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Take Command FAQs
This page outlines some of the key questions we get about Take Command,as well as solutions to common problems
  • Installation Problems - Check here first if you are having trouble installing the product
  • Operations Questions -- Various questions about running our products
  • Other Questions - Mostly about purchasing our products
FAQ Doctor
Installation Problems

1. Take Commandl not register

  • Check to see if you have the latest versions of our software -- you can get them here: http://jpsoft.com/download2.htm.
  • Before you begin, you must have write access to the registry -- if you are running as a limited user or if your network administrator has blocked registry writes, you will need to log on as an administrative user.
  • Enter "Option" at the command prompt for TC
  • Click on the "Register" tab. We recommend cutting & pasting the name & key from the email; as soon as you enter anything into the "User Name" or "Key:" fields the "Apply" button should be enabled. When you click "Apply" or "OK" you should see a popup message box that says "Registration was successful".
  • Make certain when you cut and paste the name that you cut the entire name including "system license"
  • Do not press the "Remove Registration" button unless you really really want to remove the registration.

1.5 I Am Using Vista, I Am The Administrator And It Still Won't Register

  • You are not *really* running as an admin. In Vista, even if you are an admin user you do NOT have full admin privileges unless you right click on the app & select "Run as Administrator". We have a few more choice things to say about Vista security, but not here.

2. I can't install because I cannot get write access to the registry

  • Download the inikey version (ftp://jpsoft.com/4nt/inikey/4nt.exe), which stores the registration information in a file in the 4NT directory.
  • Note that the inikey file is not the installer, just the TC executable, so you'll need to copy it over your existing 4nt.exe.

3. Take Command crash on startup

  • The crash is probably occurring inside the Windows loader, before the 4NT code is executed. This is normally caused by another application attempting to inject a dll into TC's address space (i.e., an antivirus app, a screen manager, etc.) and the injected dll is crashing.
  • There are two things to try:
    • Turn off DEP for TC (control panel / system / advanced / performance settings / Data Execution Prevention) - see image

    DEP Screen

    • If that doesn't work you'll need to find the app that's injecting the dll -- try disabling the other running applications one by one until 4NT loads successfully.
    • If neither of these solutions work, contact us directly for a workaround.

4. Will JP Software's products work with Vista?

  • The latest versions of our products all support all versions of Vista.
  • If you have 4NT or Take Command prior to Version to Version 8.01, or TCI prior to 2.01, you should upgrade to the most current version if you are running Vista.
Operations Questions

1. Can I run Take COmmand from a USB drive? Yes

2. Is Take Command completely compatible with the standard Windows CMD.EXE?

  • It's impossible to be 100% compatible with CMD.EXE, because
    • (1) Take Command has several thousand additional features, and
    • (2) CMD.EXE itself is incompatible with other versions of CMD.EXE.
  • We strive for 99.9% compatibility (generally more than CMD.EXE manages with itself!) .
  • There are always workarounds for the rare situation where Take Command doesn't execute a batch file in an identical way.
  • The best answer would be to download a 30-day fully functional trial of 4NT and test it in your own environment.

3. Is there a 64-bit version of 4NT?

  • We have a 64-bit Take Command running in-house but we are waiting for 64-bit versions of some external DLLs.
  • There aren't any notable advantages to a 64-bit 4NT; it's bigger and slower without offering any additional features or capabilities.
  • You can make Take Command behave as though they were 64-bit apps by setting the .INI directive Wow64FsRedirection=No. This will allow Take Command to run the 64-bit Windows programs in windows\system32 rather than the 32-bit versions in windows\sysWOW64.

4. Why can't I get to a full screen console in Vista?

  • Vista video drivers don't support full screen consoles. (It's not a Take Command issue; CMD.EXE won't work either.).

6. My IF statements are not working the same way since I upgraded

  • The default IF behavior was changed in 8.02 to match undocumented behavior CMD.EXE -- Microsoft was distributing a number of batch files that would not work with 4NT or Take Command. (The problem was with the compound command on the IF line -- CMD.EXE will only execute the remainder of the command line if the IF test succeeds.)
  • If you don't intend to run any Microsoft batch files, you can restore the previous 4NT behavior by adding the line to your 4NT.ini file:

DuplicateBugs=NO

Other Questions

1. Can you get me keys for earlier versions of JP Software Products?

  • We can sell and create keys for versions of 4NT and Take Command back to Version 5.
  • Pricing is the same as current prices.

2. If I buy a key for a JP Software product, do I get free upgrades forever?

  • No -- though if you order within 90 days of our releasing a major update you will get the new version free.
  • Minor releases are free -- these are mainly compatibility and bug fixes.
  • We try to price major upgrades lower than most software companies -- upgrades are generally less than 50% of the original price.
  • You can purchase an annual support contract when you purchase one of our products -- in addition to support benefits, you will receive free upgrades to all new versions released during your support period.

Copyright 2007 JP Software