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Support FAQs

 

The following list of Frequently Asked Questions is provided as a first step in helping you solve your problem or answer a question. If your question is not addressed here, please contact our Support Team.

Topics

• Error Messages
• General
• Highlights and Notes
• Installation Problems
• Query Function
• Registration
• Upgrading

Error Messages

Q. I have just installed the new version of VitalSource Bookshelf and at first launch get an error message that "Object reference is not set to an instance of an object" and a lot of other strange things. What should I do?

A. The error you are receiving is generated from .Net (a component of Windows, which is required to run VitalSource Bookshelf) not the Bookshelf application itself. If you did not run windows update before installing, run it now, installing all components. (ActiveX is the only one not needed.) If you are up to date in this regard, sometimes a restart will fix this issue. If, after running all updates and restarting, the error is still generated, you will need to uninstall both VitalSource Bookshelf and .NET through Add/Remove Programs. Once both applications are removed, reinstall .Net, perform update via windowsupate site and restart, then reinstall the VitalSource Bookshelf application. (We recommend downloading the .Net Installer to the local disk and running it from there rather than installing it from Microsoft's Web Site. This lowers possibilities of corruption via the Internet transfer.)

Q. I get error that says "Error 1720 - A problem with Windows installer package - a script required for this install to complete - could not be run."

A. There is a file you need called Windows Installer 3.1 v2 It's covered in Microsoft's knowledge base: http://support.microsoft.com/?=893803 If you download and install that update, things should run smoothly.

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General

Q. Can I use the Bookshelf application after I graduate?

A. Yes! Since you have paid for the content and the rights to use the application, you will be able to continue to use the application to access the materials that you have purchased. When you graduate, you will leave with the last DVD you receive. Sometime just before you graduate, you will receive information on how this will be done.

Q. When I double-click the upper left corner of my Book Window, it sometimes causes a click on the Bookshelf window.

A. If the corner of the window is positioned over a button or other clickable portion of the Bookshelf Window, there may be a click passed through. This is not a bug in the application, but a limitation of the .NET framework upon which Bookshelf is built. We reccommend you close the window using the "X" box on the top right side of the window, CTRL-W or navigate to the File menu: File -> Close Window.

Q. Where can I find the version number for my copy of VitalSource Bookshelf?

A. We use the standard locations for this information specified by each platform vendor.

Mac OS X - In VitalSource Bookshelf, select "About VitalSource Bookshelf..." from the Bookshelf Menu.

Windows - In VitalSource Bookshelf, select "About VitalSource Bookshelf..." from the Help Menu.

Q. What are the minimum supported systems ?

A. This information can be found on our Minimum Supported Systems page.

Q. I don't see my question here. How can I get help?

A. Please visit the main page of our Support section for contact information. There is also a web form where you can submit questions to the support staff. Note that while the telephone support lines are staffed 24/7, the team answering the web form work regular office hours M-F. Response time is generally one business day.

Q. Where can I learn tips and tricks on using Bookshelf?

A. We have set up a blog just for that reason. On this weblog you will find Bookshelf tips & tricks, software release information and any other news about Bookshelf. Remember to subscribe to the RSS feed, so you can stay up-to-date.

Q. I have the program installed and registered, but I am asked to download if I don't put my book disc in. How can I just copy all of my books to the hard drive of my computer?

A. To move the books to your hard disk, insert the CD/DVDs one at a time. Allow the disc to spin up and show in the Bookshelf window, at the bottom of the "Collections" column. (If the disc opens a window when inserted, simply close that window and return to the program.)

Click on the disc icon in the program, and it will scan that disc and compare it to the books you have on your computer. (This may take a few minutes, depending on the size of your hard drive.) When the scan has stopped, there will be an "Install Now" button in the upper right, with a number of file available from that disc to copy. Click the "Install Now" button and let the books copy to your hard drive. (This will also take a few minutes. There is a progress bar in the lower right to indicate where you are in the process.) Once it has finished copying files over, the program will display the message "All files copied to your hard drive." in the lower part of the Bookshelf window.

Eject that disc and do the same for any other discs you may have. After this, all books should be copied to your hard drive. Should there remain any "missing books" icons (with the small yellow triangle), you may double-click and download them individually from our servers. (This is also an option for all books, but is quite tedious and time-consuming, so copying from CD in bulk is preferred by most users.)

