What are the minimum system requirements for your CD-ROM courses?

Minimum System Requirements

• Computer with 350 MHz processor
• Microsoft Windows ME / 2000 / XP / VISTA
• 32MB RAM (64MB Recommended)
• 800 MB available hard disk space
• Display resolution of 800x600 or high with Normal Size Fonts (96DPI)
• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.5 or higher

**Windows 2000 must have Service Pack 3

I am getting a Failure to Connect error what should I do?

If you are getting a failure to connect error, you will need to perform a Clean Install to insure there are no other version conflicts on the system.

A Clean Install will erase all SQL Data. Be sure to have a backup of your work!!

BE SURE TO TURN OFF ANY FIREWALLS.

Follow these steps to perform a CLEAN install.

1) Go to ADD/REMOVE Programs in your Control Panel
2) Remove Americas Best from the list
3) Remove ALL Microsoft SQL Components (ignore any errors)
4) Confirm ONLY ONE version of the Microsoft .Net Framework is installed.
* If your CD says VISTA Compatible on it be sure ONLY Ver 2.0 is installed.
* If your CD says Win 98 Compatible on it be sure ONLY Ver 1.1 and/or Ver 1.1 Hotfix is installed.
5) Go to My Computer
6) Open Local Disk C:
7) Open the Programs Files folder
8) Delete or rename the Microsoft SQL Server folder
9) Reinstall the CD…


PLEASE NOTE: If you have any other programs using the SQL Server (such as MLS Paragon Listing Services) you will need to backup the associated files for the program in question. Renaming the Microsoft SQL folder should preserve any data other SQL Services are using. We are unable to assist you, if you select to follow these directions, in restoring other application services. Please refer to your program vendor for further assistance in restoring any temporary suspended SQL Services.

I have Windows 98 2nd addition and am getting a Connection failed... not associated with a trusted SQL Server error.

This error has to do with an authentication issue. At this time we are unsure why this issue arises on some windows 98 systems. We are continuing to research this issue but at this time we have no resolution if you are receiving this error.
We suggest, at this time, switching to online courses.

I am getting an error message when I first insert the CDROM or when I try to run the Instalation.exe file from the CD-ROM.

This error is caused by not having the Microsoft Dot-Net Framework preinstalled on your system. To work around this simply follow the directions below.

1) Open My Computer
2) RIGHT CLICK on the Ambest CD & select explore.
3) Open the Courses Folder on the CD
4) Double Click on the Setup.exe to install the program.

I am getting an error at the beginning of the install process?

We have been able to reconstruct this error and believe it to be a security related issue. In our tests we were able to reproduce this error only when our Anti-Virus software was performing a system scan. Please follow the directions below to rule-out no other applications are simultaneously accessing or preventing the installer from extracting the files needed to install the Microsoft SQL Server.

1) Turn off (or uninstall) any anti-virus software or 3rd party Fire Wall.

2) Close all programs.

3) Let your system sit for a second or two and insure there is no continuous Hard Drive activity. You can determine this by monitoring the little light typically on the front of the CPU box. Intermediate Hard Drive activity is expected, but if the drive light is continually on for more than a second or two at a time determine what program is running and disable it. Or simply wait until the computer is done doing what ever it is doing. Hard Drive activity at system idle should be in short one or two second bursts every three to six times per minute.

4) Insert the CD and follow the onscreen prompts to install the courses.

5) Reboot the system to re-activate disable application or re-install any application removed.

How do I restore my work or move it to a new computer?

Backing up and restoring your work has never been easier.
If you wish to restore your work history on the original system or on a new computer simply copy the ‘ambest_student_backup’ file (saves to desktop by default) to a Floppy Disk, CD or Jump Drive.

Install your AMERICAS BEST Courses CD on the new system, or reinstall on the original system.

Then click on Start/All Programs/Americas Best/ambest_retore_utility.
Click the Restore Student Tracking Information button and select your backup file.

Why is my course loading so slowly when I have High Speed Internet?

There may be several contributing factors causing this problem. If you are trying to access your courses during peek times on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the each month, we are most likely performing system maintenance, and depending on how many students are already online, you may see a decrease in page load times. We suggest taking a break and study at a later time.

Please note: Average page load time should be between 3 and 6 seconds. (Typical speed to load most web sites)

Another factor is Spyware. Spyware will greatly derogate your browser’s performance since these malicious applications rob your system of bandwidth. If Spyware is present on any system, in a networked environment, it can affect the performance of all systems if they are using the same gateway to access the internet. We suggest downloading and running an anti-Spyware program such as Microsoft’s Defender. You can download a free copy at: Microsoft.com

One sure sign of system infection is progressive derogation of performance.

Yet another factor could be the type of internet connection you have. Typically, if you are using anything other than a T1 or T3 line, other individuals using the same provider may be hindering your internet access speeds. For example, if you are using cable internet, you share your internet bandwidth with everyone in your neighborhood or whoever is also on that line. Therefore, if your neighbor is downloading a movie or large file, it can hamper your performance. This is most evident in a work environment where everyone in the office is accessing their cable internet through a local hub.

Lastly, web performance can greatly depend on your computer’s hardware and software configurations. If you are loading numerous background applications at startup, or if you have a slower processor installed, you may see system wide slowdown, especially if you are multi-tasking.

I have Dial-up internet can I take online courses?

Our courses have been developed for optimal performance even over a Dial-up connection.
However, if you are using a Dial-up connection and are experiencing performance issues with page display we would suggest installing a 3rd party Internet Accelerator. This will help decrease page load time and reduce any timeout errors. If your provider does not offer an Internet Accelerator you may download one from a popular shareware site such as Downloads.com or Shareware.com

Why does the picture on my screen look funny?

If you have problems reading text or seeing images on your screen such as buttons & graphics you may need to adjust the resolution on your display. You can do this by right-clicking once in an empty space on your desktop and left-clicking Properties on the menu that should popup. This will open the Display Properties window. Click on the Settings tab on the top of the window and on the right-hand side of the screen, make sure your Resolution (or display area) should say 800x600. If it doesn't, use the slider to move it up to 800x600, then click APPLY. This will bring up a screen asking if you want to keep the settings. Say YES and then close out of everything. When you go back into your course, everything should display correctly. If your display is already set to 800x600 or higher, then we need to check the Font Size. On the same screen where I had you check the screen size, there should be an "Advanced" button. Click that button and look at the setting for Font Size. If it is set to anything other than "normal fonts" or 96dpi, you can run into the display problems. I wish I could be more specific about the location of this setting, but Microsoft has had a tendency to change it with every new version of Windows. But if you open the Display Properties and go to Settings/Advanced, you should be able to find it. These steps should fix the problem you're having.