FAQ: Miscellaneous

Do you have an Affiliate Program?

Yes we have.
The Collectorz.com Affiliate Program can be found here.

Publish the Collectorz.com banners with your unique affiliate ID in it and receive a 15% commission on every sale.

I already own a barcode scanner, can I use it as well?

Most scanners will work but need additional wedge software.
Wedge software is scanner specific. If you have not received this kind of software with your scanner, ask the manufacturer of the scanner for it.

To make the best of barcode scanning we really recommend getting one of our scanners.

When using a different scanner, there is no need to initialize it in our software.
The menu option Tools/Find scanner is for our supported scanners only.
When scanning just make sure you're cursor is in the barcode box when scanning the code.
Microvision's ROV scanner is plug & play too, no need to initialize it first.

Webcam scanning is not supported in our software.

Do you have a program for my collection of ...... ?

We receive daily requests to develop software for other collections.

Stamps, sports cards, coins but also trains, action figures, wine, beanie kids and many many more.

We don't have a specific collection manager for these type of collections nor have we plans to develop them.
What you can do is try and install the free trial of Photo Collector.

You can customize all kinds of fields and add pictures to the item.
The options found under menu Tools | Field Names and Tools | Edit Lists will allow you to customize the program to be better suited for your collectibles.

The programs are limited only by your imagination.

I've set my software to the Wingdings font! Now what?

It can be hard to reset your font when all you see are little icons instead of real letters.

Follow these steps to reset your font to the default font:
1. Select 6th Menu item from the left of the top of your program (this is the Tools menu).
2. From this drop down menu, select the white square Icon with the three V's (this is the Options button)
3. In the option menu on the first tab you can see a button next to a dropdown menu, Click it (this is the Reset button)
4. Now click the button located top right (this is the Okay button)

Alternatively you could use keyboard shortcuts:
1. Press Alt
2. Press T
3. Press O
4. In the option menu on the first tab you can see a button next to a dropdown menu, Click it (this is the Reset button)
5. Now click the button located top right (this is the Okay button)

Can I run the software from a USB stick or external drive?

Basically that is possible, but you will have to keep a few things in mind.

Specific program settings like column width, screen size etc are placed in the Windows registry. So if you start the program on a different computer, these preferences will not be available.

The license information is also placed in the registry, so when you move to another computer you will have to validate the software again. Be sure to have the license information with you. It can be found in menu Help | Your License Info.
Create a text file of your license information on the USB stick or external drive, that way you always have it at the ready.

Can I test one of the scanners before I purchase?

Sorry, we don't have test units available.
What you can do to see if you receive information based on barcode or ISBN is by typing the number in the barcode box of the Add Automatically screen.
Just test some codes and see if you get results. Now you know if a scanner will save you loads of time entering data.

How do I change the price currency?

Our software uses the currency that is selected in your Windows or Mac international settings.
You can change the selected currency using the Regional Settings in the Windows Control Panel.
On the Mac use the international menu in the system preferences, on the 'formats' tab page.

Can I add audio files to Music Collector?

Music Collector is designed specifically for cataloguing physical media with music: Cds, lps, records, tapes, etc. Through the Edit Track screen you can setup a link to an audio file. It can be tedious though to setup all these links manually. We do have a product called MP3 Collector that is designed specifically for managing audio file.

Once you catalog your audio files in MP3 Collector you can import the MP3 Collector database into Music Collector through Tools | MP3 | Import MP3 Collection. This import will delete existing MP3 Collector entries previously imported into Music Collector, and a new complete import is done of the "at-that-point-existing-MP3" entries of MP3 Collector.

Is it possible to customize the icons in the Tree/List view?

At this present time, this can not be adjusted by the user. It is possible to adjust the icons that are displayed in the Details view. This is done through the XSL template.

MP3 entries in Music Collector can't be changed.

It is not possible to edit the import data from MP3 Collector. We don't allow this feature because the changes would be overwritten next time you do an import.

Can I change the details (template) in the main screen?

Yes, there are many nice templates (skins) to choose from.

Use the menu View | Details View Template, and choose other pre-installed templates.

There are even more template available. Many of our users have created their own, and made them available.

You can see what they look like on our XSL templates page. You can even download and install these cool templates.

How do I access my collection after upgrading to Vista/Windows 7?

After upgrading your existing Windows (XP) version to Vista or Windows 7, you may encounter various problems or error messages, like:

• An error message 'Failed to create backup' or 'Failed to create lock file' when opening the program
• Searching infosources no longer returns cover images

These problems originate from having upgraded your existing XP installation to Vista/Windows 7 in combination with the fact that previous versions of our software were not 100% Vista/Windows 7 compatible. The core of the problem is that Vista or 7 doesn't allow programs to write to any location under the "Program Files" folder.

The current versions of our software are Vista/Windows 7 compatible: for fresh installations they create new databases and images in your Documents folder by default. However, existing installations still try to write to the Program Files folder, causing the above problems.

To solve this, please follow these steps carefully:

• Close your Collectorz.com software.
  
• Using Windows Explorer, move your database file(s), all images and all thumbnails to C:\Users\[user name]\Documents\Movie Collector.
  By default, their old locations are under
  C:\Program Files\Collectorz.com\Movie Collector\Data
  (Movie Collector is an example here, please replace with your own product name)
  
• Start the software, and use File | Open to open the database from the new location.
  
• Select Tools | Options from the main menu, and update all Folder settings to the new locations:
  • On the General tab: change "User Files Folder" to
    C:\Users\[user name]\Documents\Movie Collector\.
    If this folder does not exist, create it with the 'Make New Folder' button in the Browse for Folder dialog.
  • On the Images tab: change "Default folder for Images" to
    C:\Users\[user name]\Documents\Movie Collector\Images
  • On the Images tab: change "Default folder for Thumbnail Files" to
    C:\Users\[user name]\Documents\Movie Collector\Thumbnails
  • On the Backup tab: change "Backup folder" to
    C:\Users\[user name]\Documents\Movie Collector\Backup.
    If this folder does not exist, create it with the 'Make New Folder' button in the Browse for Folder dialog.
• Use Tools | Maintenance | Update File Links to update all image links to the new location.
  For instructions on how to use this screen, please see the Helpfile (search for 'repair files').

These instructions assume a working knowledge of Windows, e.g. how to copy files and use Windows Explorer. If you are not comfortable doing that, please ask a friend or colleague to help you. Since this is outside the scope of our product support, we regret we cannot help you with that.

Can I use a webcam to scan a barcode?

No, our software does not support the use of webcams.

A webcam delivers less accurate scans. That is why we have chosen to use only accurate and fast barcode scanners.

How do I uninstall the software?

The Windows versions can be uninstalled from the control panel.
Click the "add / remove software" icon, and you will find the software under Collectorz.com.

For the Mac, you can drag the .app file to the trash-bin. Our software also places a database file and templates on the computer. You can remove them manually.
They are placed in the folder
~/Library/Application Support/ so for example
~/Library/Application Support/Movie Collector can be removed as well.