Q. I don't like the way the books are organized. Can I organize my books differently than the original layout?

A. While you cannot change the original library layout, you can add custom folders to have books grouped in any manner you choose. For complete instructions on how to add custom folders, open "VitalSource Bookshelf Help" from the "Help" menu.

Q. I have lost my original disc, or would like to get a disc of all the content for Bookshelf Library, rather than downloading it from the internet. How can I get one?

A. If you are a student in a professional program that was originally given a disc with your books, please send us the following information:

Name

School Graduation Date

Shipping information (street address preferred - PO box will take longer)

Telephone number

Check made payable to: Vital Source Technologies, Inc. in the amount of $15.

===

If you are a school or IT department and would like to have the Bookshelf Library on a DVD, rather than downloading it, please send the following to us:

Name

Title

School

Mailing information (street address preferred - PO box will take longer)

Telephone number

Check made payable to: Vital Source Technologies, Inc. in the amount of $25.

===

Our address for this information and payment:

Vital Source Technologies, Inc.

Disc Duplication and Distribution Division

234 Fayetteville Street

Suite 300

Raleigh, NC 27601-1300

Q. My computer is registered and the license download says it's completed, but no books show up under "All Titles" - what gives?

A. There are several things that can cause this. The first is that you may have signed up with a different email address than the one your content is registered to. This happens quite often when users sign up with a public account (yahoo, gmail, msn, aol, etc.) in the first few weeks of school, but soon start using their ".edu" account. Then, if their computer has problems and they need to reload VitalSource Bookshelf, they register with their .edu address and there is no content.

The solution to this is to sign in, choose "My Account..." from the help menu and uncheck the "Save password for automatic sign-in" box. Restart VitalSource Bookshelf, and again choose "My Account..." This will allow you to edit the email address. Change it back to your "old" email address. If you would like to move the account from your old address to your new one, please email support (at) VitalSource.com and we can do this for you.

The second cause of "no titles" in your Bookshelf may be due to an over-zealous firewall. A firewall can be software or hardware, and is designed to protect your computer from rogue applications that send your personal information to hidden internet collection points, or otherwise accesses the internet without your knowledge. If Bookshelf is not able to contact the internet for registration, license download, or book download, however, the program will not function as intended. We have prepared a page to help you better understand the configuration of a firewall for use with VitalSource Bookshelf. Please read it, consult your Network Administrator, ISP, or campus IT department with any questions. Have them contact us if there are any questions. (See the contact page for how to contact us.)

The Firewall Configuration page is listed as an informational page only. There are far too many variables for us to ever attempt to cover all elements that could change access to the network from your computer, but we will work with you and your IT staff to do what we can.

Q. Is the VitalBook format SCORM compliant?

A. The Bookshelf application delivers files in our own format: the VitalBook (or .VBK) format. This format was created to provide rights management (DRM) for publishers on the one hand without compromising tools and interactivity for users on the other.

Like SCORM, the VBK format is based on XML (with all of XML's inherent metadata, element-level tagging, and translation opportunities). However, since we are responsible for providing rights management for content owners, there are limits on the extent to which our file format can be stripped down into smaller components and shared with other systems.

What we do instead is support standard protocols for HREF linking to the element level in our files. This means systems can link to items in VitalBook files without compromising the commercial value of the content. You can, for example, link from your LMS calendar, syllabus, or assessment system into specific figures, tables, or sections of VBK textbooks, but end users (or their institutions, or libraries, etc.) still have to have purchased a legal copy of the book for the link to work successfully.

We believe this approach helps sustain the incentives necessary to support the highest quality research and content development, protects the rights of content owners, but also provides an avenue for involving this high-value content in advancing SCORM and non-SCORM LMS and similar systems.

Q. I downloaded one of your books from the internet. My IT group suggested I make a back-up copy of it to ensure it will not be destroyed since I am only permitted to download once. Please help.

A. You have been misinformed. Unlike many other electronic content providers, books in the VitalBook format can be downloaded as many times as needed. Two computers can be active on the account, and either of those may download a book if the original file is lost, accidentally deleted, or corrupted. You bought the rights to use the contents of the book for your use, not just the single file.

