Frequently Asked Questions

Here we've gathered together some information that has been useful to new users. Some of it is additional explanation of what's in the manual

I get a message saying I can't add any more pictures
The machine seems to lock up when I switch to or from the Whole Story screen
I need details of how, when and where Story Scaffolds accesses the filing system
Which printer will Story Scaffolds use on my network?
After installing, Story Scaffolds simply doesn't run when I click on it, but the Scaffold Editor does.
When loading a previously save story I get an 'Error 9' and the program shuts down.
When loading a story from a standard Windows file box (Allow full access in Save>Options) the program appears to lock up with the hourglass showing.
When I try to install, I get as far as the Licence agreement and things just stop.
In Story Scaffolds editor, when I click Delete this noun I get a 'File not found' error.
Whenever I run the software as a restricted user I get the message 'Please wait while Windows configures Story Scaffolds'.
When trying to run on MS Vista I get a huge number of errors about files being unregistered or not available.
I tried installing the Agent software on my computer, but I got the message it's not compatible.

Can't find what you need? Contact us.

I get a message saying I can't add any more pictures
We restricted the number of pictures to about ten per stage for two reasons. First, we wanted pupils to focus on the writing and we felt that ten pictures per stage - i.e. 60 pictures for the whole story - was reasonable. Second, we found on some machines that having a lot of pictures in a stage slowed switching between stages and between the word processor and the Whole Story screen to an unacceptable level. Note that the program actually looks at the amount of memory used, rather then the number of pictures, so that figure of ten will change if pictures are re-sized.

The machine seems to lock up when I switch to or from the Whole Story screen
On some machines we found that switching slows down considerably if a lot of pictures are added to a stage (see 'I get a message saying I can't add any more pictures' above) and it may seem that the program has locked - it hasn't, it's just taking a long time to think about it. While the program does some checking to make sure pupils don't go mad with their pictures, it is possible for them to get around this by copy/pasting pictures in from outside the program or by enlarging the pictures in a stage. If you find that your machines are particularly slow because pupils are using cut/paste to add pictures, you can use the Options>Features>Screen Resolution option to fill the screen and stop pupils having access to other programs. Otherwise, simply tell pupils not to add so many pictures - they can do that to their hearts' content in another package once the story is finished.

I need details of how, when and where Story Scaffolds accesses the filing system
The wide range of network systems available make it difficult to give installation instructions for each permutation. The following is a detailed look at how Story Scaffolds accesses the filing system and should be helpful to network managers in setting up the system.

File/directory name	Location	Permissions	Comment
Story scaffolds.exe	In application directory	All users need read access to this.	This is the Story Scaffolds wordprocessor program
Sspath.ssp	In application directory - i.e. the same directory as Story scaffolds.exe	All users need read access to this.	Contains the path to the working directory. Set from Options page.
Validate.val	In application directory - i.e. the same directory as Story scaffolds.exe	All users need read access to this.	Licence validation.
hs_options.sop + all user-created options files with .sop extension.	In working directory - i.e. the directory pointed to by sspath.ssp.	All users need read access to this. Teachers need write access.	The options files contain all information from the options screen. If you have multiple options files they will appear in the list on the opening screen.
Stories directory	Anywhere.	Read/writable by all users.	This is the location where stories are saved and loaded by users. It must be pointed to in the options file. Note that Story Scaffolds can dynamically create this folder in My Documents or on any user drive via the Options page.
Story scaffolds directory	Anywhere.	Readable by all users. Writable by teachers if they construct their own scaffolds.	This is the location where stories scaffolds are stored. It must be pointed to in the options file.
Scaffold editor.exe	In applications directory.	Readable by teachers.	This is the scaffold editing program.

If there is further information you need, please contact us - we will add it to the above.

Which printer will Story Scaffolds use on my network?
Story Scaffolds always uses the default printer on your system, you cannot select a printer from within Story Scaffolds.

After installing, Story Scaffolds simply doesn't run when I click on it, but the Scaffold Editor does.
This may be because you have installed on a machine for which you were not logged on as administrator - you can double check this problem by looking in Control Panel -> Add/remove software; if Story Scaffolds isn't in the list this is almost certainly the problem. Log onto the machine again as administrator and install - allow the installer to overwrite any existing files it finds.

When loading a previously save story I get an 'Error 9' and the program shuts down.
See our Update page.

When loading a story from a standard Windows file box (Allow full access in Save>Options) the program appears to lock up with the hourglass showing.
See our Update page.

When I try to install, I get as far as the Licence agreement and things just stop.
This is usually caused by anti-virus software. There are several ways round it, but let's go for the Big Guns as this has always worked (so far). Explore the installation CD from My Computer by right-clicking and selecting Explore. Locate the folder called Install and drag it onto your desktop. You will now do the installation in Safe Mode. Shut down your machine and resart in Safe Mode by holding down F5 while the machine is starting - ignor its complaining noises until you see 'Bypassing your startup files'. You will need a serial or PS/2 mouse plugged in, though touch-pads often work too. Once Safe Mode is up and running, open the Install folder on your desktop and run the file Setup.exe. Note that decoding can take quite a lot of time in Safe Mode. Once installation is complete, re-start your machine in normal mode.

In Story Scaffolds editor, when I click Delete this noun I get a 'File not found' error.
Delete the pictures for that noun first by clicking on the red 'x' buttons beside each.

Whenever I run the software as a restricted user I get the message 'Please wait while Windows configures Story Scaffolds'. (Advanced network stuff)
Need to thank Nigel Foot of the City of London Freemen's School for spotting this and helping us fix it. It's caused (or was in this case) by an MSI of the same name having been installed on the system before. This seems to result in Windows getting horribly confused about which MSI it needs to install because it saves the location and name of the file for each MSI so it can perform its self healing technique. Installing a new MSI with the same name as one already installed tends to run 'repair' using the old MSI.

The solution is either to create an MSI with a different name or, if you're feeling brave, you can hunt the offending MSI down in the registry; it's a bit hit and miss, if you don't remove all references it re-instates them!

You can download Nigel's Nifty Installation Guide for deployment by GPO in a Windows 2003 network. Thanks Nigel :O)

When trying to run on MS Vista I get a huge number of errors about files being unregistered or not available.
Install as 'Admin' and answer yes to any questions about files. Run the software once as Admin so any files or registry entries that need creating or updating can be. Now the software should run fine at a more restrictive log in.

I tried installing the Agent software on my computer, but I got the message it's not compatible.
If you are running a Vista machine you'll find that Agent is already included in the system and does not require installation so you can safely ignore this message.

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