Fix Common Problems

If your FormDocs license(s) suddenly fail to activate even when you can confirm you have a working internet connection and one or more licenses available to activate, the problem may be due to a Microsoft Windows update KB5018410. The update causes instability with the TLS handshake in FormDocs and certain other applications.

The solution is to obtain and install a subsequent Microsoft Windows update KB5020435 which fixes the issue of SSL/TLS connection instability.

The licensee name and registration code that you were provided are correct.

You must enter them exactly character for character otherwise it will fail. If you are doing a copy/paste of either then you may be picking-up an extra space character which will also cause it to be rejected.

Finally, your licensee name and registration code are tied to the specific FormDocs product and version you originally purchased; if you try to apply your license to a different product or version then it will be rejected.

FormDocs Setup is being blocked by your computer's security settings.

1. To un-block FormDocs Setup, open your Downloads folder using File Explorer, right-click on the FormDocs download file (fdw*.exe) and choose 'Properties', then check the box or button to 'unblock' it.
2. Next, if you have third-party security software installed, refer to that product's documentation to learn how to unblock or "whitelist" FormDocs Setup.
3. Finally, close and restart FormDocs Setup.

Note that FormDocs software downloaded from our website is guaranteed to be virus-free and is protected by the highest levels of digital certificate and digital signing.

FormDocs Setup is being blocked by your computer's security settings.

• If you use Windows Defender on Windows 11/10, and have the Controlled Folder Access feature enabled, you will need to grant FormDocs Setup permission to access protected folders.
  1. Open Windows Security and then Virus and Threat Protection.
  2. Scroll down to 'Ransomware Protection' and click 'Manage'.
  3. If 'Controlled Folder Access' is 'ON', click 'Allow an app through Controlled Folder Access', and add FormDocs Setup (setup.exe) to the list.
• Otherwise, if 'Controlled Folder Access' is 'OFF' then your third-party security software may be imposing similar restrictions; refer to that product's documentation to learn how to unblock or "whitelist" FormDocs Setup.
• Finally, close and restart FormDocs Setup.

Note that FormDocs software downloaded from our website is guaranteed to be virus-free and is protected by the highest levels of digital certificate and digital signing.

FormDocs Setup is being blocked by your computer's security settings.

1. To un-block FormDocs Setup, open your Downloads folder using File Explorer, right-click on the FormDocs download file (fdw*.exe) and choose 'Properties', then check the box or button to 'unblock' it.
2. Next, if you have third-party security software installed, refer to that product's documentation to learn how to unblock or "whitelist" FormDocs Setup.
3. Finally, close and restart FormDocs Setup.

Note that FormDocs software downloaded from our website is guaranteed to be virus-free and is protected by the highest levels of digital certificate and digital signing.

1. First, ensure both computers have a working connection to the Internet.
2. Un-install FormDocs from the current computer:
   • on Windows 11/10, open Settings and then 'Apps'
   • on earlier Windows Editions, open Control Panel and then 'Add/Remove Programs'
3. Select FormDocs in the list of programs and click 'Remove'
4. During the un-install process you may be prompted by your security software for permission to make an internet connection, which you must allow.
5. When completed, this process frees-up your FormDocs license so that you can install FormDocs onto some other computer.
6. Use the Find My Software feature to retrieve your license information and a download link to the version of FormDocs your license applies to.
7. From the other computer, use the download link and your license information to download and install FormDocs.

You need to apply your license information and then allow the software to activate over the internet. If you fail to perform both of these steps then the software will remain in demo mode.

If you have FormDocs version 10 or newer, you can use the 'Apply my License' option, which is available on the FormDocs Demo startup screen.

Otherwise, if you have FormDocs version 9.6 or earlier, you will need to re-install FormDocs and enter your license information during setup.

If you recently purchased FormDocs, check your Spam & Trash folders for a FormDocs e-mail containing your license information and step-by-step instructions on how to install and activate your software.

A FormDocs license enables you to install FormDocs onto a limited number of computers. If you exceed that number then you will be prevented from installing FormDocs again. You can free-up FormDocs licenses by un-installing FormDocs from computers you no longer use. To un-install FormDocs: on Windows 11/10, open Settings and then 'Apps'; on earlier Windows Editions, open Control Panel and then 'Add/Remove Programs'. Select FormDocs in the list of programs and click 'Remove'. During the un-install process you may be prompted by your security software for permission to make an internet connection, which you must allow.

