General Frequently Asked Questions

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When printing a data report, why does the graphic appear in the print preview not in the actual print? G001

This problem usually occurs when there isn't enough memory on the system to produce the printout. It is normally resolved by closing down other programs and then producingthe printout again.

If the problem persists, check to make sure you have the most up to date printer drivers installed for the printer you are using. You could try using an alternative printer until the updated drivers are installed.

Finally this problem can also be resolved by setting the number of colours that Windows uses to 16-bit. This can be done by doing the following:

For Windows XP, right click on the desktop and select Properties. Click on the Settings tab then set Color quality to Medium (16-bit).

For Windows Vista, right click on the desktop and select Personalize. Click on Display Settings then set Colors to Medium (16-bit).

Why can't I access the Sam Help from any location in the program? G002

This problem occurs when Sam is run from a folder on a network. If Microsoft security update 896358, security update 840315 or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 have been installed.

Full details of the problem and the solution are given in Microsoft Knowledgebase Article 896054.

How do I check I'm using the most up to date version of Sam? G003

You can check whether you have the most up to date version of Sam installed by selecting the Help > Check for Updates menu option. Sam will connect to the internet and check to see if the most up to date version of the program is installed. If there is an update available, the program will provide a link to the update on the Bestech website.

You can also configure Sam to check for updates automatically. To do this, click on the Options > Preferences menu then tick the "Check for updates on program startup every" box and enter a check frequency.

Both these options require Sam to have access to the internet. You may need to contact your Systems Administrator to allow Sam to acces the internet through your firewall.

How do you delete a material property? G004

If you need to delete a material property from a section or a beam, click on the Data > Define Material Properties menu item to open the Define Material Properties form. Click in the Variables or Names column for the material you wish to delete. Press the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the material. Press the OK button to save your changes.

Where is the Undo button? G005

Sam does not have a general Undo button or Undo menu.

The Define Tendon Locations form in B.03 and the Define Bars and Tendons form in B.04 include an undo button to undo the last action.

For all other forms, press the Cancel button to undo changes made whilst in that form. That includes all changes made using sub-forms.

Why does the latest Sam patch I downloaded give an error message when I try to update my version of Sam? G006

Our patch files can only be used to update specific version of Sam. It is possible you are trying to patch a Sam installation with the incorrect patch file. We use a standard naming system for our patch files which identify what version or versions can be updated with each patch. The system is:

<Old Version Number>_<New Version Number>.exe

where <Old Version Number> is the oldest version of the software which can be updated with the patch file and <New Version Number> is the version it will be patched to.

For example a patch called 610c_610g.exe could be used to update all versions of the software between 6.10c and 6.10f to version 6.10g.

A patch called 610g_610h.exe could only be used to update version 6.10g to 6.10h and would not work on any earlier version of the software.

We have Sam hosted on one of our data servers. However, when we run the installer for the update, it automatically searches for the installed software and fails to find it. Is there any way we can manually locate the software for the update? G007

If you put the patch file in the same folder as SAM6.exe on the server then run it, the patching utility will automatically update that installation.

When I start SAM I see the message "Stream read error" and the program fails to start. How do I fix the problem? G009
On Windows XP
  1. Click on Start > Run then enter "regedit" and click OK. Enter an administrator login if required.
  2. Go to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software folder.
  3. Find the key called Bestech.
  4. Right click on the Bestech key and select Delete.
  5. Click on the "Yes" button to delete the key.
  6. Close the Registry Editor.
  7. Go to the folder C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data and deleted the Bestech folder.
  8. SAM should now start successfully.
On Windows 7/Vista
  1. Click on Start and type "regedit" in the Search field then press the Enter key.
  2. Click on the "Yes" button on the User Account Control dialog which appears. Enter an administrator login if required.
  3. Go to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software folder.
  4. Find the key called Bestech.
  5. Right click on the Bestech key and select Delete.
  6. Click on the "Yes" button to delete the key.
  7. Close the Registry Editor.
  8. Go to the folder C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data and deleted the Bestech folder.
  9. SAM should now start successfully.
IMPORTANT NOTE

Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall the operating system. Bestech cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.