right corner of your hotComm window, and hotComm won't connect.

Cause: During the upgrade, your connection setting may have been changed (especially if you saw a hotComm Proxy Settings box during the upgrade and selected "Through a proxy server" as your connection method).

To correct the setting:

Click on Online-Tunneled or Signed out in the lower right corner of your hotComm window.
Select the Directly radio button and click Ok.
Close and restart hotComm.

After restarting hotComm, you should be able to connect as you did before the upgrade.

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McAfee Security issues

If you are running McAfee Security, it might prevent you from connecting to the 1stWorks VNS Network. (If you stay "Signed Out", and the earphones on the tiny hotComm headset icon in your Windows icon/system tray stay white, then you are NOT connected.)

Note: this often does not appear until you have been running hotComm for several days or weeks.

Solution:

In McAfee Security, open the Configuration screen and enable hotComm.
Close hotComm, wait 20 seconds, and restart hotComm.

Any McAfee Security aces out there who can send me a screenshot of the McAfee Configure screen, as well as specific instructions, your help is appreciated. Please email them to support@1stWorks.com. Thank you!

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Start Up Issues

These issues relate to starting hotComm.

"Application configuration is incorrect" (MFC80)

Several users have reported that they get this message when they try to start a hotComm client:

"The application has failed to start because the application configuration is incorrect. Reinstalling the application may fix this problem."

Reinstalling does not help. The problem is that several MFC80 files are corrupted, per the feedback from a customer:

I figured it out. There were two MFC files in the C:\Windows\WinSxS\Policies and Manifest directories that were corrupt. No idea how they got corrupted. I was able to copy the files from another computer. It appears to be working now. Thank you.

Suggested solution This link runs a copy of the Microsoft redistribution and registry fixer for MSC 8.0, and running this program may fix the corrupted files:

http://www.hotcomm.com/ftppub/support/vcredist_x86.exe

Added: May 21, 2008

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"Runtime error in Visual C++" on startup (MFC80)

If you get a Runtime error in Visual C++ message on startup, try running the Microsoft utility for repairing the MFC80 redistribution files, below.

Suggested solution This link runs a copy of the Microsoft redistribution and registry fixer for MFC 8.0, and running this program may fix the corrupted files:

http://www.hotcomm.com/ftppub/support/vcredist_x86.exe

Added: May 21, 2008

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hotComm closes other programs

hotComm Standard/Pro requires one TCP socket for each name on your User List, including relays and individual users. hotComm Lite requires only one socket.

Typically, an ISP allows you to use up to 256 sockets.

If you do not have enough sockets, hotComm may prevent other programs that use TCP sockets from running. Top

"Failed to create empty document"
"Failed to create session (maximum number of sessions reached"

You see either of these messages when starting hotComm if hotComm is unable to open the Microsoft Docmgr.dll. Add the command line option /dmx to your hotComm startup icon. This tells hotComm to avoid trying to open that DLL.

For instructions with screenshots on how to add a command line option, see Command Line Option.

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Add a Command Line Option

For instructions with screenshots on how to add a command line option, see Command Line Option.

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I/O error during install

I get this message when installing hotComm: "An I/O error occured while installing a file. This is normally caused by a bad installed media or a acorrupt installation file".

Cause: The installation file was not fully downloaded. Delete any copies of the installation file (h*setup*.exe) that are on your computer, and then try downloading again later.

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Java Client Issues

These issues relate to Java client issues.

Java client flickers occasionally

Occasionally, the Java client may flicker. Typically, this occurs if you have an outdated video card.

To fix this, set an option via the Control Panel Java tool to tell Java not to use Direct draw.

Here are the steps:

Open Windows Start, then Control Panel.
Click on the Java icon in Control Panel.
Select the Java tab. Click the View button for "Java Applet Runtime (or browser) Settings". This will pop up a list of Java runtimes (JRE) installed. Pick the latest one (largest version shown).
Click inside the field Java Runtime parameters which lets you edit it. It is normally empty. Type in the following:

-Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true
Click Ok, then Ok again at two levels to close all
Re-start Sun Java. If you use Internet Explorer, Sun Java starts when you start your browser. Other browsers may start Sun Java at different times.