At any time you can visit Get My License Report to view a history of when and where you have installed and un-installed your FormDocs licenses, and learn how many remaining installs you have.

Find My License Key

Find My Software

First, choose one computer on which to install FormDocs Designer and then un-install FormDocs from that computer via Windows Control Panel 'Add/Remove Programs'. Next, re-install FormDocs from the CDROM or download file.exe; when prompted for what to install during setup, choose to install "Designer & Filler".

One or more FormDocs Fillers were not installed correctly. You must follow the instructions in the Network Administrator's Guide, which is displayed during FormDocs Network setup. The document can also be found on your installation media, or in folder C:\Program Files (x86)\FormDocs\networks.txt. The guide explains that you must install FormDocs Filler onto all computers only from the server path that is "...\formdocs\network\client\setup.exe" and not from the CDROM or download file.exe.

This means too many users currently have the same form file open at the same time. For example, if you have a ten-user license then any form-file can be opened and shared up to ten times at once. With ten instances of the file open at once, an eleventh attempt to open the file will fail. The solution is to have one or more users close the form file. Note that it is also possible that one user has opened the same form file multiple times (check the FormDocs Filler 'Windows' menu); or is running more than one instance of FormDocs Filler on the same PC and opened the same form file in each instance (terminate one instance of the application, or close one instance of the form file); or has forgotten to close the form file; or a PC that has the form file open has hung or crashed thereby keeping the file in a 'stuck-open' state until the PC is rebooted.

In July 2019, Microsoft made a series of changes to Windows and Outlook which disabled some third-party application's ability to send e-mail. FormDocs was among those applications affected. If your FormDocs has in the past successfully sent e-mail and now suddenly cannot, your PC was likely affected by those Microsoft upgrades. Here's what you can do...

If you purchased Formdocs anytime between January 1, 2019 and September 30, 2019 make a FormDocs support request for the "e-mail fix upgrade" and include your original order number so that your purchase can be verified. You will be sent new software and new licenses. FormDocs purchased after September 30, 2019 includes the e-mail fix plus a number of important new features.

Regardless of when you purchased FormDocs or the version you have, if you are currently subscribed to FormDocs "Software maintenance and upgrade assurance" plan, make a FormDocs support request for the "e-mail fix update". Include the registration code of those licenses covered by the plan. You will be sent new software and new licenses.

If you do not subscribe to FormDocs "Software maintenance and upgrade assurance" plan, you can side-step the incompatibility by rolling-back the most recent Windows, Office, and Outlook updates that were made to your PC*. For example, roll-back to, or re-install, prior versions of Windows, Office, and Outlook which worked with your FormDocs "send e-mail" feature. ( * Note: Rolling back Windows or Office updates may expose your PC to security and stability issues. Do so at your own risk.)

This problem is caused by a recent Microsoft update. Follow these instructions to repair your mail system:

1. Close FormDocs.
2. Open Windows 'Settings'
3. Open 'Apps'
4. Select Microsoft Outlook (if available; else choose Microsoft Office) and press "Modify"
5. When prompted, choose "Quick Repair"
6. When complete, restart Outlook.
7. Start FormDocs Filler; open your form and try to send.

This problem is caused by a corrupted Outlook profile. Follow these instructions (on Microsoft's Support page) to create a new Outlook profile.

First, ensure you have a Microsoft (MAPI) compatible e-mail application like Outlook or Microsoft Mail. Next, open the FormDocs Filler User Guide (on the 'Help' menu) and select the section titled, "Troubleshooting"; follow the instructions in the topic titled, "Solve E-Mail Problems".

You may have a version of Microsoft Outlook that will not work with FormDocs. FormDocs works with most versions of Outlook, Exchange Server, Office 365, etc. However, there is a Microsoft Store variant of Outlook, commonly pre-installed on new PC's and/or Laptops, that is missing (MAPI) e-mail support for external applications like FormDocs. The only solution is to uninstall this variant of Outlook and install either the retail or Office 365 version of Outlook.

You need to install 'MAPI connector' software. One such product is Affixa. To obtain a free download for personal use, you can visit www.affixa.com. Downloads for commercial use are available from other vendors.

You can download the "Print to Formdocs" driver here. Note the "Print to Formdocs" driver requires FormDocs Scan & Fill to be installed.

FormDocs converters version 9.6 and below do not convert the following types of documents: PDFs that do not contain ‘live text’; any document that is merely a scanned image of a paper form; Excel spreadsheets. FormDocs converters version 10 and above have no such restrictions and can convert all types of documents.

