Common Questions (and Answers)

Employee with Failed Password

How does an employee access the POS after being locked out (from forgotten password, multiple failed password attempts, 90 days with same password, etc)?

The Systems Administrator must reset the password for the employee. The user cannot access a POS, as another valid user needs to log into a POS to pick up messages, such as the information regarding a new password for this user, from the CAS, then the user can log into a POS.  

INFO: To eliminate the burden of needing the systems administrator to reset the passwords of all employees every 90 days, email alerts can be generated directly to the employee ten days prior to the expiration of the password. To use this, the employee's email address must be entered in the system and the mail server must be active.

Links:

Adding Email Addresses: The Systems Administrator goes to the CAS (management tab, User, employee, modify employee), selects the employee, adds the email address to their data, saves information.

Mail Server

Internet is Down

To verify the internet connection is down, we would have the Users minimize the POS Application and open up an Internet Browser (Internet Explorer) and go to a page such as AltaVista.com or Yahoo.com that is not loaded the in the internet cache. If upon loading the site the User is prompted "Internet Explorer Cannot Display the Webpage" then the internet connection is down. The user must contact the Service Provider or IT Department for further instructions.

POS is Frozen

Find out what type of transaction they are trying to do when the POS is Freezing. The problem is usually one of two things they do not have internet connection or accessories aren't plugged in.

The POS may be trying to connect and cannot and is "stuck" on trying to get out for data (the internet connection needs to be checked) or accessories are not connected (check all plugs to make sure they are secure, as the POS is trying to connect to that accessory – like a printer and cannot).

User needs to check both the internet connect and connections to devices. If the POS Application is still "Frozen",  verify that the Keyboard functions are still being recognized by the computer.  Pressing the Windows Key – on your Keyboard and checking if your Start Menu pops up and pressing Control+Alt+Delete and checking if the Task Manager Displays. In the Task Manager we want to hit the Process Tab and look for JAVAW.EXE, click on that process once and then at the bottom select End Process. If you are not able get the Start Menu or the Task Manager to pop up, you will need to unplug the register from the power supply and wait for 30 seconds before booting back up.

SQL Error Message (due to power surge)

There are 2 ways to have the "Check MySQL Username/Password" error message displayed. First would be if upon booting the register from a powered down state you execute the POS Application immediately after the Desktop is displayed, because the MySQL Database has not completely established its connection with the local database. Waiting 20-30 seconds after the Desktop has been displayed should not display the message.

If you have powered down your Register while running the POS Application, Users may have lost the information contained in the System.Properties File. If the System.Properties file is empty, Users will be prompted with "Check MySQL Username/Password" error message and to fix this issue we must run the proper POS Executable again and replace the JAR if necessary. The System.Properties File now has the proper information it needs to run the POS Application.

* Please note if at any time the "Check MySQL Username/Password" then Java Process is still running in the back operation, you must open the Task Manager and end the JAVAW.EXE process to continue *

Auth.net – Initial set up, entering data in CAS (not directly in POS)

The information must be entered correctly such as case-sensitive characters, etc. If one digit is incorrect, it may seem to be correct by the front end register will not be able to process credit cards. The same goes for the URL. Recommend to copy and paste the information.

The authorize.net error messages need to be clear especially the null message

-          The null message come on two occasions on the POS :

-          If there is no internet connectivity or

-          If there is an error on the URL in the Auth.Net setting, and normally it the pushed from CAS setting but sometime merchant types directly on the Auth.Net setting on POS and even if there is one misspelt or anything missing from the url, the POS will come back as a null error message.

POS is set to GMT Time

When the time is set incorrectly, all functions including transactions and reports will be offset by that time. The time must be overridden with your timezone.

• Close the POS
• Go to C:\Paynettrans\POSSystem\
• Open the file execute.sh in Notepad
• Find the line: start javaw -Xmx256m -Xmx256m -jar -classpath lib/ POSGUI.jar > logs/output.log 2> logs/error.log
• Replace it with the following: start javaw -Duser.timezone="Canada/Pacific" -Xmx256m -Xms256m -jar -classpath lib/ POSGUI.jar > logs/output.log 2> logs/error.log
• Save the file and close it
• Reopen the POS and confirm the time by clicking Clockin and seeing the time grayed out near the bottom. It Should be match your timezone.

Note: The additional option of -Duser.timezone="timezone" is dependent on your location. Here is a full list of timezones.