Your notes and highlights, as well as the custom folders you create, however, need to be backed up in case you have a crash. That can be done via the "Backup notes and highlights" command in the File menu. Save that file somewhere off your disk every time you make significant changes to your notes (or on a regular schedule), and if your disk dies, you only need to download and install the software, sign back in to your account and download the license (choose update license from the Help menu, and it'll happen automatically), and download the book files. Then, go to File-> Restore Notes and Highlighes, choose the most recent backup file, and you're back in business.

For off-disk storage, some folks email the file to themselves at a yahoo or gmail account. Since you can have a gigabyte of files stored there, it's pretty easy to send quite a few and not have to worry about it. We also recommend compressing it (zipping or stuffing) the file to make it less prone to damage as an attachment to that email.

You can get more information about this in the Help files (first item under the Help menu). Click "Highlights & Notes" on the left, and scroll to the bottom of that section.

Q. I was wondering if there is a way to delete older versions of books that I don't need anymore because they take up a lot of space on my hard drive. If so, how do I go about doing it?

A. Removing book files is a fairly straightforward matter. It involves discovering the filename, and then searching your computer for that file. A book's filename is usually the ISBN of the book, followed by the ".vbk" extension. There are two ways to find out the ISBN of the book.

1) Open the book. Click on the cover (or "Front Matter section, if there is one.) In the area that contains copyright information, the ISBN will be listed. For School-specific (i.e. course manuals and the like) this number is usually something like M-###-#### (where # is a number).

2) The second way to discover the ISBN is to right-click the book in the Bookshelf and choose "Show Book Info" from the contextual menu. In that info sheet, there is a URL line. That is the book ISBN with "vbk:" added to the front. Remove the "vbk:" and it's the ISBN.

Once you have the book's number, search in your OS just as you would for any file. (Windows, the "Find..." command in the start menu; Mac OS, the find box in the upper right of any Finder window.)

Delete that file, and you will free up the disk space. We suggest you keep a copy on a CD somewhere for older editions. While you still have the rights to it, we retire older editions after a time, and the only way to get them will be to request a physical disc of the files. (This will involve a media, shipping, and service fee, usually $15-25.) If you have them on your old DVDs, that is usually good enough.

Q. I am trying to print a book, and when I look under the "File" menu, "Print..." is greyed out. How can I print?

A. Printing in the most recent version has changed. You must select the portion of the book that you want to print in order for printing to be active.

Q. Can I import from an external file such as a PDF or DOC file into VitalSource Bookshelf? I am a law student and there are a number of govt publications available in PDF that I would like to import and include as part of my bookshelf.

A. Thank you for using VitalSource Bookshelf. We understand the need to gather your materials together, since that was one of the guiding factors in Bookshelf's design. We not offer a full import from other formats at this time, but, we do have the ability to collect non-.vbk material into grouping folders along with your VitalBooks.

1) Create a new folder (click the "folder +" button at the bottom of the bookshelf window). Title the folder that is created something meaningful to you regarding the content you'd like to store there.

2) Open a window from your operating system that shows the pdf files you would like to organize within Bookshelf.

3) Drag the .pdf or .doc (or .mov, .mid, .jpg) file into the folder in Bookshelf. This does not move or import it, but does create an alias or shortcut to the file from within your bookshelf. When you click the file in Bookshelf, it will launch the default application for that file type automatically.

While this is not the same as native file support, we hope that this will enhance your study using VitalSource Bookshelf, and enable you to integrate other data types into that study more easily.

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Highlights and Notes

Q. When I make a highlight with a note, how do I remove the note without deleting the highlight as well?

A. Open the note, delete all text from it, and save the changes. The note will disappear.

Q. Can I change the default colors on the highlights?

A. Yes, you can. We have deliberately limited the color palette for highlights to those colors that will be transparent enough to read text through, both on screen and on paper. The pastel palette is a direct response to experienced customer suggestions. When we allowed full color palette choices in earlier versions, many people complained when they printed out their pages of dark highlights that they could not read the black text through.

With version 4.0.1 on Windows, we reintroduced full color highlights, but you also have the option of choosing the preset pastel from the drop-down list above the color wheel.

Q. How do I remove a highlight in a book?

A. Right-click (control-click if you do not have a two-button mouse) on the highlight and choose "Remove Highlight" from the contextual menu.

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Installation Problems

Q. I have a tablet PC running Microsoft Windows for Tablet PCs. When I try to install your product, I get an error message that the installer failed. What can I do to get the program installed?

