PowerKey® 3.3.3 is the current version of english language software for PowerKey and PowerKey Pro. This document describes how to install the updater. It also lists the changes made in each version of the software, and detailed information on some new features.
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How to Install
Installing the Software
If you’re only installing the PowerKey software, you can use the Easy Install process.
1. Double-click on the “Installer” icon on the PowerKey disk (or the PowerKey Update folder if you downloaded an updater).
2. Make sure “Easy Install” is selected from the pop-up menu at the top left of the installer window.
3. Select your startup disk, and click the “Install” button.
Installing the Server Restart Option
If you are installing the Server Restart Option™ (“SRO”), you must do a Custom Install. Follow the instructions found in the “READ ME — Server Restart Option” document found in this updater package.
Note: If you have already installed the SRO in your PowerKey, you do not need to reinstall it. You can use the Easy Install process described above.
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What’s New in Version 3.3.3
Bug Fixes
• You could add a How Started qualifier to events for hardware that did not support that qualifier type (the classic PowerKey) — fixed.
• The Restart action was availalbe in Shutdown triggered events even though they make no sense (and don't work) there — fixed.
• The Telephone Line activity type was visible in the Wait action editor even for events in units that cannot detect that type of activity (Classic PowerKey and PowerKey Pro 200) — fixed.
• When quitting the PowerKey Editor a "Do you wish to save..." dialog would sometimes be displayed even though there was nothing to save — fixed.
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What’s New in Version 3.3.2
Bug Fixes
• The PowerKey Editor would not open on Power Macs if Apple Guide was not installed — fixed.
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What’s New in Version 3.3.1
Miscellaneous Changes
• The value of the Crash Detection Timer (in the Preferences dialog box of SRO-upgraded units) can now be set up to 65535 seconds. This change only affects PowerKey Pro Model 600; on Model 200, higher values will be saved as 1020 seconds.
Bug Fixes
• The PowerKey Extension would very occasionally crash on Quadra 700’s when polling the unit — fixed.
• Scheduled Shut Down Computer, Restart and Sleep Actions would sometimes fail to execute on some systems running Mac OS 8 — fixed.
• PowerKey Pro Model 600 would stop running events for 18 hours after executing a Start Up Computer Action, if the computer failed to start up, or the PowerKey Extension did not run — fixed; now the unit will only wait for 5 minutes, after which it will continue to run events normally.
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What’s New in Version 3.3
New Features
• Added support for PowerKey Pro Model 600. Model 600-specific features are described in the Model 600 user manual.
Miscellaneous Changes
• Deleting Events and Actions is now undoable.
Bug Fixes
• The Outlet Delay field in the Switch Outlets Action Editor was editable for outlets set to “Always On”, even though it did nothing — fixed; now this field doesn’t appear in these cases.
• The PowerKey Editor would crash when run on a Mac with a 68000 processor — fixed.
• Macs with 68000 processors would crash when a phone line connected to PowerKey Pro would ring — fixed. (Guess there aren't too many of you folks left!)
• Computer crashed if you scrolled to the end of a very long schedule window and option-clicked on a spin triangle — fixed.
• The “Print...” command would only print part of some very long schedules — fixed.
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What’s New in Version 3.2
New Features
• There is now an “Execute Event” command in the Schedule menu. Choosing this menu item will immediately execute a selected Event, regardless of its Trigger or Qualifiers.
• Added support for the Server Restart Option. If the PowerKey Pro connected to the computer has the Server Restart Option installed, the PowerKey Editor shows several additional features. See the “READ ME — Server Restart Option” document in this package for more information.
• Added the ability to use default Schedule files. See “Default Schedule Creation” in the “Detailed Information” section below for more information.
Miscellaneous Changes
• Improved AppleScript support. You can now use AppleScript to execute, suspend and resume events. See the “READ ME — Using AppleScript” document in the “Extras:Scripting PowerKey” folder in this package for more information.
• There are now less restrictions on Shut Down, Start Up and Restart Actions. For example, you can now switch outlets before and after these Actions. You can also perform multiple Switch Outlets and Wait Actions when the computer isn’t running.
• If an Open File or Script Action loses track of its target file (e.g. if you move or rename the file), it replaces its name in the description with “Unknown”.
• Removed the “When System Is Running” Qualifier. Since this feature is primarily useful when restarting crashed servers, it has been moved into the Server Restart Option.
Bug Fixes
• Sometimes an At Shut Down triggered Event would be run when another Event’s Action initiated a shut down — fixed.
• Occasionally crashed after deleting an Event which was partially or fully scrolled off the top of the Schedule window, or when importing a Schedule which replaced existing Schedule — fixed.