This is an old problem with Sun Java and DirectX, where DirectX locks the whole screen instead of just the subregion being updated. For whatever reason, Microsoft blanks the whole screen on that particular call on some video adapters, such as S3. Unfortunately, the hotComm Java client applet code has no control over this.

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"Network error - Connection reset by peer in transfer loop while retrieving ..."

This error occurs when you click a hotComm hotlink, if you are running AdSubtract ad blocking software.

Close AdSubtract and try again. This should also improve your hotComm experience, because you will not be accessing the Internet through the AdSubtract proxy server.

You can try adding the domain name portion of the hotComm hotlink to your Internet Explorer exceptions. This tells Internet Explorer to bypass the AdSubtract proxy server for these addresses. In Internet Explorer, select Tools, then Internet Options, then Connections, then LAN Settings, then Advanced, and add the domain name portion of the hotLink (such as: relay.ezpeer.net or relay.im-live.com) as Exceptions.

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Operating System Support

These issues relate to the operating systems for which hotComm is supported.

Do you support Windows 7?

November 3, 2009 - 1stWorks supports hotComm on 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7 operating systems.

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Do you support Windows Vista?

July 6, 2009 - As of the 7.50 revisions, 1stWorks supports hotComm on 32-bit and 64-bit Vista operating systems.

1. If you have any problems with hotComm under Vista, exit hotComm and try starting it by right-clicking the hotComm startup shortcut on your desktop and selecting Run As Administrator.

2. Or, disabling the Vista UAC controls may resolve problems.

3. WMV recording in hotComm Standard/Pro may not record audio in Vista without manual activation of the stereo mixer.

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Do you support Windows XP and Windows 2000?

1stWorks Corporation supports its Windows products (hotComm, hotComm Lite, hotComm CL) on Windows XP 32-bit and Windows 2000.

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Does hotComm run on a Mac?

We understand that some customers are running hotComm Windows products successfully in a Windows partition on an Intel-based Mac with OS X or higher, with Bootcamp or Paralells. Please make sure that your mouse is configured through OS X for both left-click and right-click mouse actions.

Some customers can access events successfully with the hotComm IM-Live Java client from the Macintosh with OS X (or higher) and the latest Apple Java version which can be downloaded from: www.apple.com/macosx/features/java/.

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Do you support Windows 98 and Windows ME?

1stWorks Corporation development support for its Windows products (hotComm, hotComm Lite, hotComm CL) under Windows 98 and ME ended as of January 2004.

Windows 98 and ME are built on the Microsoft Windows 9.x architecture, which has significant system restrictions compared to later Operating Systems. As we release future versions of our products after this date, they may not operate in conformity to these earlier constraints and, although we will continue to provide information about using our products, we cannot guarantee that our products will continue to work successfully on these platforms in future releases.

Known issues include:

The Windows 9.x architecture, which 98 and ME use, has a fixed amount of system resources. You can't increase them. Buying more memory doesn't help. hotComm uses these system resources, as do other products, such as the Microsoft Office products. When system resources are exhausted, hotComm does not work correctly, with symptoms such as these: windows may turn white, icons may no longer display, the computer may freeze or crash.
Many Windows 98 and ME computers are outfitted with older audio technology equipment. New hotComm users may need to upgrade their computer/audio systems, and may not be completely happy with the end result.

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Do you support Windows NT 4.0?

1stWorks Corporation no longer supports its Windows products (hotComm, hotComm Lite, hotComm CL) on Windows NT 4.0.

hotComm supported Windows NT 4.0 through June 2003, with these known issues:

Windows NT 4.0 does not support the level of DirectX that hotComm requires. The latest release of DirectX supported by Windows NT 4.0 is DirectX 3.0a, which was supplied in Service Pack 3.

Because of this, Windows NT 4.0 users can expect to hear what others say through hotComm VoIP, but are unable to speak themselves.
Your ability to send hotCam screenshots may be limited because Windows NT 4.0 does not support a Microsoft Windows function, MonitorFromWindow, that hotComm uses. See Hot Issues.

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Do you support Windows 95?

