Sensible Software, Inc.

Support FAQ

This FAQ section provides answers to some of the most commonly asked questions. Before contacting CLIP technical support try browsing this list of FAQ's

Knowledge Base

Support Menu - Repair databases

Many errors can be corrected by running the support menu in CLIP. Follow these steps before calling Tech Support to see if you can resolve the issue on your own.

1. Close everyone out of CLIP including your copy.
2. Make a complete backup of the CLIP Program.
3. Right click your desktop shortcut to CLIP.
4. Click on Properties.
5. Click on the button that says "Find Target"
6. Locate the file named "supp.exe" (or it will just read "supp"). Double Click this file.
7. Click "Ok," to the warning message and "Yes" to the next message. You will then be at the Support Menu.
8. Click "Fix DBF's": If you get any error messages, Hit "OK" or "Ignore."
9. When "Fix DBF's" is finished, it will either say "Fix DBF's done" or it will simply put you at the Support Menu.
10. Then, click on "Clear CDX." (You may see some numbers flash in the corner...) If you receive a message that asks you to open a file, click on CANCEL. When done, you will see a message that says "Ok." Click "Ok" then <Return> at the Support Menu. This will bring you out of the Support Menu.
11. Open CLIP: When you first get in, you will see a message that says "You have just received an update." Click "Ok," Click "Yes" to the "Back-up" question, and then let CLIP start indexing. (Say "NO" if prompted to fill in longitude latitudes.)
12. When CLIP is done indexing, then you will be inside the main CLIP screen.
13. Retest your original issue.
14. Call 800-635-8485, ext. 2 with any questions.

Day Detail Error

How do I fix the Day Detail or Chemical Table in Use Error?

Get everyone out of CLIP.

Make sure you have a complete backup of the CLIP Program.

Right Click on your CLIP icon and select properties

Double Left click on Find Target on the shortcut tab

Double left click on the folder call DBF

Delete the files call Daydetail.cdx and Daydetail.dbf (Right click on each file and select delete)

Once the files are deleted select BACK

Look for a file call Supp.exe

Double Click supp.exe

Select ok

Select yes you want to continue

Click on Fix DBF’s (Any message you get either click on ok or ignore)

Click on OK when Fix DBF's done message appears

Select Clear CDX’S (Any message you get either click on ok or ignore and if you get an open screen select cancel)

Click on OK when Clear CDX done message appears.

After that is complete select return

Close everything out and open your Clip program

CLIP will now reindex files. Make sure no one attempts to open CLIP until this process is complete.

Changing Company Information

How do I change my company name?
Your company name is embedded into your program. In order to have this changed you will need to fill out the "Change of Name, Address, or Phone" form and send or fax it to us. This can be found in the front of your manual. Please do not send us an email with the changes. We need a signature for both parties' protection. After receiving your form we will make the changes in the program and send you an update to change the information. The embedding protects us from customers buying the program and giving to their friends.

How do I change my company's address or number?
Your company address and phone numbers are also embedded into your program. In order to have this changed you will need to fill out the "Change of Name, Address, or Phone" form. This can be found in the front of your manual. After receiving your form we will make the changes and send you an update to change the information.

Can I have the emailed to me?
Yes. In fact we prefer to email the update to you. It saves both parties time. The file that is sent to you is an executable, which will install the update. You will see the file as an attachment to your email. Most email programs will allow you to double-click on the attachment, which will begin the installation process. The update will locate your CLIP program and make the necessary changes. All you need to do is Click "OK" and/or "Next" when prompted.

How do I change the " To" line on the bills?
The "Remit To" line that prints on the bill reflects what ever name you certified your program as. This line cannot be shut off. See the section on changing your name if this needs to be changed.

Can I sell the program to another company if I am changing ?
Yes. There are fees involved with changing ownership of the company. These are considerably less in most cases than actually buying a new copy of the program. Please contact your regional representative for more information.

Is there a for changes?
If you are a current user (annual service agreement current) and in good standing most changes to your name, address, or phone numbers are free of charge if we can email the changes to you. If you require a floppy to be sent to you there are charges associated with this.

