Installation FAQ

What memory settings should I use?

The memory settings available, and their specific effects, are described in detail in the customiser Plus manual. The customiser Plus manual also discusses what the memory settings for a particular application should be, and which memory settings will be used when settings are made in more than one active file (such as the preferences, structure and application files).

customiser Plus Reference Manual
Command Record Loading in 4th Dimension v6.5, Part II

Why isn't the installer accepting my serial number?

If 4D isn't accepting the serial number when you first launch a 4D product, check the following:

• Are you entering the longer number from the registration card? On some cards, the correct number is actually called an ID number.
• Are you entering the number for the exact same product name as the registration card says? For example, it is common to try to enter a server serial number into a standalone version of 4D. Note that Runtime, Runtime Classic, and 4th Dimension are all different products.
• Are you entering a 4D v6 or later ID number into a 4D v3 or v1.5 product, or vice- versa?
• Are you entering the ID number using exactly the same lowercase or uppercase as the registration card has?
• Are you entering I (letter) instead of 1 (number) or O (letter) instead of 0 (number)?

4D, Inc. Online Registration

Why can't I install my expansion disk?

There are two common reasons why people can't install an expansion disk on their server.

• A 4D v1.5 expansion disk will not work in a 4D v6 or later server, and vice versa. You should check that your expansion disk is intended for the version of server that you have. Expansion disks will work in both Macs and PCs, although you cannot view the contents of the disk from any Windows or Mac OS applications.

• Second, when an expansion disk is installed on a server, it is keyed to the ID number of that server (the ID number entered from the registration card). It can only be reinstalled onto the same server with the same ID number until such time as it is uninstalled from that server. (Note that expansion disks have been dropped with 4D v6.5 and that a new system of ID/Expansion numbers exists.)

If you receive a message when you try to install an expansion disk which says that it is already installed on another server, you will have to uninstall from that server before you can install the disk onto a different server. If that original server is not installed, you can reinstall a copy of server with the same ID, then install the expansion disk onto the server and uninstall it.

How can I run multiple servers on one computer?

There is a technical note (96-56) that explains how to run multiple copies of 4D Server on a single computer.

NOTE:

The licensing terms for running multiple copies of 4D Server on a single machine have changed since this Tech Note was written. If you are using 4D Server v6.5 or newer, client licenses are automatically shared between all copies running on the same CPU. So if you have a 4D Server license and 10 client licenses attached to it, then a TOTAL of 10 clients will be able to connect to that CPU regardless of how many copies of 4D Server are running. For example, 5 on a first instance and 5 on a second instance equals ten total and all licenses are consumed. Otherwise, this Tech Note is still accurate.

How can I install 4D without a built-in floppy drive?

If you have one of Apple's G3 or iMac computers, or a certain type of PC Compatible; you may have struck a problem with installing certain 4D products. 4D V3.5.4 requires you to insert a "key disk" to complete installation, and 4D server requires you to insert expansion disks if you want more than two client licenses. Many of these computers have no floppy drive at all, while others offer an Imation "Superdrive", which has not previously been able to read 4D's special Expansion and Key disks.

4D V6.5 offers a floppy-less server license expansion scheme.

4D Server V6.0.6r3 or later allows you to install server licenses using a Superdrive, and possibly some other types of USB-based floppy disk drives.
There is also a way to install 4D V3.5.4 on a Macintosh with no floppy drive, as long as you have access to a networked Macintosh with a floppy drive. Let us assume you have two such computers; we'll call them iMac and oldMac. To get 4D V3.5.4 running on iMac, follow these steps:

• Install 4D V3.5.4 on iMac, but don't launch it. - Turn on File Sharing (Sharing Setup or File Sharing Control Panel) on iMac. Share the hard disk of iMac, so that you can write to it. If you're not sure how to use File Sharing, consult Apple's built-in help, or the documentation that came with your computer.
• Connect to iMac from oldMac. - Launch the copy of 4D V3.5.4 on iMac's hard disk. You are running 4D on oldMac, but the copy you are running is on iMac, and you are loading it over the network. - When you are asked for the Key Disk, insert it. Then quit from 4D V3.5.4. - Disconnect oldMac from iMac. If you previously had file sharing turned off on iMac, turn it off again.

You will now be able to launch 4D V3.5.4 on the iMac.

How can I install Expansion Packs on a MAC without a floppy drive?

If you are running 4D Server 6.0.6 "r3" it is possible to install server licenses via Expansion Packs disks on Macintoshes without floppy disk drives. You can use standard floppy drives or the Imation LS-120 SuperDisk floppy drive.

However, if you are running 4D Server 6.0.6 "r4" and wish to install server licenses you can not use the LS-120 SuperDisk or any other floppy drive.
If you wish to use 4D Server 6.0.6r4 (which uses a different "diskless" license expansion scheme), you should contact 4D Customer Service and ask how to upgrade to 4D Server 6.0.6r4.
Important: It is important to work with the same version of 4D Client as 4D Server in all cases.

 

How can I get my help files to work?

The 4D product line is accompanied by online help files (supplied in Microsoft Help format). The 4D installer places them in the same folders as the various 4D applications. In the case of plug-ins, the help files are installed in their respective Win4DX and Mac4DX folders. These help files must be relocated to be accessible under the 4D Help menu.

On Windows NT, the help files must be moved to either the Win4DX folder located in the same folder as your database structure, or to the Winnt\4D\Win4DX folder. The same applies to Windows 95 and Windows NT, except that the system folder is named "Windows" instead of "Winnt".

On Macintosh, the help files must be moved to either the Mac4DX folder located in the same folder as your database structure, or to the System:Preferences:4D:Mac4DX folder. You must also rename these help files to end with the extension ".HLP" on Macintosh; upper- or lower-case doesn't matter. For example, rename "4th Dimension Help" to "4th Dimension.HLP"

The ability to have a plug-ins folder (Win4DX or Mac4DX) in your system folder is a new feature of 4D v6.5. Any items placed in this plug-ins folder are accessed by all the 4D databases run from your computer, which saves you the trouble of maintaining a separate copy of each item in the plug-ins folder of each database on your computer. As a developer, you may find it handy to install all the help files in this master 4D folder:

• On Windows NT, in Winnt\4D\Win4DX
• On Windows 95 and Windows 98, in Windows\4D\Win4DX
• On Macintosh, in System:Preferences:4D:Mac4DX

Then, any time you're developing a 4D application, these help files will be available for reference.

If you have the same help file placed in both the plug-ins folder (Win4DX or Mac4DX) of the structure file and also in the plug-ins folder of the system folder, that help file will then appear twice in the Help menu.
Each help file appears in the Help menu as a menu item consisting of the words "Help for " followed by the name of the help file (excluding the ".HLP" extension). If you wish, you can refine these menu titles by editing the names of the help files.

In a 4D Server system, a 4D Client user can see the help files located in either the plug-ins folder in the same folder as the database structure on the server computer, or in the plug-ins folder inside the system folder of the server computer. The 4D Client user will not be able to use any help files located in the plug-ins folder of the client machine's system folder.