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Installation

1. There is no "iassess.sini" file in the installation folder - either on each standalone pc or on the server pc in a network installation.
   • Do you have any security software preventing a file with a ".sini" or unrecognised file extension being installed? If so, please uninstall the CBE software, remove the restriction and re-install.
   • If there is no such security software, try re-installing. If this doesn't work, please contact ACCA who may advise you to download the "iassess.sini" file from our website and copy to the installation folder - either on each standalone pc or on the server pc.
2. There is no folder named "Output" in the installation folder - either on each standalone pc or on the server pc in a network installation.
   • Do you have any security software preventing an empty folder being created by a software installer? If so, create a folder named "Output" manually and create a text document within it - this will ensure that your new Output folder is not automatically removed.
   • If there is no such security software, please try re-installing. If this doesn't work, please contact ACCA who may advise you to create the "Output" folder manually, as above.
3. I am unsure I have set the correct permissions to the installation folder.
   • Either Full Control (administrator privileges) or Read/Write/Execute/Delete permissions should be given to the students/users/pcs for the whole CBE installation folder. If you installed the software to the default location, the folder to which these permissions should be set for users is c:\program files\ACCA\CBE
   • If you have a network installation, all students/users/pcs should be given the permissions listed above to the installation folder on the server. If you have stand-alone installations, all students/users/pcs should be given the permissions to the installation folder on the standalone pcs. These permissions should apply to both Directories and Files.
   • The permission names may change according to the operating system you are using, however please ensure that the students/users/pcs are given permissions to the installation folder which are equivalent to Full Control or Read/Write/Execute/Delete.
   • All students/users/pcs should have at least Read/Write/Execute/Delete permissions to the a: drive (the floppy disk drive).

Registering students on the online CBE system

1. Follow the instructions given in the message displayed on screen.
2. When the software is run, the message "Available Tests" appears.
• The ACCAExaminer.exe software has been run directly from the installation folder. The software should be run directly from the shortcut we advised you to create as part of the installation.
• When the software is run, the message "Available Tests" appears.
  The ACCAExaminer.exe software has been run directly from the installation folder. The software should be run directly from the shortcut we advised you to create as part of the installation.
• Please refer to either section 3.2.1 or 3.2.2 of the Operating Manual and create the relevant shortcuts before running the exams.
3. When the software is run, the message "The access token does not contain valid information" or the Student Details screen does not show student name and ACCA registration number.
• The access token may have been downloaded incorrectly. Tokens will not operate if they are not downloaded and named exactly as outlined in Section 4.2.4 of the Operating Manual.
• Please check the naming of the access token file on the floppy disk by accessing the a: drive through My Computer or Windows Explorer. The access token must be named ‘accessinfo.txt’ - with no spaces or spelling errors. To perform this check, please also ensure you have the option of showing the file extensions switched on, to allow you to check that the file has not been saved as ‘accessinfo.txt.txt' by mistake. If you notice a mistake in either the wording or the file extension, please amend the name on the floppy disk file, and try to run the software again.
• If you still experience the same problem, please create a new token, ensuring that you have followed the exact download instructions, and ensuring the naming of the token is correct. This should solve the problem. Please contact cbe@accaglobal.com to confirm the details of the original token and the problem you experienced.
4. When I try to run the software, the error message "Connect Failed Return code=-1" is displayed.
• This occurs where the student/user/pc running the exam only has only (what is referred to under NT4) Read/Write/Execute permissions to the "QuestionDatabase" folder.
• The permissions should be Full Control or Read/Write/Execute/Delete. Setting permissions to the whole installation folder c:\program files\ACCA\CBE and ensuring that all directories and files under this folder have these permissions, will ensure that this is resolved.
• See (3) above before trying to run any further examinations.

