New - BOX Jr version 4:

Category: Speed - One computer loads slower than the other

Issue:
You have two or more identical computers, yet one will load the Config screen and the Order screen a brief moment longer than the others.

Solution:
If the slower computer has a Dymo LabelWriter connected to it, then it will load parts of the program slightly slower (a second or two by our observations) as it initializes the software for that printer. You can disable this process (if you don't intend to use the Dymo printer for a while) by deselecting the Dymo LabelWriter check box in the Workstation Options window for that computer. Note that, even if you don't have a Dymo LabelWriter connected to the computer, if this check box is checked, the parts of the program will still load slowly.

Category: Ticket Printer - Setting up a USB printer

Issue:
Basically, you just plug in the printer to a USB port and you are done. If a Windows "Found New Hardware" notice shows up, you will want to disable it, because you don't need to set up the printer in Windows. You don't need drivers.

Solution:
To disable the Windows "Found New Hardware" notice, refer to this document. Also, remember to select the USB option for each workstation in the BOX Jr Ticket Setup window.

1.  Check that you have correctly selected the following in the Ticket Setup window:
Ticket Styles tab: The Thermal printer style option is selected and you are using the correct Printer Port (don't select LPT1 if your printer is setup for a COM port).
Thermal Ticket tab: Correct print head (only some newer printers use 300 dpi), and make sure a ticket style has been selected.

2.  THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM - Make sure you have a high quality, shielded printer cable. Cheaper ($10-$15) cables often don't work with some printers. If we did not supply the cable then this is something you should definitely investigate. Also, don't use switch boxes to switch between the ticket printer and another printer. These have been known to deteriorate the signal and, consequently, prevent tickets from printing.

3.  Make sure you are using an FGL thermal printer as opposed to a Windows printer (may be referred to as a PCL printer). There are some thermal printers based on Windows that are not supported by Box Office Xpress (or most any other ticketing software) because they cost more, tend to be slower, are more complicated to install, and offer no real benefit to the end-user. FGL is the original standard and offers the greatest speed and is even easier to install than plug-and-play (no drivers are needed). If you have a Windows thermal printer, you will need to get it converted to work with Box Office Xpress.

4.  Read the other ticket printing issues, below.

TIP: Always print a Sample Ticket when testing the printer settings. Don't waste your time by going into the Order Screen to print a ticket for an actual order.

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Category: Tickets (thermal) - Don't print

Note:
This topic generally applies to parallel thermal ticket printers with a parallel port connection. Serial printers may experience this problem if you can't locate the correct port (typically COM1) in the Ticket Setup window, in which case the Details and Solution will still apply to you - just substitute COM1 wherever LPT1 is mentioned.

Issue:
The printer port in the drop-down box may show as LPT1, which is usually correct. However, even after all other possible problems (above) have been checked out, the program will still not print tickets.

Details:
The LPT1 Printer Port appears to be available because LPT1 is the program's default setting. However, in some versions of Windows, if you do not have a device (typically a printer) assigned to LPT1, then Windows doesn't know that LPT1 exists. If Windows doesn't know that port exists then Box Office Xpress doesn't know it exists. To test if the port is actually available, click on the drop-down box and see if it is listed within the actual list of the drop-down box. If not, then this is the problem.

Solution:
Close Box Office Xpress and go into the Printers area of Windows. Assign a printer to LPT1 - you can select any printer at all, such as any specific brand or just the Generic Printer setting. Close the Printers window and run Box Office Xpress and go back into the Ticket Setup window. Make sure that the LPT1 port now exists and is selected in the drop-down box. Print a Sample Ticket.

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Category: Tickets (thermal) - Don't print

Issue:
When checking the Windows Printer properties, a printer driver (any driver) is assigned to a port, such as LPT1, but the tickets still do not print.

Details:
Check the Windows Printer properties of other printers installed on your computer and see if any of them are also assigned to the same printer port. For example, if you have a LaserJet printer and a Bubble Jet printer (or a Boca printer) connected to the LPT1 port, this may prevent the program from printing tickets.

Solution:
Reassign one of the printers to a different port.

Note:
Box Office Xpress does not need to use printer drivers. It sends data directly to the port. You do not need to use a Boca or Practical Automation driver to use Box Office Xpress. Any printer driver will do - even the "Generic" driver. And the only reason for that is, that it is important that Windows knows that LPT1 (or whichever port) exists, and sometimes the only way that Windows can do that is to have some sort of driver assigned to that port.

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Category: Tickets - Don't print

Issue:
The tickets only print correctly for one user and not anyone else.

Solution:
Each user must adjust the settings in the Ticket Setup to their own requirements. This is one of the user-customizable features of Box Office Xpress that, in this case, allows different users to print to different printers, use different styles of tickets, and so on. This may mean having to temporarily grant access to the Configuration Screen so that the user can adjust their settings (or an administrator can do it for them, using the other user's password).

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Category: Tickets - Don't print

Issue:
The printer is shared across a network and appears to be set up correctly. If you map a printer and assign a share name that isn't identical to the original printer name, it may not be available in the printer selection drop-down box. If you select the printer under it's default name, the tickets won't print.

Solution:
First make sure you have tried both the port and device options, to get a full selection of available printers to your computer. Failing that, you may need to manually enter the printer's path and share name. You can type directly in the selection field of the Printer drop down box. The information you type is instantly saved. (Note: If you type something in and then select something else, you will need to re-enter the printer information again.

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Category: Tickets - Large batches of tickets skip a few tickets

Issue:
When printing tickets for a large order (could be 20, 30, 40, or more tickets), you notice that some tickets don't get printed. You may even get an error (that you can ignore).

Solution:
The problem varies, depending on the printer combined with the speed of the computer. This occurs more frequently in less expensive printers. To resolve the issue, click on the Options tab in the Ticket Setup window. Adjust the values in the two pause fields. You may want to try a value of 15 in each field to start. If you notice the problem still occurs, first try increasing the number of seconds. If you notice that the printer actually stops printing for a few seconds, then decrease the number of seconds or increase the number of tickets. Experiment to see what combination works best for you.

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Category: Tickets - Only partially print

Issue:
The tickets only print on a portion of the ticket and/or do not fully eject from the printer.

Solution:
Possible Cause #1. Make sure the tickets are inserted correctly. The ticket stock should be inserted so that the black registration marks on the bottom of the ticket are at the front of the ticket.

Possible Cause #2. Make sure you are using tickets that were designed for your make of printer. For example, Boca ticket stock does not work in Practical Automation printers and vise versa. The registration marks on the back of the ticket are a different size and position.

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Category: Tickets - Print isn't clear

Issue:
The print on the tickets appears faded or not solid.

Solution:
Possible Cause #1. You need to purchase ticket stock from a reputable source that fully understands the requirements of thermal tickets. If the incorrect paper is used, the results can be very poor.

Possible Cause #1. If this is something that just happens over time and gradually gets worse, then you just need to clean the print heads using a thermal printer cleaning card.

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