FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

On this page we answer questions about how to operate Jack and the possibilities of the user interface. Questions may lead to changes in newer versions, that is why some questions have multiple answers.
[1.x] refers to version 1.00/1.01/1.03,
[2.x] refers to version 2.0/2.01/2.02/2.03/2.04 en
[3.x] refers to version 3.0/3.01.
[4.x] refers to version 4.0

If your question is not listed, please don't hesitate to contact us, see bottom of this page.


The user interface

u.1. Is it possible to create your own bidding system from scratch?
u.4. How can I compose (and save) my own convention card?
u.5. I want to remove certain users. Is this possible?
u.6. Is it possible to replay a deal?
u.7. When replaying a deal in a tournament the results are not kept. Bug?
u.8. Can a random deal be played again in another session?
u.9. How can I remove convention cards I created?
u.10. How do I print the complete internal manual?
u.11. Does Jack play in a network?
u.12. Where can I find the vulnerability?
u.13. Is it possible for me to obtain the Dutch playing cards on the screen?
u.14. Network play over the internet does not work. Why not?
u.15. During tournament play I cannot find the contracts played by the other pairs. Where are they?
u.16. Why is there no tooltip help when I position the mouse over the large buttons?

Installation problems

i.1. After installation the program asks for a code. Where can I find it?
i.2. Does Jack run on Windows 2000, 2003, XP and Vista?
i.3. Will Jack run on a Mac?
i.4. Will Jack run on a Mac using a Windows emulator?
i.5. After uninstalling Jack on Vista some files remain. How to reinstall Jack?

Error messages

e.1.   <kept empty to synchronise with dutch FAQ>
e.2. I'm getting a "Not a valid Win32 application" message when running the demo, bonus or update. How to proceed?
e.3. I'm getting a "Outdated Systemcard" message. How to proceed?
e.4. I'm getting a "Jack has a serious problem, please contact your supplier" message. As requested.
e.5. My windows system informs me the cd is either damaged or incompatible. How is this possible?
e.6. Jack asks for the cd but then doesn't regocnise it. How is this possible?


The user interface

u.1. Is it possible to create your own bidding system from scratch?
No. You can compose your own convention card. Jack has over 75 conventions, offering you a wide range of possibilities. Creating your own rules from scratch or defining new conventions is not possible.

u.4. How can I compose (and save) my own convention card?
[1.x], [2.x], [3.x] Start by selecting the convention card environment. Now select a predefined convention card that best matches your requirements to be the base convention card for NS. Choose 'Create' and enter a new name for your convention card. You will subsequently walk through all the convention card screens, where you can change anything you like. In the final step the new convention card will be saved. You can now select the new convention card for both NS and EW.


TIP: With Jack it is possible to experiment with small deviations on existing convention cards within one session. Instead of 'Create' select 'Adjust'. Now when you exit Jack the default values for the existing convention card will be restored.

[4.x] Start by selecting the convention card environment. Now select a predefined convention card that best matches your requirements to be the base convention card for NS. Choose 'Edit'. Now select 'Create a new convention card' and enter a new name for your convention card. You will subsequently walk through all the convention card screens, where you can change anything you like. In the final step the new convention card will be saved. You can now select the new convention card for both NS and EW.

TIP: With Jack 4 it is no longer possible to experiment with small deviations on existing convention cards within one session (see above). To achieve this you could create a new convention card and add something like 'temp' to its name.

u.5. I want to remove certain users. Is this possible?
[1.x], [2.x], [3.x] No, this is not possible.
[4.x] Yes, go to Settings->Username.

u.6. Is it possible to replay a deal?
Select Actions->Replay deal.

u.7. When replaying a deal in a tournament the results are not kept. Bug?
No, when playing in the tournament environment only the very first results will be saved. To be able to also store new results you should remove the existing results first; in the tournament environment: File->Tournaments select File->Delete results.

u.8. Can a random deal be played again in another session?
Every deal has a unique number. You can replay a range of random deals, for example using different thinking time settings for Jack or using different convention cards. Another method for replaying deals is to store them separately, to be played again later on.

u.9. How can I remove convention cards I created?
[1.x], [2.x], [3.x] Use your systems explorer to navigate to the C:\Program Files\Jack\System folder. Here you can delete the file that has the name of your convention card.
[4.x] Enter the convention card environment and select the convention card. Now use the 'Delete' button.

u.10. How do I print the complete internal manual?
As far as we know there is now utility available to print the used HTMHELP files in its entirety.

u.11. Does Jack play in a network?
Yes, Jack can play both on a LAN or on the internet.

u.12. Where can I find the vulnerability?
Vulnerability is indicated by the highlighted direction indicators (i.e. colored red) both in the auction and on the table. Red means vulnerable. You can also change the settings to have vulnerability stand out even more.

