Personal Companion
Frequently Asked Questions for Personal Companion

There were 18 questions found in this category:
  1. Philips DPM Recorders are not always detected when connected to a USB Hub
    Some Philips DPM recorders (9350, 9610 for example) may not be detected by Personal Companion when they are connected to the computer through a USB hub. This has been demonstrated even though the device is seen as a removable drive by Windows. The solution is to either configure Personal Companion ...

  2. How to replace DM1Service for Olympus digital recorder device detection.
    Some models of Olympus recorders (DS-2 and DS-4000, for example) require an Olympus service called DM1Service to be running and functioning properly in order for Personal Companion to be notified when the recorder has been connected to the computer. On some computers DM1Service may occasionally sto...

  3. Assigning a permanent drive letter mapping to a removable drive.
    If importing audio files into Personal Companion or AudioWav Player from a digital recorder (or any other device) that is identified as a removable drive when connected to the computer, you should ensure that the drive letter assigned to the device by Windows is always the same. One way to ensure th...

  4. Problem: TXT file created by Personal Companion is not being recognized by VXP system.
    Under some conditions a problem in the creation of the .txt file for the VXP/TXT file option  may exist in versions of Personal Companion less than 2.01.020 . One way to verify a problem .txt file is to open it in WordPad. If all the lines are squished onto one line then it is ...

  5. Are there any issues with virus detectors that I should be aware of?
    Running a virus detector on a computer is an important preventative maintenance step. However, you should be aware that they can cause various unexpected results when used in conjunction with Dataworxs products. 1) When running on an Audioworxs server, some virus detectors have been known...

  6. Does a new memory card need to be reformatted before using in a digital recorder?
    A new memory card - including the one that is included with a new recorder - should always be formatted in the device that it will be used with. Not doing so may result in unpredictable behavior. The Olympus DS-4000 Instruction Manual specifically says: "Cards used in a recorder must be...

  7. Why can't I import files taken from the Archive folder?
    Recent versions of Personal Companion encrypt audio files that are stored in the archive folder using secure 128-bit key encryption. In this way private patient information is not accessible from a physician's download station. To re-import encrypted audio the file must be decrypted using a ut...

  8. What transport mechanisms do Personal Companion support?
    Personal Companion supports e-mail, FTP, and a secure point-to-point socket transfer. The socket transfer uses 128-bit key encryption and requires a Dataworxs File Transfer Server at the receiving end.

  9. Is a sound card required in order to run Personal Companion?
    Yes, a sound card is required to run Personal Companion. Without a sound card, Personal Companion does not have access to the appropriate drivers and CODECs required for evaluating and converting audio files. To test whether or not your computer is configured with an appropriate sound card driver r...

  10. What naming convention does Personal Companion use and how does it handle audio files that are downloaded more than once?
    The naming scheme used is a unique combination of Author ID, time and date stamp to the 1/100 of a second. Files not automatically deleted upon download will be re-imported (with a new name) each time the software checks for new audio until the file is deleted. It is recommended that files be ...

  11. What operating systems can I use Personal Companion in?
    Dataworxs applications are for professional use and therefore supported and recommended OS's are Windows 2000 and XP. To install Personal Companion in Windows 2000, SP3 (as a minimum) is required.

    Dataworxs application may also work in Windows 98SE but because Dataworxs no longer th...

  12. I am using the direct socket transfer option to move audio files to a remote location. I'm sure the IP and port are correct but Personal Companion indicates a file transfer error. What could be wrong?
    If the IP and port entered in Personal Companion's setup are confirmed to be correct the problem may be with the File Transfer Server (FTS). First, use License Administrator to confirm that the FTS is licensed for WAN support. Without WAN support a client from outside the server’s network will...

  13. Why does my e-mail manager keep prompting me to allow Personal Companion to e-mail a file?
    This is a new e-mail security feature in Microsoft and other e-mail products. If you use Outlook Express you can then disable this security feature. Outlook Express is a free download from Microsoft. Note: Dataworxs Systems Limited will not be responsible for any software viruses incurred wi...

  14. What if Personal Companion will not upload a file to an FTP site?
    Check the following and make sure that: You have registered the software and acquired the proper activation keys and have installed the activation keys using the License Administrator application (installed with the software). You have entered a valid FTP address (in “Setup Options->Up...

  15. What is a CODEC and how do I know which one I need?
    A CODEC (COder/DECoder) provides information about the decoding an encoding of an audio format and is used by Personal Companion during the input and conversion stages. Personal Companion may not be able to import an audio file if the appropriate CODEC is not installed. Click here for additi...

  16. What is the difference between single-user and multi-user Personal Companion?
    Single-user Personal Companion requires that the person using Companion log into Companion with an author ID. This author ID is used for all audio files imported by Companion regardless of what ID might be present in the source audio and/or recording device.

    Multi-user Personal Comp...

  17. Can Personal Companion be configured to use an FTP port other than 21?
    The current version of Personal Companion only supports a connection to a standard FTP server on port 21. For secure (i.e. encrypted) transfer of sensitive audio Personal Companion supports a direct socket connection to a Dataworxs File Transfer Server.


  18. What Digital Portable Recorders are supported?
    For a current list of supported digital recorders refer to the FAQ page for Digital Portable Recorders.