1stWorks Corporation no longer supports its Windows products (hotComm, hotComm Lite, hotComm CL) on Windows 95.

hotComm worked on Windows 95 in some early releases of hotComm 1.x, with these notes:

For Windows 95, Winsock2 and Riched20.dll are required. You can get Riched20.dll by downloading and installing Microsoft Word 97/2000 Viewer (Word 2000) or Word 97/2000 (Word 97).
Windows 95 Riched20.dll requirement
As of revision 1.00.012, hotComm supports active links in text chat. This feature requires that you have Microsoft Rich Edit version 2.0 or higher installed on your computer. The name of the DLL for Rich Edit versions 2.0 and 3.0 is riched20.dll.

Riched20.dll is included in Microsoft Windows 98, 2000, ME, and NT version 4.0.

Riched20.dll is not included in Microsoft Windows 95, but is compatible with Windows 95. If you are running Windows 95 and have installed an application that uses Rich Edit 2.0, Riched20.dll may be installed on your system.

You can search for riched20.dll in your Windows/System directory. Note: if you find riched32.dll, that is the DLL for Rich Edit 1.0, it is included in Windows 95, and it will not work for hotComm.

If necessary, you can get Riched20.dll by downloading and installing Microsoft Word 97/2000 Viewer (Word 2000) or Word 97/2000 Viewer (Word 97). Microsoft Word Viewer is an application that lets users who do not have Word view Word 97 or Word 2000 files.

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Browser Issues

These issues relate to Internet browsers.

Yahoo home page missing in Firefox after hotComm install

3/25/10 - In some cases, your Yahoo home page may be missing in Firefox after a hotComm install or update.

Why: Firefox uses a file called prefs.js for preferences and defaults. hotComm writes to it. One theory is that when hotComm writes to it, under very rare circumstances, Firefox doesn't like the line we put in.

Solution: Remove the line.

Instructions

1. Restart your computer and close all programs

2. In Windows XP, click Windows Start, then Run.
- or -
In Windows Vista or Windows 7, click Windows Start. In the Start Search box, type Run and press Enter.

3. In the Run box, type or paste in the following line:
"C:\Program Files\1stWORKS\hotComm\BIN\HCprefs.exe" /un

4. Click OK.

You won't see anything happen, or get any messages saying it is completed. But when you start Firefox next, your homepage should be restored.

What this does is run the hotComm HCprefs.exe utility to remove the following line (that we added) from your prefs.js file:
user_pref("network.http.accept.default", "hc/url;*/*");

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Windows 98/ME Issues

These issues relate to Windows 98 and Windows ME.

Cannot run hotComm and another Internet app concurrently in Windows 98

Applies to: hotComm and hotComm Lite in Windows 98

Symptom: you can't run another Internet application (such as your browser or a stock data feed) at the same time hotComm or hotComm Lite is running.

Cause: you may have an old version of Winsock 2 (Microsoft Internet access dll) that does not support more than one Internet access at the same time.

If you have WS2_32.DLL in a Windows system folder, then you have Winsock 2 support.

The correct versions and locations should be:

Version	Filename	Location	Size
Windows 98 (all versions)	winsock.dll	C:\windows	21,504 bytes
Windows 98, ME	WS2_32.dll	C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM

Workaround: find and/or reinstall the correct files.

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Multiple charts may freeze in Windows 98 and Window ME

Because of their architecture, Windows 98 and Windows ME have limited system resources. Many programs, including hotComm and the Microsoft Office products, use the system resources. When the resources are exhausted, the programs freeze, or parts of the screen are not displayed.

Close as many programs and windows as possible, and see if that solves the problem. Unfortunately, it is impossible to increase these system resources.

Windows 2000 and XP are built on different architecture and do not have this system resource problem.

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Charts turn white, hotComm freezes with Windows 98/ME

Windows 98/ME are built on the Windows 9.x architecture, which has a fixed limit to system resources. Many programs, including hotComm, Microsoft Outlook, and the Microsoft Office Suite use system resources.

When system resources are low or exhausted, hotComm windows may turn white instead of displaying charts or other presentation content, and hotComm may freeze, especially when attempting to display large charts. Other unexpected and unpleasant behavior may occur.

If this occurs, you may consider moving to a version of Windows that is not built on this architecture.

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"Failure loading VxD Device" in Windows 98

You may have an old video driver. Check windowsupdate.microsoft.com for any driver updates available for your system.

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License and Registration Issues

These issues relate to license and registration issues.

Registry and Disk cleaning software may damage a hotComm license

Registry and Disk cleaning software damages a hotComm license

Your hotComm license is stored on your computer. Registry cleaning and disk cleaning software may unintentionally damage your hotComm license.