This message can occur when clicking in a form field that has a drop-down Autofill. It is caused by a recent Windows update that has corrupted the ODBC drivers on your PC. The solution is to "repair" your Microsoft Office Applications by doing the following:

1. Terminate FormDocs
2. In the Windows Start box, type "Settings" and press Enter
3. Click on "Apps and Features"
4. In the list of applications, click on "Microsoft Access database engine..."
5. Click "Modify"
6. In the Maintenance Mode dialog box, choose "Reinstall or Repair..."
7. Click "Next" until you reach the end
8. Restart FormDocs

FormDocs supports Cloud storage only for single users who open, edit, save, and close a form file (*.fdd). Cloud storage does not support multiple FormDocs users who need to open and share a form file (*.fdd), because Cloud storage does not support the important FormDocs file-locking feature that guarantees users do not overwrite each other's work. If you need multiple users to individually or concurrently access the same form file, store your form file (*.fdd) in shared, local storage on your LAN or server.

A Windows security setting is interfering with opening and saving forms to your "My Documents", "Public Documents", "Desktop", and other folders. The solution is to add FormDocs to the list of applications allowed to write into those folders:

1. In the Windows Search Bar type "Windows Security" and then open the Windows Security App.
2. Click "Virus and Threat Protection" and scroll down to "Ransomware Protection" and click "Manage Ransomware Protection".
3. If "Controlled Folder Access" is 'ON' then: at "Controlled Folder Access", click "Allow an App through Controlled Folder Access"; then click "Add an Allowed App" / "Recently Blocked Apps"; then select FormDocs Filler (FDF.EXE) and/or FormDocs Designer (FDD.EXE). Otherwise, if "Controlled Folder Access" is 'OFF' then your third-party security software may be imposing similar restrictions; refer to that documentation to learn how to unblock or "whitelist" FormDocs.

Note that FormDocs software downloaded from our website is guaranteed to be virus-free and is protected by the highest levels of digital certificate and digital signing.

Some older versions of FormDocs require that you have a 'default' printer configured in your Windows Control Panel under 'Printers'. If you don't have or want a printer connected to your PC then just install any HP LaserJet print driver and then select it to be your 'default' printer.

This can happen when you upgrade to Windows 11/10 64-bit, MS Office 64-bit, MS Access 64-bit or Excel 64-bit.

Note that FormDocs requires a 32-bit ODBC driver and data source, which may have been lost or overwritten by any of the 64-bit upgrades described above. The solution is to restore a 32-bit version of the target data source application or driver; you can download and install the 32-bit Access Database Engine here (* Be sure to choose "AccessDatabaseEngine.exe", not the '_X64' variant. *)

Lastly, you must be sure to use the "ODBC Database Manager 32-bit" to configure your Data Sources. It can be found on the Windows 'Start' menu under 'Windows Administrative Tools'. You can also access this from the FormDocs Designer AutoFill Wizard from the 'Data Source:' selection step. For more information, open the Formdocs Designer 'Help' menu, choose 'User Guide' and read the topics under the section, "AutoFill".

You need to copy to all other computers the 'File DSN' you created for the Autofill. Copy the *.dsn file from "C:\Program Files(x86)\Common Files\ODBC\Data Sources\" folder on your computer to the same path on all other computers. You can optionally open and edit the file in Windows NotePad in order to change the path reference to the database or spreadsheet if necessary.

Serial numbers are kept in a file ending in *.fdn and located in the same folder as the form file (*.fdd). First, exit FormDocs. Then open the serial number file in Windows Notepad and carefully edit the values. For example, to re-start the serial numbers at 1000, change the value of "NUMBER=" to "NUMBER=1000", (without the double quotes). Then save the file, exit NotePad, and re-start FormDocs.

On the FormDocs Filler 'Records' menu, choose "Compact File". This will re-organize and re-index the file to its maximum efficiency and restore any lost records.

Learning - If you are trying to learn how to use a feature of the software then the quickest way to obtain that information is to open the FormDocs "User Guide" located on the 'Help' menu. This is the same information you will be sent by FormDocs Technical Support in response to such questions.

Error Messages - If you are receiving error messages then you can send those details to FormDocs Technical Support and receive explanations and solutions.

Best Practices - If you need advice on the best ways to do things, including customizations and integration with other applications, then you can contact FormDocs Technical Support for answers, suggestions, tips, and examples.