MORE INFORMATION
Configuring Cardfile
If your modem does not make a connection when you use Autodial, there may
be a problem with the COM port configuration settings. Try the following
steps:
- From the Card menu, choose Autodial.
- Choose the Setup button.
The settings should most likely be set to:
Data Bits-8, Parity-None, Stop Bits-1
-or-
Data Bits-7, Parity-Even, Stop Bits-1
If the COM port setting is 7 data bits and no parity, Autodial does
not work. The only time parity should be set to none is if 8 data bits
are being used. (To correct this setting, see step 3, below.)
Autodial uses the Modem= and Prefix= settings in the [Windows]
section of the WIN.INI file. For example:
The Modem= parameters are COM(#) port; (T)one or (P)ulse; and Data Rate
setting as follows:
Setting Data rate in bits per second (BPS)
---------------------------------------------
0 110
1 300
2 1200
3 2400 (default)
4 4800
5 9600
6 19200
The Prefix= setting is used for phone lines that need an external
access number to dial out.
- If the settings in the WIN.INI file are correct for your hardware
but you still cannot make a connection when using Autodial, check the
COM port settings in Control Panel:
- Run Control Panel.
- From the Settings menu, choose Ports.
- Select the appropriate COM port and choose the Settings button.
How Cardfile Looks for the Number to Dial
With Windows 3.0 and 3.1, when Cardfile autodials, it looks for the first
number in the card with four or more digits. If the card contains a numeric
entry with four or more digits that precedes the phone number entry,
Cardfile attempts to dial that number.
To force Cardfile to dial the number you want, you can either put the phone
number as the first line in the Cardfile data area or put the phone number
in the Index.
Dialing a Number with Fewer Than Four Digits
Autodial does not recognize a phone number with fewer than four digits.
This prevents it from detecting a portion of an address as a phone number.
If you want to use Autodial to dial a number with fewer than four digits,
you can substitute hyphens for missing numbers.
For example, to dial a person in the same building whose phone number is
123, place the number in the card as -123. Autodial ignores the hyphen and
dials the three-digit number.
Maximum Length of the Number You Can Dial with Cardfile
When using Autodial in Cardfile version 3.0 and 3.1, the maximum length of
the number you can dial is 33 characters. The prefix cannot exceed four
characters. If your number exceeds the character limit, try eliminating
hyphens.
To dial a 33-character number, place the first 4 characters in the Prefix
text box and the remaining 29 characters on the first line of the Card data
area. Both the Prefix and Number should not contain non-numeric characters
such as hyphens and parenthesis except those required by the modem, (a
comma[,] for a pause).
Telephone Number Formats That Cardfile Autodial Recognizes
The Cardfile Autodial feature does not accept the following characters
as separators in a telephone number:
- "/" (forward, or front slash)
- "\" (backward, or back slash)
- "." (period)
- " " (space)
The "-" (hyphen, dash, or minus sign) separator works correctly, and
Autodial dials the complete number.
Examples:
In the following format, Cardfile's Autodial ignores the area code:
Cardfile Autodial dials only 555-5555.
Autodial also dials the following numbers incorrectly:
-or -
In both cases, Autodial dials 555-555 and ignores the last four digits.
Autodialer recognizes and correctly dials either of the following
telephone number formats:
-or-
Picking Up the Phone Causes Disconnect
Autodial prompts you to "Pick up the phone" as soon as you dial a number.
If you do this, the modem does not go online, and the number cannot be
dialed.
To work around this problem, listen for the sound of the modem dialing,
wait until the number has finished dialing, and then pick up the phone.
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Cardfile versions 3.0 and
3.1. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.
Cardfile 3.0 Does Not Save the "Use Prefix" Setting
When using the Autodial feature of Cardfile 3.0, you must select the
Use Prefix check box for the prefix to be dialed.
Cardfile has no means of saving the Use Prefix setting. It must be
re-selected each time you start Cardfile.
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Cardfile version 3.0.
This problem was corrected in Cardfile version 3.1.
Cardfile 3.1 Saves and Uses Only the First Four Characters of the Prefix
Cardfile version 3.1 saves only the first four character that appear in the
Prefix text box. The characters are saved to the Prefix= line in the
[Windows] section of the WIN.INI file. Even if the Prefix= line is modified
manually to include more than four characters, Cardfile still recognizes
only the first four characters of the prefix.
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Cardfile version 3.1. We
are researching this problem and will post new information here in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.
Cardfile Autodial Displays an Incorrect Phone Number When You Use Go To
When you use the Go To (F4) command while in List View and then use
Autodial, Cardfile version 3.1 displays the phone number for the card that
was previously selected.
To work around this problem, choose Card from the View menu before using
the Go To command.
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Cardfile version 3.1. We
are researching this problem and will post new information here in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.
For more information on using Cardfile, refer to pages 382-398 in the
Microsoft Windows "User's Guide" for version 3.0 or pages 434-447 in the
Microsoft Windows "User's Guide" for version 3.1.
Cardfile Err Msg: Unable to Dial Number
You may receive the following error message when you use Autodial:
Unable to dial number;
Check to ensure the communication device is available
This problem can occur when you have Terminal or another program loaded and
set to access the same communications port that Cardfile is using. Cardfile
Autodial does not work when the COM port is set to a port that is being
used by another program.
NOTE: If you are using an Intel SatisFAXtion 400i (an internal fax modem),
you may be able to work around this problem by obtaining version 3.1 or
later of the Intel SatisFAXtion DOWNLOAD.400 file. You can obtain the
upgraded setup program (including version 3.1 of DOWNLOAD.400) from Intel
Technical Support, the Intel forum on CompuServe, or the Intel support
bulletin board service (BBS). The filename is 29.EXE
Cardfile Err Msg: Cannot Dial the Number
You may receive the following error message when using Cardfile Autodial:
Cannot dial the number.
Check Control Panel to see that the modem is installed properly, and
check the modem cables to see that they are connected properly.
The instructions in this error message are incorrect. Cardfile does not use
Control Panel's modem settings. It uses its own modem settings, which are
configured in Cardfile.
To configure a modem for use with Cardfile, do the following:
- From the Card menu, choose Autodial, then choose the Setup button.
- Select the correct modem settings, then choose OK.