A few problems that people have encountered, and how to fix them or avoid them …

1. CAN’T REMEMBER MY USERNAME OR PASSWORD TO GET REPEAT CUSTOMER PRICE

THE SYSTEM SAYS MY USERNAME OR PASSWORD IS ALREADY TAKEN

Relax. We have multiple ways to identify returning customers. Make up a new username and password. If your old username and password were florida and marlins for example, try florida2011 and marlins2011 and just fill out the order form like a new customer, and see if you get the $89 price. When you click “Add to Cart” you will see the price before going through Checkout. If it says $129 just send an email to Admin@john.benson.com and we will set up the system to recognize you. If you go through checkout and get charged $129 before you realize what’s happening, we will refund the difference as soon as you email us a copy of your web receipt.

2. PIN NUMBER / PHONE NUMBER COMBINATION DOESN’T WORK

In 2010, once again 100% of reported PIN problems were caused by one of two user errors: trying a 2010 PIN to run an older version of the software, or entering the wrong phone number. The 2011 software has a 2010 copyright date on the first screen. Anyone can download and start the software without a PIN. You don’t need a 2011 PIN until you want to read the player database. So start the software and see what version it is. Make sure you have the new software. Check the date on your file windraft.exe – if it is older than October 2010, you are not yet running the new software.

Your phone number key is usually the same number that you gave when you first bought the software on line. If your current phone number doesn’t work, try the phone number that you used to run the software in 2008, 2009, or 2010 (whenever you last used it). If you made a mistake back then, that bad phone number may be locked into the system and you will need to remember it. Email Admin@johnbenson.com if you can’t remember your phone number.

3. DON’T KNOW HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE SOFTWARE,

DOWNLOADED THE SOFTWARE BUT CAN’T FIND IT ON MY COMPUTER

New customers: if you did not yet buy the software, please try to access, download and install the free demo. If you cannot do that, you are not going to be able to use our software.

To get new software or the latest player forecast database, click on “Order Software” or “Draft Software” under “Members Only” – either way you get to the page download.cfm – please try reading the download and installation instructions that you find on that page.

When buying the software and get it for the first time each year:

When you get to the end of the order process, there is a gold “DOWNLOAD IT NOW” button in the middle of your receipt page. Clicking on that button will get you the software. When you click on it, you get two choices: “Save File” or “Cancel.” Click “Save File.” The next screen gives you choices about where to save the file on your computer. STOP and look at this screen. Choose where you want to put the file, and again choose “Save” not “Cancel.” Different web browsers may have slightly different appearances, but all of them offer these same features and the same requirement that you think about what you are doing when you save a file. If you have any doubt about where your file is being placed on your computer, you may need to change the settings on your browser to give you the choice of where to save your file.

After your initial download, or if you go through the order process without downloading, or when you go back to get the latest forecasts updates, from the johnbenson.com home page, go through “Draft Software” under “Members Only” to get to the download page. Scroll down the page to “2011 Software … CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD.” You will get the same choices “Save File” or “Cancel” and the same screen with choices about where to save the file, and a second prompt to choose “Save” or “Cancel.”

If you go through the above steps and forget to pay attention, you can go back to the download page again and again and download the software as many times as you want. There is ample opportunity to notice where you save your software file on your computer.

You must know how to download a file from the internet, using your web browser, and how to find a file on your computer after you have downloaded it, to use our software. If you need help, consult your web browser user’s manual or contact their tech support. Johnbenson.com and Diamond Analytics Corp do not offer training in how to use your web browser to download files or how to find files after you have downloaded them onto your computer.

4. “AUTHMEMBER ID” ERROR MESSAGE WHEN RETRIEVING YOUR PIN OR ACCESS INFO:

Going through Account Login under Members Only, you get to the main page, and it says:

Click on “Account” above to get your PIN or access info,

And then when you click on “Account” you get an alarming error message with the words:

“Element authmember ID is undefined in session …” and a bunch of technical codes.

Don’t worry. You can still get your access information easily and quickly. Just back up two clicks to home page johnbenson.com and go through Account Login again. Sometimes it takes two or three tries. This problem is rare and easily fixable just by backing up and re-entering.

5. “MFC APPLICATION” MESSAGES:

MFC (Microsoft Foundation Class) application messages are generated by your Microsoft Windows ® operation system, not by Benson software. MFC application messages can be caused by factors aside from what kind of software you were trying to use when the error message appears. These messages cover a wide variety of possible problems and may use a wide variety of words, such as:

mfc application

MFC application exit

mfc application error

mfc application needs to close

mfc application has encountered a problem

mfc application has encountered an error and needs to close

In almost every case, no matter what the problem is, you just need to exit the Benson software and then restart it. You will not lose any work such as league setup or draft picks that you have entered, except: if you were in Edit Mode and editing information in your player database and did not save your work, the unsaved work may need to be re-entered, one of the obvious reasons why you should save your work frequently when using any software such as word processing, spreadsheets or databases, into which you are putting your information.

If a simple exit and reenter does not restore your Benson software to smooth running, you may have a corrupted file somewhere in your directory. Two more steps that could be tried (in this order) to fix this problem are:

- Create a new directory (folder) and download the latest version of the Benson software into that new directory, start the software, and then copy over your league files after you see that the software is running smoothly.

- Delete your BENSON.WIN file. This file is not part of the download and gets created only after you start using your software (it is a personal file unique for you). Download and install the latest version of the software into a folder that does not have a BENSON.WIN file.

More information about MFC application messages can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/ where you can search the Microsoft website for the exact words of your error message, and get tips from Microsoft users and staff. Many of the problems and solutions have nothing to do with Benson software, such as files that get added without your knowledge or consent when you visit certain websites. Also you can search the net for competent advice about your specific MFC message.

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