Updates

Do I need updates?
Yes. At SSi we are constantly enhancing CLIP for better functionality. Most of these enhancements come from our customers. If the program is lacking, or not functioning properly, in certain areas it is modified by an update. Updates are only available for the latest Windows® versions of CLIP. If you are using the DOS version of CLIP an upgrade is required.

How do I obtain an update?
Updates are available in two different ways. You can call and request one at any time (up to 3 per year with current ASA) and the update will be sent out on CD. The second is much faster and easier. Fill out the update request form on our web site. In return we will send you the web address and password for the update. The update from our web site is the very latest one available, while the ones on CD are a few weeks old.

How do I install the update?
Before installing an update make a backup first. This is very important. If the update is stopped or an error occurs while updating the program it usually requires restoring this back up. You must be sure to turn off any anti-virus program (if you have one) before attempting to install the update. Instructions are normally included with the update that explains how to do this. The update should auto start after you put the CD in your CD drive. If it doesn't go to STAR > RUN and Type D:/setup.exe where D is the drive letter of your CD. This will launch the setup program that installs the update. Follow the onscreen instructions. If you are downloading the update from the web site read the instructions on the download page.

What is the difference between and update and upgrade?
Updates are modifications and/or enhancements to the current version of CLIP.

Upgrades are usually a version that has had many changes or has been rewritten. CLIP upgrades usually on an annual basis. i.e. - CLIP2005, CLIP2006, CLIP2007

Is there a cost for the update?
Updates are free to those who have a current Annual Service Agreement. Customers with expired Annual Service Agreements can purchase these updates. Please contact your regional manger for details.

I get an error 623 (error in the move data process) when installing an update.
An error 623 is usually generated by one of 3 possible causes.

You have placed the file "update.exe" in the CLIP directory. CLIP4, WinCLIP, CLIP Classic, and CLIP Pro all have a component named "update.exe" and when the file is extracted it cannot be locked for a write due to the fact it is in use.

Solution: Save the update from the web site in a temporary directory on the hard drive and execute it from there instead of the CLIP directory.

The CLIP program is open during the update process.

Solution: Close ALL instances of the Clip program before applying the update.

Virus software interference.

Solution: Disable any anti-virus software running on the system and then run the setup program again. Once the update has been successfully installed, anti-virus programs can be turned on again.

I get an error 115 when installing an update.
An error 115 (may say "Specified file cannot be opened as Write.") is caused by windows not releasing the information stored in memory when you close CLIP.

Solution: Reboot the computer (includes shutting off the power for a few seconds).

Backups / Moving / Copying

Why should I make backup's?
Think about this. If you had to re-enter all the data what day do you want to start from? Yesterday, last week, last month, from scratch? You walked in one morning and CLIP was gone what would you do? Of course it depends on your business. This is how you make a living. Protect it with everything you have. MAKE BACKUP'S.

Three things can bring your program to a grinding halt:

Hardware problems:

You have no control over these. It is accepted that every hard drive will crash eventually. CLIP transfers a large amount of information around on your hard drive. If power is lost, even for a micro-second, it can cause the data to be written incorrectly. This can lead to data corruption.

Software problems:

This may happen when applying an update. The update may be installed incorrectly or a anti-virus program may halt the update during installation. This often requires restoring a backup.

User error:

By performing a "Global Replacement" incorrectly.

How do I make a backup?
Do to the fact that there are so many different types of backup utilities, it would be impossible to answer this here. Please refer to the manual provided by the backup manufacturer.

To view a short tutorial on making a backup using a CD Burner, please
click here

What can I store my backup on?
The most common types of storage are diskettes, tape, Zip, Jazz, and CD-ROM. There are benefits and draw backs to each.

