Windows Troubleshooting
The latest version of this page is available online here. Check it for any problems discovered after this version of FoundationStone shipped.
Please ensure you have tried everything in these pages before getting in contact with the developer.
Windows Vista users may encounter problems installing the application, due to the User Account Control settings (ie the new security manager). Read this.
If you have any problems, download exactly the same version of Java suggested on the download page. The download page links to the latest known good version of JRE as Sun releases them.
If FoundationStone launches, yet the "Next" button does not show up on the tutor panel, remember that the program requires at least an 800 x 600 monitor. On most PCs you can adjust this in the "Display" control panel. If you are using the 800 x 600 minimum setting, remember to make your task bar (the grey thing running along the bottom of the Windows desktop) small - if it takes up too much of the screen, the buttons will disappear, as illustrated here.
At the risk of labouring the point, if the "Next" button does not draw you need to give the application more screen to draw itself. If 800 x 600 does not work, try the next size up (usually 1024 x 768). Remember to quit and restart FoundationStone after changing the display size for the changes to take effect.
If you have an older machine not capable of displaying 800 x 600 at all, there are older versions of FoundationStone (1.0.7) available that will work.
If after installing Java the foundationStone shortcut does not launch the application (you'll see it momentarily show the hourglass mouse), verify that Java is working. Double click on C:\Program Files\FoundationStone(your-version-number)\JavaSupport\HelloWorld.bat - you will see a blank DOS window with a message saying "Java is alive". If you don't get that, then you'll need to reinstall Java (or Windows!) until you do.
If you get square boxes where the Hebrew font should be, or the program is very wide on screen, install the fonts manually.
To work in languages other than Hebrew/English, be sure to install an international (i) version of the JVM.
Another possible cause of the application's misbehaviour is a corrupt "FoundationStonePreferences" file. You'll find it in your C:\Documents and Settings\ directory. Quit the application, delete the preferences, then relaunch it.
If you encounter problems with the auto update feature, it is suggested that you download the application again, and allow the auto update to run again.
If you pull down the menus in foundationStone that should launch your browser, but instead a DOS window flashes up briefly, make sure your "Folder Options" control panel does not have a mapping for "HTM" or (in particular) "HTML". If it does delete that entry.
Unless you know what you are doing, do not tamper with the location or names of the default installation path, JavaSupport or HtmlSupport. If you do tamper with them and things cease to work, backup your wordlists and reinstall the program.
For the colours to display correctly, set the "Display" control panel to 24 bit (or higher) true colour.
Please note this version of FoundationStone will not work with Microsoft's (older) Java that comes as part of Windows.
If you receive the following error message:
Error message:
Wordlist Factory 2:
You have a number format exception on line 0 ->
* Check - is that the right file?
* Check - is that line ok?
* Check - are there any blank files at the files end?
Successfully read in - 0 lines.
It could be you are trying to open a file that is not a wordlist. Try C:\Program Files\FoundationStone 2.3\mainWordlist.fsf instead.
If you receive the following error message:
java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException:
java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: java/awt/FontFormatException at
au.com.foundationstone.model.Preferences.<init>(Preferences.java:62) at
au.com.foundationstone.model.Preferences.getInstance(Preferences.java:75) at
au.com.foundationstone.ui.FoundationStone.<init>(FoundationStone.java:50) at
au.com.foundationstone.ui.FoundationStone.getInstance(FoundationStone.java:36) at
au.com.foundationstone.ui.FoundationStone.main(FoundationStone.java:204) at
java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(NativeMethod) at
au.com.foundationstone.ui.FSLauncher.main(FSLauncher.java:24)
This is a rare error, but seems to occur in the Java Virtual Machine when the fonts are being loaded. There are a couple of possible fixes. FoundationStone first checks to see if the RosettaHebrew fonts are available in the Operating System. If not, it then attempts to load them directly into the JVM. Try changing this situation so a different path is taken through the code. For example, if you installed the fonts in the Operating System, remove them and let the application load them. Or vice versa. You might like to reinstall a later version of the JVM (or earlier!). At a minimum, a JVM 1.2 will work. Look at http://java.sun.com/ for a J2SE edition.
If you receive the following error message:
An unexpected exception has been detected in native code outside the VM.
Unexpected Signal : EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION occurred at PC=0x66013296
Function=stubPatchstub+0x3635
Library=H:\Program Files\Object Desktop\WindowBlinds\WBlind.dll
This has been traced to an incompatablity with Java 1.4 and some Microsoft XP themes. Remove the theme, or check for a more recent (than 1.4.1) Java version on http://java.sun.com/
I have heard a report of one Windows XP setup with a certain ATI graphics card bluescreening on running Java programs. Java is reported to use OpenGL to talk to these cards. If affected, try updating your card driver, and/or install the latest J2SE from java.sun.com (requires an Internet connection).
Again, Please ensure you have tried everything in these pages before getting in contact with the developers.
