Issues and Troubleshooting

Please click on the links below to find answers to the most common issues people encounter with DiPS.
If you are still having issues please e-mail us at support@dips.co.uk

Dongle Not Found

When the program starts, the following message will appear if the correct response is not received from the dongle (user license) attached to the computer.

For the DONGLE NOT FOUND message please check that a dongle is attached to your machine properly. For example it may have been removed from the parallel port at the back of the machine or (with a USB device) it may have been dislodged in some way; and will need to be re-attached before the program is run again.

If the dongle is attached as normal, it may be that the computer port is malfunctioning in some way. Try to Shutdown the computer and then re-start it. If the problem re-occurs, help from the hardware supplier or support department may be required.

The third issue may be with the device drivers for the dongle. If the program is already installed and has been working correctly prior to the event, this reason is unlikely. However, if it is a new installation or should you need to re-install the drivers for any reason, please insert the DiPS system CD, choose the option to install DiPS and then select Change Dongle Type to run the DK3WIN.EXE program to install the drivers.

In the case of a CORRUPT DONGLE message, it is necessary to contact DiPS as the dongle information is corrupt and a backup procedure to re-write the data has failed. If the backup procedure is working correctly , a message with the information Dongle Memory is Corrupt – Restart Program is displayed. The dongle should then perform as normal when the program is re-started.

EXPIRY DATE messages will only occur for rental / leased dongles or where a backup dongle is employed as advised by DiPS. Please contact DiPS at this point to proceed. Note that contact must be made within any Grace Period for the dongle to function correctly in the future.


Sending A Dongle Back To DiPS

If your DiPS dongle needs to be returned to DiPS for repair, replacement, upgrade, etc.
Please send to:

DiPS
Bridge House
Bewdley
Worcestershire
DY12 1AB


*Please Note*:
You are required to send it via Royal Mail Special Delivery or courier to ensure it is signed for at both ends.

DiPS will not run after update

If after an update, DiPS will not run and you receive no error messages, You may need to install .Net 4.0.
You can install this from your installation CD or download it from the Customer Zone.

DiPS locks up when run

If DiPS locks up each time you attempt to run it so you cannot gain access to the menus, you need to delete the mass file and restore the backup.
To do this:

  1. Make sure DiPS is not running
  2. Go to My Computer and find your DiPS folder (This is most likely C:\DiPS)
  3. Find the "mass" file in the DiPS folder (Please note the file is called "mass" without any extension after it):
  4. Right Click on the "mass" file and then Left Click on Delete. Click "Yes" on the popup to confirm you want to delete it. 
    Note: If you get a "File in use" or "File is open" message, make sure you shutdown DiPS, then try again.
  5. Once you have successfully deleted the "mass" file, go back and run DiPS. You will be presented with a dialog saying "Cannot Open the MASS file":
  6. Make sure "Restore a recent automatically backed up MASS file" is selected, then click "OK"
  7. You will then see the "Restore MASS file" screen, left click on the "No" of the backup you want to restore and click "Restore Selected File"
  8. DiPS will then open as normal to the point it was at when the selected backup was done.

Cannot add orders to carrier list

Cannot see popup windows or panels in DiPS

UserID does not exist / Cannot open style file error

If you attempt to run DiPS, correctly enter your UserId and password and see "User Id does not exist", enter the userId again and see "cannot open style file" - DiPS is most likely still running in the background.


To fix this first, check the taskbar at the bottom of the screen to see if you can find Egotrip running.
If you cannot see it, Press and hold Ctrl + Alt + Del, and select Start Task manager. You can also press Ctrl+Shift+Esc)
In Task Manager, click on the Processes tab at the top, and look for m3.exe in the list.
Once you have found it, left click on m3.exe so it is highlighted, then click "End Process". In the popup window click "End Process".
           
You should now be able to go back into DiPS as normal.

Error when creating a shortcut to m3.exe

If you create a shortcut icon to the program (m3.exe), when you attempt to run it you will get an error message specifying "This program must be started in a DIPS directory of this drive":
The Start In folder for any icon running New Egotrip program (m3.exe) MUST be the \DIPS folder (e.g. for programs installed on the C: drive - c:\dips).
To correct the problem, click the shortcut icon with the right hand mouse button, click on properties, then in the popup window, change the "start in" location to be the \DIPS folder: