Troubleshooting the Spektrix Box Office App

This article will help you troubleshoot problems installing, registering or logging in to the Spektrix Box Office App.

We’ll also explain what to do if the Box Office App stops working, crashes or doesn’t show up in your system tray.

Before continuing, make sure you are familiar with these Support Centre articles:

• Introduction to the Spektrix Box Office App
• Installing the Spektrix Box Office App
• Introduction to Hardware and Spektrix

You can work through each section in order, or jump to the most common issues Spektrix users may encounter while using the Box Office App:

• I can't install the Box Office App
• I see an error when I try to log in to the App
• My login details are correct but I still can't log in / Firewalls
• My App won't turn green
• My App is slow to start or crashes when I turn on my PC
• My App has missing buttons/I cannot click OK
• My App keeps disconnecting
• My App has crashed or isn't showing on the screen
• I need to restart the Box Office App
• I need to uninstall the Box Office App

Pre-Troubleshooting Checks

Before troubleshooting, check that your version of the Box Office App matches the version in the Software Downloads article.

You can check which version of the App you have by right-clicking on the App in your system tray:

In the image above, you can see Box Office App v2.4.51566.0. You should always check the Software Downloads article for the most up-to-date version number. 

If you cannot see the App, read My Box Office App has crashed or isn’t showing on the screen for help.

If your PC is running an older version of the App than the Software Downloads article, follow these steps before proceeding:

1. Uninstall the Box Office App
2. Make sure you complete all steps in the uninstall process, including deleting the Spektrix Ltd folder from within C:\Program Files (x 86)
3. Install the most recent version of the App from Software Downloads

Complete the installation before moving on to the next section of this troubleshooting article.

Issues installing the App

If you encounter problems installing the Box Office App, check the following with your IT team:

• Do you have Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.7.1 or higher installed on your PC?
• Do you have Administrator permissions on the PC?
• Is a firewall or antivirus software blocking the download of the Box Office App?

Speak to your IT team to resolve these issues before proceeding with the installation.

Checking the Microsoft .NET Framework

You need Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.7.1 or later installed on your computer for the Box Office App to work correctly. Most PCs will already have this.

• You can check which version of Microsoft .NET Framework you have installed by following these steps:

  1. Open the Windows search tool (in the bottom left of your screen)
  2. Search for Command Prompt
  3. Right-click the Command Prompt App, and select Run as administrator
  4. If you see a message asking ‘Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device’, click Yes
  5. Type the following command: reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Net Framework Setup\NDP" /s
  6. Press Enter

  The information returned will contain the version of .NET Framework installed on your computer.

If Microsoft .NET Framework isn't already installed or has a version older than 4.7.1, please ask your IT team to install or update the .NET Framework.

You can keep this software up to date by checking for updates to the Microsoft .NET Framework.

Errors logging in to the App

Occasionally, you may see one of the following error messages when you try to log into the Box Office App:

Username and Password not recognised / user not authorised to register the Box Office App

If you try to register the Box Office App with an incorrect username or password, or with an account that doesn't have the General Administrator User role, you'll see this error:

Follow these steps to resolve the issue:

1. View the How to Register the Box Office App section of Installing the Spektrix Box Office App
2. Check that you have entered the correct User Name and Password
3. Check that the User has the General Administrator role

You should now be able to log into the App. If you still encounter problems, proceed to I can’t register the Box Office App even with the right credentials.

Client name not recognised

If you try to register the Box Office App with an incorrect/unrecognised Clientname, you'll see this error:

Check that you have entered your organisation’s Clientname correctly.

Entering the correct Clientname should resolve this issue. However, if the issue persists, proceed to My Box Office App won’t register even with the right credentials.

Firewalls blocking the App

If you have checked your login details but still can’t register the Box Office App, then your local firewall settings may be preventing it from communicating with Spektrix.

Ask your IT department to check the correct firewall exceptions are in place. They should set an exception for:

• *.service.signalr.net

They should also add boxoffice.spektrix.com to their trusted devices list.

You can find more information on how to authorise Spektrix on your network in our article How to Access Spektrix.

The App doesn't connect

The Box Office App should start automatically when you turn on your PC. The App icon remains orange until you have registered the Box Office App and it is connected to the internet.

REMINDER: Once you’ve registered the Box Office App, if you still see the exclamation mark (shown below), it means the App is not connected

You can see how the App looks when it connects in the following video:

Note: this video uses Windows 10 Pro. Your screen layout may vary depending on which version of Windows you use.

When you turn on your PC, the Box Office App icon may take a few minutes to turn green. This depends on the speed of your PC and which other programs load at startup. You will see a pop-up in the system tray when the App connects.

If the Box Office App icon won't turn green, changes from green to orange, or you see a message in the toolbar saying the App has disconnected, follow these steps:

• Check that your PC is connected to the internet
• Restart the App in Local Services (see below)
• If you cannot restart the App in Local Services, restart your PC

If you have Administrator permissions, you can restart the Box Office App in Local Services as follows:

1. Open the Windows search tool (in the bottom left of your screen)
2. Type View local services (or just Services if you're using Windows 10)
3. You'll see a new window with a list of what's running on your computer:
4. Look for the Spektrix App Service
5. Right-click on Spektrix App Service and choose Restart

TIP: If Spektrix App Service isn't listed in Local services or you don't have Administrator permissions on your computer to access Local services, you will need to restart your PC

If you’re still having trouble connecting the App, end the Box Office App in task manager as follows:

1. Open the Windows search tool (in the bottom left of your screen)
2. Type Task Manager
3. Click on the Task Manager App
4. If you see a message asking Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device? click Yes to proceed.
5. Scroll down to find BoxOfficeAppGui (32 bit). You may need to click ‘More details’ to see this under Background processes
6. Highlight BoxOfficeAppGui (32 bit) and click End Task

Once you have ended the Box Office App in Task Manager, restart the App by following these steps:

1. Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Spektrix Ltd\LocalApp\Gui
2. Double click the file BoxOfficeAppGui.exe

The App will appear Green if it has been correctly registered. If you are connected to the internet but the App is still orange, return to How to register the Box Office App.

App is slow/crashes on startup

When you turn on your computer, the Box Office App waits until most other applications have run before it starts up. To allow the App to start more quickly, you can change the order in which applications open:

1. Click the Windows icon and type View local services (or just Services if you're using Windows 10)
2. Click on the Services App
3. If you see a message asking Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device? click Yes to proceed
4. Find and select Spektrix App Service within the Services window
5. Right-click and choose Properties. You'll see this pop-up:
6. In the General tab, click on the dropdown options for Startup type. Change this from Automatic (Delayed Start) to Automatic. Click OK.

Following these steps will allow the Box Office App to connect more quickly when you start up your PC.

You can watch the steps above in the following video:

Note: this video uses Windows 10 Pro. Your screen layout may vary depending on which version of Windows you use.

My App has missing buttons

When adding Hardware to the App, you may need to click a button such as OK, Cancel or Test Printer. If you cannot see these buttons in the App, you may need to change your screen settings temporarily.

•  Follow these steps to change your screen settings:

  1. In the bottom left of your screen, click the Windows button and choose Settings
     
     
     
     
  2. Next, click System
     
     
     
     
  3. Under Display, scroll down until you see  "Scale & Layout"
     
     
     
     
  4. In Scale and layout, change the size to 100%
     
     
     
     
  5. You should now right click on the Box Office App in your system tray and select Exit to close the App
  6. Restart the Box Office App for the new settings to take effect

After restarting the App, you will see OK, Cancel and Test Printer buttons at the bottom of the App screen.

Once you have made the changes you need, use the instructions above to return your screen to your previous display settings.

The App keeps disconnecting

You can change how the App responds to a lost connection by viewing Local Services on your computer. To change these settings, follow these steps:

1. Click the Windows icon and type View local services (or just Services if you're using Windows 10)
2. Click on the Services App.
3. If you see a message asking Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device? click Yes to proceed.
4. Find and select Spektrix App Service within the Services window.
5. Right-click on Spektrix App Service and choose Properties. From the pop-up window, select the Recovery tab:
   
   
6. Look at the options First failure, Second failure and Subsequent failures; these tell the Box Office App what to do depending on how many times connection is lost.
7. In each dropdown menu, you will see four options: choose Restart the Service for all three menus (First failure, Second failure and Subsequent failures).
8. Finally, click OK.

Now, any time the App loses connection, it will attempt to restart.

You can watch the steps above in the following video:

Note: this video uses Windows 10 Pro. Your screen layout may vary depending on which version of Windows you use.

The App crashes or isn’t showing

You can usually see The Box Office App in the system tray (the icons in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen). You may need to click the ‘up arrow’ symbol to show hidden icons.

This video demonstrates what to look for:

Note: this video uses Windows 10 Pro. Your screen layout may vary depending on which version of Windows you use.

If the App still isn't visible, proceed with these steps:

1. Click the Windows icon and type View local services (or just Services if you're using Windows 10)
2. Search for and select Spektrix App Service within the Services window

If Spektrix App Service is running in Local services but isn't present in the system tray, then it's possible the application has closed. Proceed to the next section, How to restart the Box Office App.

Restarting the Box Office App

To restart the App, first locate it in the C: Drive. You will usually find the App here:

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Spektrix Ltd\LocalApp\Gui\BoxOfficeAppGui.exe

Double-click the file to re-open the App.

To find this file easily in the future, you can create a desktop shortcut. Watch this video to see how to create the shortcut:

Note: this video uses Windows 10 Pro. Your screen layout may vary depending on which version of Windows you use.

Uninstalling the Box Office App

If you still encounter problems with the App after following all troubleshooting steps, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the App.

You can see how to uninstall the Box Office App here.

Make sure you complete all steps in the uninstall process, including deleting the Spektrix Ltd folder from within C:\Program Files (x 86).

After uninstalling the App, return to the top of the article Installing the Spektrix Box Office App. Follow the instructions closely, including any pre-install checks. You can then install the App again.