FAQs for BatchLine users

In some instances (usually on client machines) you may find that the shortcut to BatchLine POS has disappeared from your desktop. Don't worry – this doesn't mean you've lost the program. To fix it, go to C:\Bertrams\Bertline 401 where you will find the BertLauncher file. Right clicking on this will give you the option to send the icon back to the desktop.

If you have lost your BatchLine icon, the BSM icon might also have disappeared from your the desktop. It is exactly the same procedure to restore it in both cases: just go to C:\Bertrams\Bertline 401\Tools and 'Send to desktop' as shown. (This also applies to the web exporter icon if you are using that.)

When 'Daily Updates Is Locked' appears, it means that a field on the database has a lock flag on it to stop people using the system while it updates. Daily Update is a critical process during which sales figures are updated to reflect the previous day/week/month and year's sales. This means that at the beginning of a week/month/year, it may take a little longer than normal, but it is essential that the update be allowed to run. If it is interrupted for any reason, it may result in the database being flagged as in 'update' status, and that is one reason why Daily Update locks. The Bertline Support Module will clear the lock:

To use this, open the Bertline Support Module, which is usually on the desktop as BSM Shortcut. Make sure it is on the 'Unlock Module' tab and click on the Daily Update Button. This will unlock Daily Update and restarting will work.

The same process applies for the Returns module if that gets locked: click on the Returns Button and it will unlock Returns.

Need more help?
* Watch a video about the Unlock Module on our BatchLine YouTube channel.

–There are three main reason why BatchLine will not start: two major ones which can stop the entire system from starting and a second one that will stop a client from starting. The errors you may see are:

1. Unavailable server or unavailable database
2. Daily updates are locked
3. Network issue at 96% (Clients Only)

Download the Startup Problems and Solutions PDF to fix the errors.

When a client PC loads, it connects to the main PC (server). At 96% of the load process it attempts to connect to the file structure of the server. After a Windows Update this may fail because the update had set the server ‘Password Protected Sharing’ option to ‘on’. It is for this reason that the connection fails. To fix this problem we need to set Password Protected Sharing to ‘Off’. The typical error message you will see is shown.

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 1. Although the error is on the client, the fix is applied to the Server. In the Search Bar of a Windows 10 PC, type the words ‘Control Panel’ and press Enter. In the next window you should see the following. (If you don’t, make sure the ‘View by’ setting (top right) is set to Category.) Select ‘Network and Internet’ and on the next screen ‘Network and Sharing Center’.

2. On the next screen select ‘Change advanced sharing settings’.
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3. The next screen is entitled ‘Change sharing options for different network profiles’. Scroll down until you can see the entry for ‘All Networks’ and, if necessary, click on the arrow to expand the section.
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4. At the bottom of the section you will see an entry for Password Protected Sharing. Click on ‘Turn off password protected sharing’ and save changes. Exit from all screens and try to start BatchLine on the client PC. If password protected sharing has been successfully turned off it should load.

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Yes, BatchLine can create customer invoices from purchase orders.

1. To do this, go to 'Back Office'.

2. Then go to 'Invoicing' and 'View all invoices'.

 3. Select 'New', then select a customer, enter an invoice reference etc.

4.Once the invoice has been created, click on 'Details'.

5. This brings up the invoice details window. Click 'Select Order', which will allow you to choose a purchase order from which to add items for the invoice.

The way you would sell a book in this situation is:

* In the Books Category on Open Bravo

* Click on the Book product

* Enter a price.  Just key the value no need to click anywhere

* Complete the sale

That process sells ‘a book’ for the price you sell it at on the till; it does not sell ‘the book’.  If you want to record the sale on Batchline follow the steps below:

* Do a title search for the EAN/ISBN/title

* If you cannot find the title on the main search click on the downward arrow between Search and Biblio and select Stock Search

* Once you find the title, click on it so it is the highlighted line

* Click on Cash Sale

* On the Cash Sale Confirmation Screen click on Process Sale

 Go to Back Office then:

• Reports
• Click on Orders Tab
• Cllick on Customer Reports/Slips
• Click on Preview

If the slips are still there, you should see them in Preview. Print from icon top left. If you don’t see any slips try this: 

• Still in Reports click on Custom Reports
• Find Deleted Customer Slips.rtm
• Cliick on Preview
• On the form ignore all fields apart from Goo Received Date and enter the relevant date
• Click on OK

There are two methods, depending on what the status of the order is.

1) If there is an ‘A’ in the ack field:

Right click and select ‘Abandon Acks’, then follow the instructions below for ‘F’.

2)  If there is an ‘F’ in the ack field:

Right click and select ‘Move to on order’. Once you have moved to on order (the ’On Order’ tab) you can either leave it there as ‘on order’ so you can do goods in against it or you can delete if not needed.

If this doesn’t fix the problem, send an email to mail@batch.co.uk.

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Yes - you can use BatchLine to place orders with all your suppliers. To do this, click Edit and fill in your logon name and password (you will need to ask Gardners for those), change the FTP URI to gateway1.gardners.com and make sure the default transmission method is set to Internet (TCP/IP) then click Save.

If you have orders waiting to be sent to Gardners, you will have to edit those and change the transmission method because the default only affects newly created orders. The other settings on this page should be OK. 

The only other thing you might need to check with them is whether they have the correct SAN/GLN for you. This can be found in Back Office > Maintenance > System Config on the address tab (the bottom right). These identify your shop in electronic orders you send, which is why it's important they are correct.

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We would recommend (although Gardners will probably suggest it anyway) sending one order and making sure Gardners receive it okay before sending any more.

If the order doesn't appear with an A in the Ack column, then you should just be able to delete it. If it has got an A, then you will be told that the order is being/has been transmitted if you try to delete it. In this case click the Abandon Ack option.

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Doing this will change the A to an F then enable you to move to the On Order option on your right click menu.

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If you click this, you will be warned that it will move the order to On Order without actually sending it. Click OK to that, then you can go to the On Order tab and delete the order if you're sure you received all of it. If you have only received part of it, then delete just the lines you've received.

OpenBravo comes free of charge as part of your BatchLine subscription. You can read about some of its features – including the ability to sell and redeem National Book Tokens – in the PDF.

Yes. The upgrade to BatchLine POS version 4.30 included the option for booksellers to sell, top up and redeem NBTs through OpenBravo. Follow the instructions in the guide: NBT OpenBravo User Guide. 

Click here for instructions on how to add new payment methods:

Adding New Payment Methods to OpenBravo

You can find information on that topic here:

OpenBravo Categories

The default VAT rate is set to 20%. For example, if you're a bookseller in Ireland and wish to change it to 23%:

• Click 'Back office' on the right hand sidebar.
• Click the 'Maintenance' button.
• Click 'System Config' (buttons at the top of the window).
• Click 'Reports' tab.
• Click 'Edit'.
• Change the VAT rate and hit save (highlighted below).
• Restart Bertline.

If your scanner is beeping but not sending out any information, give it a quick tap on the counter. There is a spinning mirror inside and sometimes a quick tap will unjam it.

Batch will not be offering a stocktaking service, but these instructions will help. You will need either to have your own scanner or to hire one from us. (Email us for details.) The recommended model is the KDC100 by Koamtac.

Always make a backup before you start and check with your accountant for any new requirements they may have regarding stocktakes.

The software for KDC scanners can be found at https://koamtac.com/wp-content/uploads/KTSync_Driver_Installer_V224.zip. Allow permission for the driver install when you are asked. It should be set up to download data as a Text file, not Excel which is the default. Also untick 'Application data' and tick 'Delete data after download' and 'Burst mode'.

If you do a stocktake with a keyboard scanner you need to scan directly into a Bertline ISBN list (or text file on a laptop) and then do a 'Send To, Stock Take'. Be careful to process each file once and only select 'Clear stock take data' for the 1st category and process 'No' on the last category selecting 'Full Stock Take'. 

Download full instructions here:

Using a KDC scanner v24

Category stocktake

Clickatell had a period of not working because the subscription was with Bertrams; the subscription was not being paid and therefore the system stopped working. The subscription was subsequently taken over by Batch and is back online. The previous setting will still work and does not need to be changed. If there is an issue where you feel Clickatell is no longer working correctly, send an email to mail@batch.co.uk and we will investigate for you.

This error is a result of loyalty card transactions failing to sync with Batch back end systems. To see these transactions go to:

 BackOffice -> Maintenance -> Loyalty Cards -> Outstanding Transaction (highlighted below)

That will take you to this screen. Here you can see the details and the error message the Batch systems returned when BatchLine tried to sync the transaction.

Once you've found the transactions you can try hitting 'retry selected' to see if they work. If this doesn't solve the problem, email us with the error messages so we can investigate further.

If you can log on to BatchOne you should be able to adjust the amo unts on the cards based on the info in the outstanding transaction screen. If so, make sure you delete these transactions as you go so BatchLine doesn't try to sync these.