Problem with results / uploading results

1. No results files are on the floppy disk/I cannot upload a result from a floppy disk.
   • Please check the Output folder within the installation folder, as copies of the results files are saved to this location.
   • If you have a network installation, all results will save to the Output folder on the server pc. If you have a standalone installation, all results for exams sat at each individual pc will save to the Output folder on that pc.
   • When you find the results, inform ACCA that this has happened and we shall guide you through the next steps. You should, however, be able to upload the results by copying the .log files onto a floppy disk and uploading each one individually.
   • If there are no results/the results are 0Kb, please see the relevant section.
2. No results files are on the floppy disk. I have checked the Output folder in the installation folder on the standalone pcs/the server pc but the results are all 0 Kb.
• A 0 Kilobyte results file is produced when the student/user/pc running the exam has only (what is referred to under NT4) Read/ Write/ Execute permissions to the destination folder where the result is stored (Output) . The user should also have the permission "Delete". As the file has no size, Windows will not copy it to the A:\ drive.
• Please contact ACCA to inform us that this has happened and we shall guide you through uploading this set of examination results.
• See (3) regarding the permissions which should be given to students/users/pcs for future examination sessions.
3. In a network installation, no results files are on the floppy disk. I have checked the Output folder in the installation folder on the server pc, but the results do not exist there.
• Please check the c:\ drive of each of the client pcs as the results may have saved here. You may do a search for all files with the extension .log.
• Please contact ACCA to inform us that this has happened and we shall guide you through uploading this set of examination results.
• Before holding further exams, please see the possible reasons for this and follow the instructions given in (1), (2) and (3) above.
4. Results have not saved to any location.
• Please contact ACCA to inform us that this has happened and we shall instruct you accordingly.
• For future examination sessions, you will have to ensure that the instructions in (1), (2) and (3) have been followed - please ensure that the i-assess.sini file exists, the Output folder exists and that the correct permissions have been set.
5. When I try to upload a result I see the message 'The access token 'xxxxxxxxxxx' may already have been used or has expired'
• You are attempting to upload a result which may already have been uploaded. To check if it has, please go to the Student name under Students on the online administration system, click Results at the top left hand corner and you will see the result if it has been uploaded. If not:
• You may be attempting to upload the result passed its 48 hour validity period. Please contact ACCA at cbe@accaglobal.com providing the relevant token details.
• If you know that the token has not expired, and that the result has definitely not previously been uploaded, contact ACCA at cbe@accaglobal.com immediately providing the relevant token details and confirming the message being received.
6. When I try to upload a result I see the message 'Result already recorded in the database' but I know that it has not been uploaded.
   • Contact ACCA at cbe@accaglobal.com immediately providing the relevant token details and confirming the message being received.
7. When uploading a result, I see the message ' "is not an integer value'.
   • Please contact ACCA at cbe@accaglobal.com immediately providing the relevant token details and confirming the message being received. We may request that you send us the .log file (result file) from the floppy disk and if we cannot access the result from this, we may request you retrieve the result from the hard drive of the pc.
8. When uploading a result, I see the message 'No assignments have been sat by this student'
   • Unlike all other error messages, this message normally means that the result has been uploaded successfully. To check this, go to Item 16 on this list.
9. How do I check that all the results have been uploaded?
   • You should be given a message immediately after upload to confirm the result has been uploaded
   • A further check can be made by going to Main Menu of the online admin system, selecting Access Tokens - all results uploaded successfully will have "0" in the Remaining column. Results still to be uploaded have "1" in the Remaining column and the AccessKey link is still visible.
   • Another check can be made by going to Main Menu and selecting Reports Menu. You can then run the Student Performance Report or even the Access Token Usage report to provide you with the information you require.
   • Please contact ACCA at cbe@accaglobal.com for advice on how to upload outstanding results.

Retrieving results

1. How do I retrieve results from the hard disk of the pc?
• Standalone Installations: You can retrieve the .log file (result file) from the Output folder where you installed the software to, in the c drive of the standalone pc this student sat at. If you installed to the default standalone location, this shall be in c:\program files\ACCA\CBE\Output. You can identify the individual student result by checking the date and time the result was saved. Please save this result to a blank floppy disk and upload from there.
• Network Installation: The .log file can be retrieved by finding the Output folder in the installation folder on the server (if you have installed to the default location, this shall be in c:\program files\ACCA\CBE\Output). You can identify the individual student result by checking the date and time the result was saved. You may have numerous results on your server pc with similar dates and times (as all results sat by students in a network installation save to the Output folder on the server pc), so if you cannot identify which result belongs to the student, please copy all possibilities onto a floppy disk and try to upload each in turn, until you are shown a successful upload message.
• Please contact ACCA at cbe@accaglobal.com if you have problems with the above procedure.