Snapwire

ReportBuilder 2005 FAQ's

•   How do I complete the registration process?
•   How do I connect to the database?
•   Getting error "Microsoft SQL Server cannot be found or access denied."
•   In Database Properties, do I use SQL Server or Windows Authentication?
•   Getting an Rgdesktop error when trying to connect to Report Builder 2005.
•   How do I back up my database?
•   How do I update my Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office products?
•   How do I create my own templates?
•   I get a Bookmark Assistant error when I open Word or Excel.
•   Bookmark Assistant will not launch in Word but does launch in Excel.
•   How do I remove the space that appears after my bookmarks in MS Word?
•   I'm getting an error when generating my reports.
•   I received a Runtime 372 error, what do I do?

How do I complete the registration process?

After installing the necessary steps to our application, you will need to launch Report Builder 2005 (there should be an icon on your desktop). When you launch RB05 for the first time, you will be taken to a registration window. Fill in all blanks with your company information. Once all blanks are filled in, the Request button will be available for you to click on. Registration will happen automatically.  If you are prompted to save a file, then check your internet connection and disable any firewalls. 

How do I connect to the database?

When you launch Report Builder 2005 (after it's been registered and you've imported your license file), you will go to File > Open Database. The Database Properties window will open. From there you will select the appropriate server\database that you will be working from. If you have the database installed locally, then you will connect to (local)\reportbuilder. If you are connecting to a server or another computer where the database is, then you will connect to that computername\reportbuilder (please insert the server or other computer's name before the "\").

Getting error "Microsoft SQL Server cannot be found or access denied."

More than likely the database engine is not setup or connecting properly. Please make sure your network or local setup is correct, according to our installation instructions. You will need to have MSDE (database) installed on either a network computer that you are attempting to connect to, or on your local machine.
If everything appears to be setup correctly, go to Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. Scroll down the list until you find MSSQL$REPORTBUILDER. Make sure that the status is set to 'Started' and the Startup Type is set to 'Automatic' (you can right click on it and go to Properties to adjust this setting if necessary).
If that service is not started, then right click on it and Start services. Close that window and try connecting to the database again.
If you do not see that service in the list, then you'll need to reinstall Step 2, MSDE, from our CD. Once you have installed the database, try connecting again. You can go back to the beginning of these steps to make sure that MSSQL is running if you are getting the same results.
Also, make sure that you are connecting to the correct database. If MSDE is installed locally, then you should be connecting to "(local)\reportbuilder". If on the server or another networked computer, then it would be "yourservername\reportbuilder".

In Database Properties, do I use SQL Server or Windows Authentication?

Leave the system set to its default SQL Server Authentication setting, and leave the username and password the same.

Getting an Rgdesktop error when trying to connect to Report Builder 2005.

If you are getting this error on a stand alone installation, go to Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.  Highlight Report Builder and click Change/Remove.  When prompted to Modify, Repair, or Remove, select Modify and click Next.  In the Selected Features, place a check in Report Builder 2005 Database Schema and choose Next.  Once completed, launch Report Builder.

If this is a network install, please disable your firewall.

How do I back up my database?

Go to Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. Scroll down the list until you find MSSQL$REPORTBUILDER. Right click on it and Stop the services. (You will not be able to connect to the database or Report Builder 2005 until Services are restarted).

Then browse your computer for C:/Program Files/Microsoft SQL Server. In that folder, you will see another folder called MSSQL$REPORTBUILDER. This is your database folder and should be backed up along with your other sensitive data.

You can then return to the Services and restart services for MSSQL$REPORTBUILDER.

How do I update my Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office products?

To update Microsoft Windows, go to
http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us.

To update Microsoft Office, go to
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdate/default.aspx.

How do I create my own templates?

You can create your own templates using Microsoft Word or Excel. During the installation process, you installed something called the Bookmark Assistant (Step 4). This program, which is embedded into the Word and Excel toolbar, is where you identify certain fields within database, and add them to your main base template, to create your output. The Bookmark Assistant contains every field in our database and any of those fields can be added to your Word document, in any order, for your final output.

I get a Bookmark Assistant error when I open Word or Excel.

Please close out of all Office applications and Report Builder.

Go to Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs. Highlight Bookmark Assistant and Remove. Once completed, highlight Report Builder and select Remove. When prompted to Modify Repair or Remove, select Remove. When that is finished, go to C:\Program Files\BVT\ and delete this folder. (Please remove any necessary folders such as the Templates folder if they contain files you want to keep before you delete this folder.)

After Bookmark Assistant and Report Builder have been removed, insert the Installation CD and install Steps 3 and 4.

Bookmark Assistant will not launch in Word but does launch in Excel.

Please close all Office applications. In My Computer, go to C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322 folder and locate the Regasm.exe file. Right click on it and select Copy.

Now go to C:\Program Files\BVT\Report Builder, and paste the file into this folder.

Click Start > Run and type cmd. A command prompt window will open up. Type cd \Program Files\BVT\Report Builder 2005 and hit Enter. Then type regasm bookmarkassistant.dll and hit Enter. When the file has successfully registered, type Exit. Bookmark Assistant should now function in Word.

How do I remove the space that appears after my bookmarks in MS Word?

You can only remove this manually after you insert the bookmark. The space after the bookmark is necessary so that the bookmarks do not overlap, therefore causing your report generation to fail.

I'm getting an error when generating my reports.

There are a few different reasons this could happen. Please read below to help identify the culprit.
If you see an error saying that you have Excel or Winword processes running in the background, make sure that you have all Word and Excel files closed prior to generating your reports.

Update your Windows and Office products, even if you have your computer set to automatically download & install these. The Windows update option does not grab the Office updates, which is necessary for our software to run smoothly. Go to http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdate/default.aspx and Check for Updates. Download all critical Office updates. Then go to http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us and install all critical Windows updates.

These errors can also occur depending on where you are saving your output (generated report). Create a folder for your templates. These will be the templates with bookmarks in them that you pull into Report Builder 2005 (base template, maps, photos, excel spreadsheets, etc.). You'll then need to create a separate folder, outside of the other template folder, to save your generated reports to. When pulling in templates and saving the output to the same folder, it will cause the system to fail.

Another reason your report can fail is that the bookmarks in your templates are incorrect. Please verify that your bookmarks are correct (no field names have been changed after you set bookmarks in your template, import area on spreadsheets have been identified, etc.).

I received a Runtime 372 error, what do I do?

Go to http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us and download & install all Microsoft Windows updates. Then go to http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdate/default.aspx and download and install all Microsoft Office updates. This should correct this issue.