Products that we know of include:

Product	Vendor
Fix-It utilities	OnTrack

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Backing up your hotComm License

Certain computer maintenance activities can delete or damage your hotComm license.

Before you reformat the hard drive, use disk-washing or registry cleaning software, please BACKUP your hotComm license. To do this, export a copy of your license/identity to the hotComm servers. After your computer maintenance is finished, you can import the license/identity back. See 1 License, 2 Computers.
If you plan to MOVE your license to a new computer, export it from the old computer first. Then, import it into the new computer. See 1 License, 2 Computers.

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"Bad Password" during Imports

Applies to: hotComm Lite, Standard/Pro

Beginning with version 3.20.006, hotComm imports no longer accept mixed-case passwords generated by earlier versions. On the import, you see a "Bad Password" message.

Important: Upgrade computer #1 to hotComm 3.20.006x or higher BEFORE you export. Click to Download.

If you have already exported your license and no longer have access to computer #1, contact 1stWorks Support about temporarily downgrading computer #2 to a prior version of hotComm so that you can import successfully. Top

Specific Revisions

These issues relate to issues with specific revisions.

Revision Problems

Can't Connect (headset earphones stay white/yellow)
Some customers find that they can't connect to the 1stWorks Network after updating to revision 5.5. Note that initial connection time may be somewhat longer than before.

hotComm Standard/Pro
hotComm Lite
1. Make sure that your firewall hasn't blocked the new release. Personal firewalls should challenge hotComm again. For info on firewalls, see Firewalls.
2. On the bottom line of your hotComm window, click the Signed-Out message. In the Proxy Settings window, check Directly, then OK. Close hotComm. Wait 20 seconds, and start again.
3. Delete the hotComm network file.
  1. Close hotComm.
  2. Click Windows Start
  3. then My Computer
  4. then Program Files
  5. then 1stWorks
  6. then hotComm
  7. then USR.
  8. Find NET.HCD (you may see it as NET), right-click it, select Delete.
  9. Close My Computer, and restart hotComm.
4. If none of that works, send an email to support@1stWorks.com. Include the product name, your hotComm registration email address and your phone number.
hotComm CL
1. Make sure that your firewall hasn't blocked the new release. Personal firewalls should challenge hotComm again. For info on firewalls, see Firewalls.
2. If configuring your firewall doesn't work, uninstall hotComm CL and reinstall it.
  
  To uninstall, click Windows Start, then Programs or All Programs, then 1stWorks Corporation, then Uninstall hotComm CL, then Automatic, then OK.
  
  To reinstall, download from http://www.hotcomm.com/updateCL.asp.
Presenter freezes
Presenter freezes during presentation (applies to 5.50.000ax and 5.50.000bx). As a temporary workaround, turn off the Peak Meter. To do this, right-click the Mic icon, and uncheck the Input Peak Meter checkbox. If you are using hotComm Standard/Pro, contact support@1stworks.com for a software update.

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Mic does not work in 5.00.002 or 5.00.002a
(Downgrade to 5.00.001)

If your microphone does not work in 5.00.002 or 5.00.002a, you can try a workaround, or you can downgrade to 5.00.001.

To downgrade to 5.00.001, close hotComm (but do NOT uninstall it) and then click your product link below:

hotComm Standard/Pro 5.00.001ax

hotComm Lite 5.00.001x

hotComm CL 5.00.001
The workaround registers your default sound recording device in the Windows Registry. For the workaround:
1. Click Windows Start.
2. Select Control Panel, or Settings and then Control Panel.
3. Select Sounds and Audio devices. (You may need to select Sounds and Audio devices again.
4. In the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties window, select the Audio tab, and click OK.

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Miscellaneous

These issues relate to miscellaneous issues.

"Server busy" message when saving Office file from hotWeb

You may occasionally get a "Server Busy" message when you try to use the hotWeb "Save Document As" option to save a Microsoft Office file that has been pushed to you via hotWeb. This applies to Microsoft Office 2003 SP1 and higher.

This behavior is a Microsoft security feature and cannot be changed. The "Save As" action calls the program associated with the file; the Microsoft Office programs recognize that the file was opened by a third-party program (i.e., hotComm) and will not allow it to be saved.

