Using v3.09, 1 computer W2000, 2 XP, 1 W98

The W98 and W2k sometimes would not recognize the dongle. Other Broder products would recognize the dongle (super or TT/Ski),just not the TT application. Rebooting always took care of the problem. Did have to install the Rainbow drivers for TT to recognize the drivers to begin with, but other programs recognized the same Dongle with out the driver installed. Seems to be a TT-Rainbow driver thing????

Windows 98 and Win2k are totally different animals. Windows 98 still has a 16-bit kernel; it is basically DOS with a pretty face. Win2k, as well as XP and NT, are 32-bit to the core and, as such, can pre-emptively multi-task. That explains - among other things - why the Windows Task Manager works really well under Win2k/NT/XP and works like utter crap under Win98.

In Win98 (as with DOS), a programmer can directly access hardware (such as the individual pins of the RS-232 intfc). Same as DOS. Under Win2k and the other 32-bit Windows flavors, a programmer has no access to hardware.

Since dongles are hardware, their proper operation REQUIRES driver installation under the 32-bit Windows flavors (2k, NT, XP). Without the proper driver-level software layer installed, anything can happen. Under Win98, you may be able to get away with not installing the driver layer, but I do not recommend it.

James Broder
Broder's Skunkware Scoring & Timing Software
http://www.skunkware.tv

James.

Would there be any reason that W2000 or W98 would recognize one dongle and not another (both are for TT*ware)? I just received a second dongle, and it is not recognized by either of my PCs (one with W2000 and one with W98). I did not do anything with the rainbow drivers...though I have had that issue before.

Just wondering if it is my machines or the dongle.

Thanks

Bob:

If both of your PCs don't recognize it, then either it has failed or it may not have TT programmed into it. I use the same dongle model for all my products, but each is enabled only for the products licensed.

I didn't send that dongle to you, did you get it from Phoenix? It may be programmed for Veloresults, SHOWJUMP32, DRESSAGE32, DTK, or whatever.

Failures are rare. Fred is the only customer to have experienced a dongle failure; it happened once.

If you got it from Fred, have him call me to discuss. If you urgently need to get this resolved and Fred's not available, call me and I will send you a temporary replacement until we get this resolved.

James Broder
Broder's Skunkware Scoring & Timing Software
http://www.skunkware.tv

Rainbow merged with Safe Net.

Follow this link to download drivers

http://www.safenet-inc.com/support/tech/sentinel.asp