A. There is a slight difference in how the installer works with Windows for Tablet PCs and standard Windows 2000/XP. This prevents the installer from installing the .NET framework if it is missing, which causes the installation to abort. To prevent this, install .NET manually through Windows Update before running our installer.

Q. I am having problems installing your software on my tablet computer. Are you aware of any problems?

A. We are aware of issues arising when you install VitalSource Bookshelf on a tablet that does not have .NET already installed. The .NET install routines fail due to a known bug from the installer vendor (and only on tablets). The work around is to manually install .NET - using Windows Update - before installing VitalSource Bookshelf.

Q. I set Bookshelf to copy files from my CD/DVD to my hard drive and it does not copy, OR is shows zero files to copy, OR the button to "install content" is currently grayed out.

A. You have not registered the Bookshelf application. The application is not finding a license on the machine, so it will not copy anything over. When you register using the redemption code you were sent, the books will intelligently copy* over. (*Intelligently copy - the Bookshelf application looks at the books on the CD/DVD, compares those titles to the license (list of owned books, stored on your computer) and checks the hard drive storage on the computer. Bookshelf then offers to copy over licensed content that is not on the hard drive. If there is no license, there is no owned content to copy. You have to register to tell the application what you bought.)

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Query Function

Q. I click on a search result, but I don't see anything hightlighted. What's happening?

A. Sometimes the highlighted result of a search is off the bottom of the display area. Typically, this happens in a poem or a long chapter section, and the application will only show you the start of the chapter or stanza of the poem. This issue will be addressed in a future version of the application.

Q. I can't see the full table of contents after I executed a search. How do I fix it and why did it happen?

A. To return to the normal table of contents, click the "Clear" button next to text box. When you execute a search, you are searching all three tabs (Contents, Figures, and Notes). You must hit the "clear" button to return to the source materials' complete contents, notes and figures lists

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Registration

Q. I'm on an Apple computer and a dial-up connection. I received the following error message: "An unexpected error as occurred. Please review the FAQ and contact support if your need further assistance."

A. This error could be attributed to the ethernet port on your computer being disabled. Under System Preferences choose Network, select your location and then choose Show: Network Port Configurations. You should now see a list of Ports. Check Built-in Ethernet.

Q. I am having trouble installing. I do not get a registration box to enter my redemption code, etc. I am logged in online first, then I open vitalsource KEY but no message: "VitalSource KEY not licensed" as the instructions mention I should.

A. Under the Help menu, choose "Update License...." and it should connect to our server and give you the option to register. Remember that you'll have to be logged in as administrator during the initial registration. After that, any user on the machine can access it without having to have admin privileges.

Q. How do I register my copy of VitalSource Bookshelf?

A. When the application is first launched, you will see a message that the license is "missing or expired." If you are connected to the Internet, the next dialog box you see will ask to collect your registration information. Enter your name, email address, password, a security question and your redemption code. Once you have entered the requested information, click "Register" to connect to our registration server. An account will be created for you and your license for the resources will be downloaded.

Q. When I try to register, the "Update license..." command is greyed out in my Help menu. What do I do?

A. In order to register your software, your computer must be online. If there is no active internet connection, the command will be unavailable. To rectify this, log on to the Internet, launch the application, and the command should be available.

Q. What is the redemption code and where do I get it?

A.

A redemption code is included with your software package, or sent to school or network managers in an email or a file. In some cases, the code may be sent in an email from your distributor or delivered in a web page.

It is a 16- or 20-digit alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies you and your computers to our servers. Should you add additional content in the future, that content will come with it's own redemption code. Once you have added any content to your account with the code, that code will no longer be valid. There is no need to record the code for future use.

Q. Do I have to enter my redemption code in all caps?

A. No, the registration server will accept caps or lower case.

Q. When I add new content, must I again connect to the registration server?

A. Yes, but only once per year, as with the initial registration. Any contact with the registration server resets your annual contact date for all licensed content

Q. I registered, or activated new content, and the download of my new license file failed. Now when I try to do it again, the application says my redemption code has expired. What do I do?

A. Select "Update License" from the help menu. When you are given the chance to "log in" or "register", enter the email address and password you used during the earlier registration attempt. This will download a new copy of your license file, allowing access to all of the content you have registered to your account.

