If you are experiencing consistent crashes on your APM or Lab 50 machine, you will want to begin troubleshooting by doing standard maintenance on the machine.

Regular computer maintenance on your kiosk/lab machine can do a lot for the stability of the operating system. Here are some things you can do to help your machine run smoother:

  1. Run Windows Updates - These updates include operating system (Windows XP) patches, Internet Explorer patches, and updated drivers from the manufacturers. These updates will keep your system running smoothly.
  2. Run disk defragmenter - To fix Disk Fragmentation, you need to run a Disk defrag tool. To run it, please reference this link - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848This is how disk fragmentation occurs: When you add a file or a new program to a new computer, the hard disk is relatively empty so new data is written to the hard disk in one continuous block. When you need to use that information, the computer can quickly access it because it is all in one place. As you use your computer adding files and programs, the hard disk begins to fill up. Deleting files or removing programs creates small empty areas among the other data that the computer will reuse. After awhile, the computer is no longer saving information in large blocks. The result is that one program or file is broken up, or fragmented, into little pieces and stored in many different areas of the hard disk. The computer ingeniously keeps track of the addresses of each piece of data and puts it all together when it is needed. However, the more broken up the information is, the longer it takes to access the data and the slower the computer responds.
  3. Antivirus - It is a good idea to run Antivirus scans on your computers at least once a day. This will prevent a customer from bringing in infected media and spreading it across your network.

Once you have followed these steps, you'll also want to look at what version of the APM kiosk or Lab 50 software you are currently using on the machine and compare it to the latest version available for download on the Lucidiom website. You can check the kiosk software version and build number by accessing the Setup Wizard. The information will be displayed on the first screen of the Setup Wizard. To check your current Lab 50 version, click on the Home tab. If you are not running the latest version of the software, you will need to update following the instructions on the Lucidiom support site.

If you are still experiencing problems after checking all of these items, you may need to reinstall the software. Please contact support at 1-703-564-3400, Option 5 or email support@lucidiom.com for further assistance if these steps have not resolved the problem.