Workaround: do not use "Save Document As" for Microsoft Office files. Instead, look in your hotComm /UPLOADS folder.

When you open the file that is pushed via hotWeb, hotComm automatically saves it in your hotComm /UPLOADS folder. This is not affected by the Microsoft security. Once it is saved in your /UPLOADS folder, you can rename the file or move it as you wish

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Emoticon window won't appear

Problem: the Emoticon window doesn't appear when I left-click on the Smiley face icon. Nothing happens.

Cause: in the HCFrame.HCD file, the value for EmoticonY was -447 (a negative value).

Solution: Close hotComm, and carefully edit HCFrame.HCD, setting EmoticonX=0 and EmoticonY=0. These are the coordinates for the Emoticon window.

Alternatively, delete HCFrame. The file will be rebuilt when hotComm starts. You will need to re-enter your Operations Mode settings.

Please contact 1stWorks Support before making these corrections.

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"hotComm cannot provide this functionality since the specific file was not found."

4/27/04 - hotComm: if you get this message on startup: "hotComm cannot provide this functionality since the specific file was not found.", then download a newer version of hotComm. Download hotComm Lite Download hotComm CL. (In the downloads window, click Open, not Save. Do not uninstall before you update.)

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Refresh hotCam (Timed Camera) window

If you are having difficulty receiving Timed Camera screenshots or updates (charts), try these things:

Refresh Timed Display - right-click the hotCam icon in the upper left corner of the hotCam window and select Refresh Timed Display. See Refresh Timed Display.
Minimize the hotCam window, and then restore it.
Close hotComm, wait 20 seconds, and restart it.

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I can't upgrade.

Problem: I downloaded and ran the upgrade, but when I try to join a room, I'm still being told that I need to upgrade.

Cause: The previous installation program may be in your Internet Explorer browser cache (called "Temporary Internet files") or saved on your computer in another location.

What to do:

Click here to go to the hotComm Try/Buy page
Find the column for your product
Click on the alternate link for your product.

Another approach is:

Delete Temporary Internet Files and any saved copies of the installation program. See How to Delete Prior Installation Files.
Then then go to the Try/Buy page (www.hotcomm.com/downloads.asp
Find the colum for your product.
Click the Download button for your product.

When you install, select Open or Run. When the installation starts, there is a large red background with a title bar at the top. The revision number in the title bar should be higher than the revision you are currently running.

Can't post a hotCam image link in a room.

Some users have found that they can't post a hotCam image in a room. All that appears in the transcript is the message <<file>> or nothing.

Cause: these users included slashes (/) or (\) in their nicknames (such as Janet\1stWorks).

Solutioin: do not include slashes in your nickname or identity.

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Add Relay servers to User List

If you are using hotComm Standard/Pro and you want to add the Relay servers to your User list:

Select File, and then Add User/CRM to List.
For Email Address, type the Relay server email address and click Search.
When the Relay server is found, click Add User without Notification.
Repeat for each Relay server you want to add.
If you want to rename any of the servers, right-click their name in the User List and select Rename User.

The Relay server addresses are:

Server	Email Address	Default Name
Relay	vario@1stWorks.com	(Vario)
Relay1	thruport@1stWorks.com	(Relay1-BOT)
Relay2	verio@1stWorks.com	(SanJose-BOT)
Relay3	relay3	(+Relay3-BOT)
Relay4	relay4	(+Relay4-BOT)
Relay5	relay5	(+Relay5-BOT)
Relay6	relay6	(+Relay6-BOT)
Relay7	relay7	(+Relay7-BOT)
Relay8	relay8	(+Relay8-BOT)
Relay9	relay9	(+Relay9-BOT)
Relay10	relay10	(+Relay10-BOT)
Relay11	relay11	(+Relay11-BOT)
DLR1	DLR1	(+DLR1)

The direct hotComm address for 1stWorks Support is: support@1stWorks.com.

The direct hotComm address for 1stWorks Sales is: sales@1stWorks.com.

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Problems with hotComm windows

To fix problems with hotComm windows, right-click the hotComm headset icon in the lower right corner of your Windows taskbar (icon/system tray) and select Cascade windows on Primary.

This action restores hotComm windows to their default size and position on your primary monitor. You can then move and resize the windows as you wish.

