Copyright: Copyright 1996 - 2003. Corel Corporation. All rights reserved.
Citation: Copyright 1996 - 2003. Corel Corporation. All rights reserved.


Using the Corel Application Recovery Manager

The Corel Application Recovery Manager (CARM) monitors and traps errors to prevent information loss if a Corel application crashes. If a crash occurs, the CARM is activated. The CARM lets you save your work and quit the application or you can choose to remain in the application. You also have the option of reporting the problem to Corel. The information you provide in the reports helps the Corel developers improve the stability of the application.

In this section, you'll learn about

•	Frequently asked questions

•	Activating and deactivating the CARM

•	Using the CARM wizard

•	Working with reports

•	Specifying the CARM options


Frequently asked questions

The following FAQ explains how and why Corel collects the report information provided by the CARM. It also describes how you can control what information is sent to Corel.

What activates CARM?

If CARM is enabled, it is activated when a Corel application crashes.

What information does the CARM gather?

The CARM collects information that is helpful to Corel developers for diagnosing, fixing, and improving Corel products. The information retrieved includes low-level technical information about the application, the operating system, and the computer. In addition, the CARM lets you insert comments describing the crash occurrence. For the information to be useful, the developers require detailed information about how the crash occurred. For example, you can document the steps that you performed that caused the crash to occur.

Is the CARM collecting personal information?

The information gathered by the CARM is low-level, technical information needed by Corel to diagnose and fix issues. It is important to note that the information collected is not of a personal nature. In some instances, Corel will need information that you might consider to be personal, such as the name of the document you were using when the problem occurred.

If you submit a report, it is compiled with the information that was provided by other users to give developers some insight into how the application is behaving.

Are CARM reports automatically sent to Corel?

No. Sending a CARM report to Corel is optional. You can view the information that the CARM gathered and choose whether you want to send it. If you decide to send a CARM report to Corel, you can choose to include your email address or remain anonymous. If you do not send the report at the time the error occurred, the CARM stores the report and you can send it later.

How do I view the information the CARM will send?

You can view the information collected by the CARM before you authorize its transmission in the CARM wizard by choosing the Send CARM report page, and clicking View report.

Do I need to enter my email address?

No. You can choose to enter your email address or leave the box blank.

How is my email address used?

Providing your email address opens a two-way communication between you and Corel. A Corel representative may want to contact you to supply you with a fix or workaround to the problem that activated the CARM. Your email address also gives Corel a way to notify you when new versions of an application are available.

In addition, you can configure the CARM to recognize specific problems. If the CARM has recognized the problem, you automatically receive information pertaining to solutions to known problems.

It is important to note that your email address and name are used only to resolve the issues reported by the CARM. Your name or email address will not be placed on a mailing list.

How does Corel use the information gathered by the CARM?

Corel uses the information gathered by the CARM in different ways. When crashes occur, the data supplied by the CARM is used to help diagnose and fix the problem. Statistics about the application are collected, such as how stable it is and which areas are causing problems for users. These statistics provide Corel with a broader view of how an application is behaving and which parts of the application should be changed or improved.

How does the CARM send information to Corel?

The CARM uses standard Internet protocols to send reports. You must be connected to the Internet before clicking Send Report on the Send CARM Report page. Once you click the button, the CARM safely sends the report to Corel's CARM database.

If you are not connected to the Internet, you cannot send a CARM report to Corel. However, the CARM will still perform its primary function by saving any open documents and quitting the application. If a Corel application includes the CARM Organizer, you can store the reports to view and send CARM reports later.


Activating and deactivating the CARM

You can choose to activate or deactivate the CARM. When the CARM is activated, it works for all Corel applications that are integrated with the CARM. The CARM monitors and traps all exception errors that may occur while you are running an application. If an error occurs, the CARM displays the CARM wizard which guides you through various steps to reduce the impact of the error. For more information about the CARM wizard, see Using the CARM wizard.

 How to


To activate CARM

•	Click Settings [image] Turn CARM on.

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To deactivate CARM

•	Click Settings [image] Turn CARM off.

 Note

•	If you deactivate the CARM, the Corel applications integrated with the CARM may crash if an error occurs and the document you are working on will not be saved.

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Using the CARM wizard

If an error occurs while you are in a Corel application, the CARM wizard displays and guides you through various steps to reduce the impact of the error. You can choose to display or hide the CARM wizard.

When the CARM wizard is activated, you have three choices of action: you can continue working, backup files, and send a report to Corel.