If, after the new license downloads, you still do not have access to your content, select "Activate New Content" from the help menu, and reenter your redemption code.

If this fails, please contact our support group.

Q. I tried to register, but it did not complete successfully. Now, when I try to register, I am told that my redemption code has expired. What should I do?

A. Although your license download did not complete successfully, the registration did go through, and your account has been created. Rather than clicking the "Register for an account" link, enter the email address and password you used during your earlier attempt, and click "Sign In". Your license file should download and allow access to your materials.

Q. How do I activate the resources that are included with my registration?

A. A complete tutorial is located here.

Q. Where can I find the "redemption code"?

A. If you received your software bundled with your computer, you should have been given a Bookshelf restore disc in a cardboard sleeve with the code printed on the back, or you were sent the code in an email. Check with the computer administrator for your school or the bookstore manager where you bought your software/computer if these items were not delivered to you.

If you were delivered your software as part of a program at your school (Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, or Law students), your code is printed in the disc case or envelope you received from your program administrator or campus bookstore.

If you downloaded the application from our website, you will not need a code. Setting up your account and buying books from the VitalSource Store will attach the books to your account, and you will then only have to download the book file. It will automatically show up in your Bookshelf window without having to enter a code.

Q. I am in a pilot program with my Nursing School. I cannot get the license to install. I keep getting an error message.

A. More than likely, the Pilot program has expired. You will need to contact Evolve Select support at 800-401-9962 or email their help desk at: evolve-support@elsevier.com Their support page is at: http://evolve.elsevier.com/staticPages/s_help_support.html

Q. I registered my copy and got the message that the license file downloaded successfully, but there are no books showing. What could be the problem?

A. There are several issues that could be preventing the license file from being read properly. The most common cause we are seeing at this time is personal firewalls. Your firewall should allow all traffic from vitalbook.com and from vitalsource.com. (If you do not know how to configure this, please contact your support desk on campus or the reseller where you purchased the firewall software. Our help desk cannot take responsibility for making changes to your computer's configuration.) If you are on a corporate or educational campus network where you do not have access to the server, your help desk can have a network administrator contact us for assistance at our support line. We work with many schools worldwide, and once the IT staff make a few simple, standard entries into their system, there are few problems.

Q. I installed the application, but when I try to register, I get an error that the connection times out. What's going on?

A. This could be a problem with a firewall, either on your computer or on your network. Check here for a detailed explanation.

Q. I have graduated and no longer have access to the email I registered with. How can I change it in VitalSource Bookshelf?

A. Great question. Simply send an email to support (at) VitalSource.com, and tell us the school you atended, the graduation date, your old address, and your new address. We'll also need the names of the computer you registered, for security purposes. If you would like to have this done over the phone, please provide your phone number, including area code (and country code, if not in US/Canada) and a good time to call you. We regularly work 9am - 7pm Eastern (US) time. We will contact you and get your answer to the security question you used at registration (to verify identity) and make the change for you.

Q. I was given a link to download a book but it isn't working. When I TRY the link it says page can not be found. The link looks like this: store.vitalbook.com/redeem/ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS123

A. This probably means you have no account on our server. You will have to download Bookshelf and create an account before the link will work. This is a different account than the publisher account you created to purchase the Redemption Code for the content.

Q. How do I go about loading my content onto a second computer?

A. To load your content onto a second computer, first download and install the software, either from the website or your disc. (While either will work, we always recommend getting the most recent release from the downloads page on this site.) Once the software is installed, at first run, you will see the "No License found" dialog, just as you did with the first installation. At this point, enter the email address and password you used during the initial registration. The second machine will be added to your account, and a license file will be created and downloaded that will give this machine the same list of files. Downloading book files to this computer can be done over the internet or with any discs you were provided, just as on your first computer.

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Upgrading

Q. I am using an old version of VitalSource Bookshelf, but want to install the latest release. If I completely uninstall the software, is there a way I can save the books and highlight information on the hard drive?

A. The VitalSource Bookshelf software, the book files, and all user data are stored separately. Reinstalling the application will not affect books downloaded to the hard drive or user data. Backing up user data (notes and highlight information) can be done through the menu options provided (see Help File in application for details). The book files can be re-downloaded at will from our servers or copied over from any media they may have been delivered on.

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