• Could create Wait for User Activity Actions that had no activity types checked — fixed; now a warning message appears.
• Sometimes the PowerKey Extension would quit if it got an Apple Event error — fixed.
• If the computer crashed after making changes to the preferences, but before the system was properly shut down, the preference changes weren’t saved — fixed; now the preferences are saved when you close the Schedule window in the PowerKey Editor.
• On Power Macs, the PowerKey Extension would not load properly if AppleScriptLib was not in the Extensions folder (whether or not AppleScript was installed) — fixed.
• The PowerKey Extension would stop talking to the unit, and System Idle events would stop executing if the Mac’s system clock was set back — fixed.
• If At Ease was running when the PowerKey software attempted to restart or shut down, it would not take place — fixed.
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What’s New in Version 3.1
New Features
• The PowerKey software is now PowerPC-native.
• Added a System Is Running Qualifier, which restricts a Trigger to activate only if the computer is (or is not) running normally. This Qualifier is now part of the Server Restart Option; see the “READ ME — Server Restart Option” document in this package for more information.
• Added a Sleep System Action, which puts your computer to sleep. This Action operates exactly like the Finder’s “Sleep” item in the Special menu.
Bug Fixes
• The PowerKey Editor would crash if you attempted to export a Schedule overwriting an existing file name — fixed.
• Sometimes the activity type check boxes in the Wait Action editor would be enabled when they should be dimmed — fixed.
• Display was sometimes updated incorrectly on some PowerBooks using Video Mirroring — fixed.
• Time Range Qualifiers sometimes had their values reversed (i.e. they were true when they should have been false, and vice versa) — fixed.
• Sometimes Hot Key Triggered Events would not be run immediately if a dialog box was being displayed — fixed.
• On some systems, the mouse would sometimes “jerk” slightly every few seconds — fixed.
• Could enter non-numeric characters into some number fields (though these values would not be accepted) — fixed; now only numeric keystrokes are accepted.
• Editor would crash if you entered too long a name into the “Event Name” field of the Event Editor — fixed.
Known Incompatibilities
The Energy Saver control panel in System 7.5.2 or newer will not operate normally when PowerKey Pro is installed. When PowerKey Pro is installed, this control panel will not automatically put your computer to sleep. No other adverse effects will occur.
There are two workarounds to this problem. First, you can create a PowerKey Event with a When System Is Idle Trigger and a Sleep System Action. Second, there is a shareware program called Sleeper by St. Clair software. This control panel offers many more features than Energy Saver, and works well with PowerKey Pro. You can reach St. Clair Software on the Internet at <http://www.stclairsw.com/stclairsw/>.
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Detailed Information
Version 3.2: Default Schedule Creation
You can now place a pre-built Schedule file in your PowerKey Folder. This feature makes make it easier to include a “canned” Schedule of Events when installing the PowerKey software on a number of computers.
Normally, a Schedule file is created for each PowerKey connected to your computer. When the PowerKey software first runs after installation, these files are created with minimal default Schedules. With this new feature, you can install a default Schedule file containing hardware setup information as well as an Event list. When the PowerKey software first runs after installation, the hardware setup information and Event list are copied from this file.
To create a default file, first install a PowerKey unit on a computer and set it up normally. Once you’ve set your hardware settings and created your Schedule, quit the PowerKey Editor. Locate the Schedule file (named “Schedule_Classic” if you have a PowerKey Classic, “Schedule_515.<serial#>” if you have a PowerKey Pro Model 200, or “Schedule_516.<serial#>” if you have a PowerKey Pro Model 600) in your PowerKey Folder. Duplicate this file and name it “PowerKey Classic Default,” “PowerKey Pro 200 Default” or “PowerKey Pro 600 Default” depending on your model of PowerKey.
To install the PowerKey software with your chosen defaults on another computer, don’t follow the normal installation procedure. Instead, copy the PowerKey Extension and Editor into the Extensions and Apple Menu Items folders, and create a new PowerKey Folder in your Preferences folder, containing your default Schedule file. When you restart, the PowerKey software will create a new Schedule file containing the contents of your default file.
If you wish to restore your Schedule to the default file at a later date, simply start up with the shift key down (to disable extensions), trash the “Schedule_...” file, and restart. As long as the default file is still in the PowerKey folder, the PowerKey software will again create a new Schedule file containing the contents of your default file.
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How To Reach Us
If you have any questions or comments about this software, please let us know! We can be reached at:
The files in this package may not be redistributed in any way without express permission from Sophisticated Circuits, Inc.
PowerKey is a registered trademark, and Server Restart Option is a trademark of Sophisticated Circuits, Inc. Mac is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. PowerPC is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