Continue working

This forces the application to continue working after the CARM wizard is closed. Most often, you can continue working. However, if you try to perform the same action that caused the CARM to display in the first place, it will most likely cause the CARM to display again. It is important to note that the CARM doesn't fix the problem; it prevents the application or computer from crashing if a problem occurs.

Backup

This forces the application to back-up any open documents. The CARM saves the documents to the folder you specify in the CARM Organizer. Files stored in this backup folder may not be stable and should only be used to retrieve information.

Report

This generates a detailed report regarding the error that occurred in the application. This information is extremely important and can help developers find and fix errors. While in the CARM wizard, you have the opportunity to enter information relating to the error that just occurred.

If you are connected to the Internet, you can send a report directly to Corel at the time the error occurs. If you are not connected, you can connect manually from the wizard. If you choose not to send the report at the time the error occurs, the CARM automatically stores the report and, using the CARM Organizer, you can send the report later. For more information about reports, see "Working with reports."

 How to


To display the CARM wizard

1	Click Settings [image] Set CARM options.

2	Click the Advanced tab.

3	Enable the Show CARM Wizard checkbox.

If any of the CARM actions are set to "Ask at time of problem," the CARM wizard is displayed by default and you cannot disable it. You have the option of displaying or hiding the CARM wizard only when all the CARM actions are set to automatic (either, always or never). For more information about changing the CARM options, see "Specifying the CARM options."

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To hide the CARM wizard

1	Click Settings [image] Set CARM options.

2	Click the Advanced tab.

3	Disable the Show CARM Wizard checkbox.

If any of the CARM actions are set to "Ask at time of problem," the CARM wizard is displayed by default and you cannot disable it. You have the option of displaying or hiding the CARM wizard only when all the CARM actions are set to automatic (either, always or never). For more information about changing the CARM options, see "Specifying the CARM options."

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To force an application to continue working

1	In the CARM Wizard, click Next.

2	Enable the Continue working in application check box.

3	Click Next.

 Notes

•	You can permanently enable this option by setting the CARM actions available in the CARM Organizer. For more information about changing the CARM options, see "Specifying the CARM options."

•	We recommended that you don't continue working in an application after a crash because the application may remain unstable and the document may become corrupt.

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To back-up files

1	In the CARM Wizard, click Next.

2	Enable the Backup my Documents check box.

3	Click Next.

 Notes

•	You can permanently enable this option by setting the CARM actions available in the CARM Organizer. For more information about changing the CARM options, see "Specifying the CARM options."

•	The CARM wizard's confirmation page indicates if the documents were successfully backed up. Documents are backed up to the backup folder that you specify in the CARM Organizer. For information about setting a backup folder, see "To specify folder locations."

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To send a CARM report using the CARM Wizard

1	In the CARM wizard, click Next until the Send CARM Report page displays.

2	Type your name in the Name box.

If you prefer not to send your name, leave the Name box blank.

3	Type your e-mail address in the E-mail address box.

If you prefer not to send your e-mail address, leave the E-mail address box blank.

4	Type a title in the Title of problem box.

5	Type how the crash occurred in the Method to reproduce box. Please be as detailed as possible, for example, include the steps that you performed before the crash occurred.

6	Click Send report.

If you want to review the technical data regarding the crash, click View report.

 Notes

•	You can permanently enable this option by setting the CARM actions available in the CARM Organizer. For more information about changing the CARM options, see "Specifying the CARM options."

•	If you decide not to send a report when the error occurs, the CARM automatically stores the report so you can send it later.

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Working with reports

If you don't send a report at the time the error occurs using the CARM wizard, the CARM stores the report. You can view the stored reports in the CARM Organizer. You can send, sort, and delete stored reports. In addition, you can specify options for storing stored reports.

 How to


To view a report

1	In the CARM Organizer, click View [image] Show CARM report.

A check mark displays next to the command name if the command is enabled.

2	Choose a CARM report from the CARM report list box.

The report displays in the CARM report window.

 Note

•	If you select more than one CARM report from the CARM report list box, only the last selected report displays in the report window.

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To sort reports

1	In the CARM Organizer, click View [image] Sort.

2	Choose one of the following options:

•	By application

•	By module

•	By title

•	By date logged

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To send a report

1	In the CARM Organizer, choose a CARM report from the CARM report list box.

2	Click File [image] Send report.

 Note

•	After sending a report, you are given the choice of deleting it.