u.13. Is it possible for me to obtain the Dutch playing cards on the screen?
Standard Dutch playing cards are on the CD and, with the aces featuring some historical Dutch buildings, it might be fun to have a look at them.
First you will need to install the Dutch version. Put the Jack CD in the CD-rom drive and, manually, start the installation program. One way of doing this is by using the explorer to view the contents of the CD and double-clicking install.exe. Now only install the 'Dutch language files'. When finished you can use Settings->Table to select the Dutch playing cards.

u.14. Network play over the internet does not work. Why not?
Possible causes are:
1. The Server computer has a firewall. The Server computer must allow the Client computer access for Jack to be able to establish the connection. How to do this depends on the firewall software.
2. Jack says that he cannot establish a connection. Normally this indicates that the Client computer can not find the Server computer because the internet connection is not there. To check whether this is the case you can use the PING command. On the Client computer, open a DOS window and enter:

PING <ip-address>

(substituting <ip-address> with the ip-address of the server) if the number of packages received is 0 than you have a network problem which is unrelated to Jack.

u.15. During tournament play I cannot find the contracts played by the other pairs. Where are they?
In many Jack tournaments only a frequency chart is available and not the contracts played by the other pairs. The reason is simple: the organisation of those tournaments does not enter the contracts played and we do not get that data.

u.16. Why is there no tooltip help when I position the mouse over the large buttons?
[1.x], [2.x], [3.x] The explanation for the buttons is described in the online help and the user manual.
The default toolbar buttons, the programmers have at their disposal, have the tooltip feature but unfortunately they don't offer all the functionality we require for our buttons. That is why another technical solution was chosen for the buttons, one that for now doesn't offer tooltips.
[4.x] Starting with version 4 tooltip help is added to the buttons.

Installation problems

i.1. After installation the program asks for a code. Where can I find it?
The registration code is on the back of the manual. The code exists of three combinations of four letters each. Keep this code. You will need it again when you need to re-install the program.
We allways recommend to register, if you loose track of your registration code we will be able to sent it again.

i.2. Does Jack run on Windows 2000, 2003, XP and Vista?
Yes.

i.3. Will Jack run on a Mac?
No.

i.4. Will Jack run on a Mac using a Windows emulator?
We do not recommend this. Allthough Jack itself runs fine on a Mac, it might be possible that the Mac has difficulties with the protection of the CD-rom when installing Jack. You should first try the demo.

i.5. After uninstalling Jack on Vista some files remain. How to reinstall Jack?
Jack runs fine on Windows Vista. However the changed filemanagement system in Vista causes the Uninstall program to partly fail. The uninstall Jack page outlines how to proceed.

Error messages

e.1. <kept empty to synchronise with dutch FAQ>

e.2. I'm getting a "Not a valid Win32 application" message when running the demo, bonus or update. How to proceed?
The demo, bonus and update itself are valid Win32 applications. The message indicates something went wrong while downloading, causing the file to be downloaded incomplete or damaged (this often shows in the filesize of the file).
You can re-download the file and try again. The best chance for success is when you remove the temporary internet files from your computer first (in Internet Explorer, select Tools than go to Internet Options).
If you don't succeed in downloading the complete file, please contact us. See bottom of this page for our e-mail link.

e.3. I'm getting a "Outdated Systemcard" message. How to proceed?
This message is described on the Jack 3 Service Page.

e.4. I'm getting a "Jack has a serious problem, please contact your supplier" message. As requested.
There can be a lot of different causes.
For example: if Jack or parts of Jack are moved, removed or renamed Jack will encounter problems. In those cases removing and re-installing Jack will suffice.
It is also possible you ran into a bug, we will be happy to fix it. Please contact us reporting the full text of the message and a short description of what you were doing. See bottom of this page for our e-mail link.

e.5. My windows system informs me the cd is either damaged or incompatible. How is this possible?
This message can have any of the following causes:

1. dirty cd: usually this error message is caused by a dirty cd with fingerprints or dust on the information surface. You can clean the cd by very lightly wiping the information side with a dry, soft cloth (such as a t-shirt, tea-towel or reading glasses cleaning cloth).
Always take good care of the cd and try to avoid touching the silvery shiny information surface.
2. defective cd-rom player: you can verify this by running another cd
3. not compatible: there are no known compatibility problems, but new configurations may create new problems. You can verify this by running the cd on another computer.
4. damaged: if your cd is really damaged please contact your vendor for a replacement.

3.6. Jack asks for the cd but then doesn't regocnise it. How is this possible?
See the explanation for point e.5. above.


Helpdesk

Do you have a question, not listed in our FAQ? Do not hesitate to ask us directly. Send your question to: support@jackbridge.com
Please also state your Jack registration code and, for problems, the version- and buildnumber for your Windows system (you can retrieve this by selecting Start|Run..., and typing winver).