Some sample problems are:

Windows can't be resized.
You can minimize or maximize a window, but not restore it.
You can't move a window.

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Old Hot Issues

The remaining entries are no longer hot issues.

Lite Connect button stays gray

Applies to: hotComm Lite 3.02.005x

Status: Fixed in 3.02.006x.

hotComm Lite 3.02.005x - If the room has a password, do NOT enter the password in the Connect window as usual. Instead, enter the relay and room name, and click Connect. You will then be asked for the password.

Moderator login as of 3.02.001

Applies to: hotComm Standard/Pro

The way to log into a room as a Moderator (Panel User) changed in 3.02.001.

CRM cannot validate password

Applies to: hotComm Standard/Pro 3.02.003x and 3.02.004x

If you get this message: "CRM cannot validate password. Please try again later.", it is a temporary problem and we're working on a fix. To connect:

Right-click the name of the Relay server. You'll get a drop down menu.
Select Join CRM as a User. That gives you the Join Room window.
Re-type the room name and password and click Join.

Some unlock codes aren't accepted

Applies to: hotComm and hotComm Lite prior to 3.00.000. (now fixed)

Unlock codes that contain a semi-colon (;) may not be accepted. The symptom is that the OK button stays gray and can't be clicked.

In this case, contact 1stWorks Support.

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Uninstall doesn't work. (1/29/03)

Applies to: hotComm and hotComm Lite prior to 2.xx.045. (now fixed)

If the Uninstall button or menu option doesn't work, here is an alternate way to uninstall.

Open My Computer.
Select your C: drive.
Select Program Files.
Select 1stWorks.
Select hotComm or hotComm Lite.
Select CFG.
Double-click UNWISE.EXE.

UNWISE.EXE runs the un-installer and should successfully uninstall hotComm or hotComm Lite.

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Errors when installing or using hotComm in Windows NT 4.0

As of June 2003, hotComm products are no longer supported for Windows NT 4.0. This is because NT 4.0 does not support functions that hotComm requires. (In other words, hotComm does not work on Windows NT 4.0.)

These are some of the errors you may see if you try to install hotComm on Windows NT 4.0.

"The procedure entry point MonitorFromWindow could not be located in the dynamic link library USER32.DLL"
"The procedure entry point FlashWindowsEx could not be located in the dynamic link library USER32.dll"
System32 Folder appears on startup in NT 4.0

Prior to June 2003, there were these limitations:

Windows NT 4.0 does not support the level of DirectX that hotComm requires. The latest release of DirectX supported by Windows NT 4.0 is DirectX 3.0a, which was supplied in Service Pack 3. Because of this, Windows NT 4.0 users can expect to hear what others say through hotComm VoIP, but are unable to speak themselves.
Your ability to send hotCam screenshots may be limited because Windows NT 4.0 does not support a Microsoft Windows function, MonitorFromWindow, that hotComm uses.

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Tools We Use

These are some of the tools we use

Pingplotter

We use PingPlotter to diagnose connections problems. PingPlotter tries to access each server ("hop") in the route between your computer and our server. If you see time outs or packet loss anywhere, or very long connection times, that indicates a problem.

You can download PingPlotter from www.pingplotter.com. At least in October 2006, there is a 30-day free trial.

1. Install and start Pingplotter.

2.  Type in the Address to Trace.
     The server address is: relayserver.ezpeer.net
     (where relayserver is the relay your room is on -- relay1, relay5, DLR1, etc.)

3.  Set the Sampling and Statistics.
     Sampling: # of times to trace: Unlimited
     Trace interval: 15 seconds
     Statistics: Samples to include: 504

4. Click Trace.

When you lose connection, please immediately save the PingPlotter statistics and send them to us. Describe what was happening in the hotComm room and what you were doing on your computer when you lost connection.

To send statistics, either:

(a) Click File, then Save Sample Set. Give it a name and email it to support@1stWorks.com

- or -

(b) Click Edit, then Copy as Text (that copies it to the Windows clipboard). Then paste it into NotePad or Wordpad or an email and send it to support@1stWorks.com.

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Dr. Watson

Dr. Watson is a tool that logs data when your computer crashes. If hotComm crashes, please send us the Dr. Watson log, a description of what you were doing at the time of the crash, and what hotComm product and revision you were using.

For information about Dr. Watson, please see About Dr. Watson.

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