 Tips

•	You can send multiple contiguous reports by holding down Shift and pressing Up Arrow or Down Arrow to select the reports.

•	You can send multiple, noncontiguous reports by holding down CTRL and choosing reports from the list box. Holding down CTRL and choosing a selected report deselects the report.

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To delete a report

1	In the CARM Organizer, choose a CARM report from the CARM report list box.

2	Click File [image] Delete report.

 Note

•	The reports you delete are removed from the CARM report folder.

 Tips

•	You can delete multiple contiguous reports by holding down SHIFT and pressing UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW to select the reports.

•	You can delete multiple, noncontiguous reports by holding down CTRL and choosing reports from the list box. Holding down CTRL and choosing a selected report deselects it.

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To specify stored report options

1	Click Settings [image] Set CARM options.

2	Click the General tab.

3	In the Unsent reports area, enable the Keep the newest [ ] reports option.

4	Type a value in the Reports box.

 Note

•	If the number of CARM reports stored surpasses the number of new reports that you specified in the Unsent reports area, all CARM reports are deleted. The next CARM report is labeled CARM1.LOG.

 Tip

•	You can keep all CARM report files saved in the report folder by enabling the Keep all reports option.

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Specifying the CARM options

The CARM Organizer allows you to specify many options that change the CARM wizard interface. You can specify the user identity which is sent to Corel when you send a report or set folder locations for backup documents. In addition, you can specify continue, backup, and reporting actions. For example, you can choose to always perform an action, never perform an action, or decide at the time of the problem. You can also specify the CARM sensitivity. This allows you to control the number of reports the CARM generates when a crash occurs. Lastly, you can disable Dr. Watson, or other system-wide application debuggers.

 How to


To specify user identity in the CARM Organizer

1	Click Settings [image] Set CARM options.

2	Click the General tab.

3	Type your name in the Your name box.

4	Type your email address in the Email address box.

 Note

•	The user identity information you enter in the CARM registry is automatically entered in the appropriate boxes on the CARM wizard's Send CARM Report page. For more information about sending a CARM report using the CARM wizard, see "To send a CARM report".

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To specify folder locations

1	Click Settings [image] Set CARM options.

2	Click the General tab.

3	Type the location of the folder where you want to store backed up documents in the Backup folder box.

If you need to search for the folder location, click the Browse button.

4	Type the location of the folder where you want to store CARM reports in the CARM report folder box.

If you need to search for the folder location, click the Browse button.

 Notes

•	If you are currently storing CARM reports in a folder, changing the folder location will not move the existing reports to the new location.

•	The files stored in the backup folder may not be stable and you should only use them to retrieve information. Do not continue working in the backup document. Instead, copy any information from the backup version to a new document.

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To specify a continue action

1	Click Settings [image] Set CARM options.

2	Click the Advanced tab.

3	In the CARM actions area, choose one of the following actions from the Continue list box:

•	Ask at time of problem

•	Always continue

•	Never continue (Exit)

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To specify a backup action

1	Click Settings [image] Set CARM options.

2	Click the Advanced tab.

3	In the CARM actions area, choose one of the following actions from the Backup list box:

•	Ask at time of problem

•	Always backup open files

•	Never backup open files

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To specify a reporting action

1	Click Settings [image] Set CARM options.

2	Click the Advanced tab.

3	In the CARM actions area, choose one of the following actions from the Reporting list box:

•	Ask at time of problem

•	Always send report

•	Never send report

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To set CARM sensitivity

1	Click Settings [image] Set CARM options.

2	Click the Advanced tab.

3	Move the Sensitivity slider.

 Notes

•	Changing the CARM sensitivity value does not prevent crashes from occurring, however, it does control the number of reports that are generated when a crash occurs.

•	Setting the Sensitivity slider to High is ideal, however, if the CARM wizard displays too often, try lowering the sensitivity.

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To disable Dr. Watson

1	Click Settings [image] Set CARM options.

2	Click the Advanced tab.

3	Enable Disable Dr. Watson or similar product option.

 Notes

•	You may be using any number of products for application debugging, such as Microsoft Visual Studio or Norton CrashGuard. When you disable Dr. Watson, this disables all application debuggers for all products, not just Corel applications. Since the CARM works only with certain Corel applications, you should be aware that you are also turning off all crash protection for the non-CARM applications.

•	Because Dr. Watson, or other application debugging products, are system wide, they interfere with the proper operation of the CARM. If you want the CARM available, you must disable Dr. Watson.

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