Media	Pros	Cons
3.5" Diskettes	Inexpensive and universally read.	One bad disk renders the backup useless. Very time consuming because you have to manually load each diskette.
Tape	Generally ships with a scheduler program that will automatically backup at a given time. Dependable. Reasonably inexpensive. Can hold large amounts of data.	Data must be decompressed to use. Must have two identical tape drives if you want to restore the tape to another PC. Can not be universally read by all tape drives.
Zip	Very easy to use. Acts like an extra hard drive. Data can be accessed immediately and even run off of the zip drive. Reasonably inexpensive. Portable.	Zip can only hold 100MB. Slow to copy back and forth to hard drive unless the device is SCSI. Needs to be manually backed up.
CD-ROM	Holds 650MB of data. Can be read by any CD-ROM drive. Can not be erased unless using a rewritable CD-ROM drive.	Expensive. CD's are not reusable unless using a rewritable CD-ROM drive. Requires some work to restore backup.

How many backup's should I have?
This is a matter of opinion. Think about this. If you had to re-enter all the data what day do you want to start from? Yesterday, last week, last month, from scratch? Two weeks worth of backup's is recommended. Your End of Month should be saved forever. These backup's should be stored in a safe place separate from your computer.

How do I restore a backup?
Your backup's should be complete copies if the program. Everything you need is on the backup. You should NOT install the original installation disks. Restore your backup according to the instructions provided by the backup manufacturer.

Do I need to backup only certain files?
No. Backup all files in the CLIP folder. CLIP uses multiple databases. If you forget to backup one of them correctly the program will not work.

Buying A New Computer

Moving CLIP vs. Installing CLIP When you buy a new computer, you will want to “move” your current copy ofCLIP rather than “reinstall” CLIP. If you simply install CLIP from your install disks, you lose all customer information, history, billing etc. Your daily backups retain all your customer information as well as the actual program. When you move CLIP to your new computer you should not reinstall the program from the install disks. Your backup media (tapes, diskettes, Zip, Jazz, etc.) should be used so that you will have all your customer information in the new computer.

** Assumes use of minimum of Windows XP Operating System – Legacy MS Operating Systems not supported**

This is very easy as long as you are using a CLIPDesktop or newer.

Make a complete backup of your CLIPV (or CLIPDesktop) folder to some type of removable media. (zip drive, flash drive, CD, DVD, external drive, etc) You should be out of the CLIP program when making this backup. If you remain in CLIP all files will not be copied as they are in use.

The easiest way to make a complete backup is to do a copy and paste of the CLIPV folder to your desired media.

On your new computer.

If you are setting up a server, make sure you set up the same folder hierarchy as you had on the old server. (e.g. – CLIPV was in a folder called Netclip. Configure a Netclip folder on your new system.)

Paste the CLIPV folder you just copied to your removable media to the Local Disk C: drive on your new computer. (if it’s a server, paste the CLIPV folder inside the Netclip folder).

After the copy and paste has completed, locate the CLIPV / CLIENT folder on the new computer.

Locate the file named “setup.exe” – double click this file. Click in the postive on each question presented.

Running this setup program will install all the files needed to run CLIP on your new computer. It will place the icon on the desktop to get into CLIP.

*** NOTE: Vista and Windows 7 users – you will need to run setup.exe as an administrative user. Right click setup.exe and click "run as administrator" Please contact your local computer support person if you don’t know what this means.

Printing with CLIP

Will my printer work with CLIP?
Yes. Programs that are written for Windows® actually rely on Windows to control the printer so any printer will work.

Should I use a dot matrix, bubble jet or laser printer?
Dot matrix printers have been around for many years. They use impact printing like a typewriter. Tiny little pins actually shoot out and hit the ribbon against the page to form letters. This works well with the multi-part forms. The drawbacks are that they are extremely slow with Windows and the quality is low compared to today's standards.

Bubble jet printers have little jets that squirt ink out on the paper to form the letters on the page. These printers are faster then the dot matrix printers and give better quality. The cost of these are very reasonable. Most bubble jet printers also have color capabilities. The drawbacks are speed, the ink can sometimes smudge, and the cost per page can be high depending on the cost of the replacement ink cartridges.

Laser printers are the fastest and give the best quality. These work by heating up the paper where the letters are to be made. Toner dust is then spread on the page and sticks to the heated area. The remaining toner is wiped off and then the page goes through a fuser which seals the toner permanently on to the page. The only drawback is that they can only produce black and white images unless you buy expensive equipment and the cost is more then the bubble jet. Most offices will find the laser printer the best option for business applications.

