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Tekin's HotWire PC interface was designed in the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET development so that operation and installation on Windows operating systems would be as trouble free as possible. There are basically two categories of errors, Operation Errors and Installation Errors, these are described and addressed below. By far, the best method for getting the HotWire up and running is to download the latest version from Tekin's website, uninstall your current HotWire using Add/Remove Programs in the Windows Control panel, then RESTART YOUR COMPUTER, then install the newest HotWire software. Following this procedure should eliminate most, if not all, errors that you might encounter. If this doesn't resolve your problem, there must be something unusual in way that the HotWire is communicating with your system, don't worry, we can help you get it worked out! Now lets get started figuring out what has caused the problem! If you would rather speak to someone in person, please call us at (208) 634-5559 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM mountain time, Monday through Friday, or send an email to support@teamtekin.com and we will get you up and running as quickly as possible. Other wise, please first scan the list below, it provides a description of the most common problems encountered and the likely cause and solution. Installation Errors, Causes and Cures Because Windows has many major versions (XP Home, XP Professional, Vista Basic, etc.) and optional updates and patches, the Windows software that is currently operating on your PC may not have all the files that are expected and necessary for the HotWire to run and perform correctly. Fortunately the process of obtaining and installing these files is relatively automatic--at the beginning of the Tekin HotWire install, your computer is first inspected to see if it contains the relevant files and if they are not found, they are either installed directly from the CD (if using a CD to install the HotWire), or they are downloaded and installed from the Microsoft website. If any of the files are not found or installed, the Tekin HotWire may be interrupted and the HotWire might not function properly. If this happens, please first accept our apologies, we truly want the process to be as automatic and easy as possible! The necessary support files are included with the CD and will be automatically located and installed, this is a one-time event and future updates and uninstall/reinstalls will not require reinstalling these files. The files are NOT included with the downloadable HotWire because they are fairly large and are not needed when upgrading to a HotWire installation to the latest version. For first-time HotWire installations, all that is necessary to install these support files is to click on them to download them (use an easy-to-find location like your computer desktop) then when the download is completed either choose 'open' from the download box, or go to the location where you downloaded the file and double-click it. Installation will happen easily and automatically. The files are:
NOTES: On early versions of Tekin's HotWire there were special drivers that were included with the installation to allow Windows to communicate with the HotWire using USB. These drivers are still included with newer HotWire versions and can be found in the 'Drivers' folder in the location that the Tekin HotWire was installed in. Installation should be automatic, but problems can occur if an older HotWire is connected to a computer before the HotWire software is successfully installed. For help diagnosing/correcting these problems refer to troubleshooting section in the HotWire Installation Help/Instructions manual. Operation Errors, Causes and Cures Operation errors are usually indicated by either the HotWire software shutting down or failing to start. It is possible for the software installation to appear to have completed successfully even though there were some problems. More specifically, some computers will not automatically start the software installation and if the user mistakenly double-clicks the Tekin HotWire.msi file (the Setup.exe file is the correct choice to begin installation) the computer will appear to complete the installation but may not let Windows communicate with the HotWire. The best first approach is to uninstall the HotWire software--go to Start->Control Panel->Add/Remove Programs in Windows XP or Start->Control Panel->Programs and Features in Windows Vista, then select the Tekin HotWire program and choose uninstall. Next go to the Tekin website, www.teamtekin.com and download the latest HotWire version, download it to somewhere easy to find like your desktop. Next unzip the download by right-clicking it and selecting "Open With->Compressed (Zipped) Folders" and the Windows Unzip Wizard will start, just accept all the defaults and click "Next" until the wizard completes. Last, go to the now unzipped folder Tekin HotWire and double -click the "Setup.exe" file, this will start the installation and the HotWire should install automatically. Connect your HotWire to the USB cable, plug the USB cable into an available port on your computer, then double click the Tekin HotWire icon that was created on your desktop. The first time the HotWire is run it may take several second to load the necessary files to operate, be patient. You should now see either the HotWire update window, the HotWire portal window, or the Speed control window for your speed control (if it is connected to the HotWire). Any other behavior could indicate that the installation is still borked up, the most likely cause is that Windows previously misidentified the HotWire when it was first connected and is trying to use the wrong drivers to communicate with the HotWire. The HotWire installation manual contains a step-by-step description, with pictures, of how to remedy the problem--don't worry, its a very simple process that anyone can perform, it is just a matter of following a series of instructions. If you are unsure about how to proceed or you are still having problems you can always call us or email us for some one-on-one assistance. Error Descriptions The HotWire software seems to have installed correctly, but when I run the HotWire, I get a "HotWire not found error". New Updates are available and after downloading or even uninstalling and reinstalling the newest download, the HotWire software still only shows old versions of the Speed Control software. After connecting the HotWire to the computer and running the HotWire software, an error "Unable to find HotWire" shows and the software shuts down. |
