Download problems

All known causes of a download failure are listed below.

Choice of internet browser

The usual reason for a downlad failure is the use of a browser other than Internet Explorer. We strongly recommend the use of Internet Explorer if downloading. There is a known issue with Mozilla Firefox which, for some users, will prevent a successful download of an application using ClickOnce technology. If you get an error message along the lines of "... could not find one of the required files ..." - this is probably the reason

PC compatibility

Have you checked your PC against the technical specifications? Your processor must be equivalent to at least a Pentium 3. There are also minimum requirements for processor speed, hard disc space and RAM.

Operating system compatibility

This software requires that the operating system is either:

• Windows XP Service pack 2 - if you are not sure if you have Service Pack 2 then the upgrade is free and you can find the download address on the Frequently Asked Questions page
• Windows Vista

Not using an Administrator account

Your account on the PC must have Administrator rights to run HomeSec as it requires full read/write privileges for your hard disc.

Internet Security/Firewall settings

The settings on your security software/firewall can interfere with downloads and you may have to reduce security levels, depending on what software you use.

A particular problem has been found with Norton 360. This software (in at least one case) allowed the initial download but caused problems with updates. Whilst updates appeared to get installed, the firewall was preventing access to the ClickOnce cache with a result that the operating system believed that the installed version was always the most revcent and would not install a newer version.

Database installation

If your PC does not have a version of Microsoft SQL Server database installed, this is installed silently during the HomeSec installation. This is the part of the installation where most can go wrong. If you do experience any difficulties,  you can download the database software directly from Microsoft, by following the link below. 

Download SQL Server database engine

Accept all the defaults that are offered and simply continue clicking "Next", "OK" etc. The installation is slower than when performed by HomeSec and may take well over 20 minutes. Note that many XP users will also have to download the Microsoft .Net Framework - but this should happen automatically as part of the process but will take longer.