Why do my other programs print fine but I am having a problem with Clip printing correctly?
CLIP is written in Microsoft FoxPro®. This programming language works well for our program. It gives it the speed to search large amounts of data quickly. You probably do not have any other program that uses FoxPro. Let us explain how a printer works. The first step is that the Windows based program (CLIP) sends a file to be printed to the actual Windows Operating System. Windows then starts up the printer and sends the file to it to be printed. In-between Windows and the printer is a piece of software called the print driver. This print driver reads the file and converts it into the printers language and proceeds to print out. The problem arises when the print driver does not translate the file properly. This leads to the file not printing out properly. The most common errors cause the spacing on the page to be incorrect.

Solution: Here is the order of suggested fixes.

Delete the printer and reinstall it.
Go the printer manufactures web page and get the latest printer driver (this is free).
Try printing from another printer.
Try using a different print driver (the Windows installation disk has some on them and your printer may have come with a diskette that contains the drivers).

How can I adjust the printing of the bills?
In the Mid-Month and End of Month billing screen there is an "Offset Laser By" option. The "0" prints at the highest and the "2" will lower the print two lines down. No other page adjustments should be needed.

The bill is not printing on the forms correctly?
Please read "How can I adjust the printing of the bills?" and "Why do my other programs print fine but I have a problem with CLIP printing correctly?"

Can I put mylogo on the bill?
There are two ways of doing this. Shut off the "Print Company Name" option (on the Mid-Month and End of Month billing screens). Create your logo, save it as cologo.bmp and save it in the BMP folder under the CLIPV folder. The alternative is to have your logo preprinted in the spot where the company name used to print. Both CLIPPro and CLIPClassic have been enhanced, allowing CLIP to print your logo directly on the bills for you.

How can I get more than one copy to print out?
Make sure to have the "Prompt Printer Before Printing" option (on the Mid-Month and End of Month billing screens) checked off. When the print dialog window appears you can select as many copies as desired to be printed.

I do lawn care and I need an exact copy of what the technician gave the customer.
Recently, carbonless paper has been invented to be used with laser printers. This paper is available by special order from most office supply places. The cost is more expensive and should be compared to actually printing two copies. A dot matrix can be also used with standard carbonless paper, but they print extremely slow.

QuickBooks and Clinker Accounting

How do the work?
These allow CLIP to export GL information for Bank, Income, and A/R type accounts. Anytime money is involved there are fields that specify which accounts should be credited and debited. When exporting this information CLIP totals all transactions by GL number, which can then be imported directly into the Chart of Accounts of either QuickBooks or SBT.

Can I only use the with QuickBooks and SBT?
Although CLIP to QuickBooks and SBT it can certainly work with any accounting package. CLIP will allow you to use your GL numbers and will give you a report with the totals for each of these accounts.

How often can I transfer the information?
As often as you like. Transferring this information on a regular basis insures that the totals in CLIP and your accounting program match.

Setting Up Taxes In Clip

Q: Does CLIP offer a solution to the new taxation system in Australia of GST Goods and Services tax where we have to charge our customers 10% extra and record all these taxes collected each month? Also we will have to pay our suppliers 10% tax on goods and record this and the difference.

A: The short answer is that CLIP will only handle one tax on a service/item at a time. If Australia is like Canada where there is a value added tax, we suggest that you figure out what the tax is, normally, and place that in the tax rate. Then, at the end of the month, divide it back out and fill in the reports for the government.

Example: 10% “A” tax and then a 5% “B” tax.

$100 plus (A) 10%=$110 plus (B) 5%=$115.50

So I would place a tax rate of 15.5%

At the end of the month, CLIP would tell me that there was $15.50 in tax = This means that (5.5/15.5) or 35.48% of the tax is from the last 5% and (10/15.5) or 64.51% of the tax is from the 10% tax.

(15.5 Times 35.48% = $5.4994 (B) And 15.5 Times 64.51% = $9.999 (A) )