birdJam Online Help

When I try to run birdJam Maker I get error 32797 'Library not Registered' error

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:00:22 +0000

This error is almost always fixed by reinstalling iTunes.

When you reinstall iTunes, it should recognize that it is already installed and ask if you want to repair iTunes. Select the Repair option.

Please note that you may need to go to the Apple website to re-download iTunes. You cannot, for example, just use iTunes to 'Check for Updates' and, since it says that you have the most current version, do nothing. To download the latest version of iTunes, go to the Apple iTunes download page.

Error Number 429: Cannot create ActiveX component

Fri, 16 May 2008 11:59:59 +0000

The 'Cannot create ActiveX component' error is usually fixed by reinstalling iTunes. The error occurs, we think, because a Registry entry is not correct for iTunes. As a result, birdJam Maker cannot find the iTunes Application.

To reinstall iTunes, you'll need to re-run the iTunes installer which can be downloaded from

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

When doing the install you may be asked if you want to 'Repair' iTunes. Say yes.

I thought I installed the photos but they don't show on my iPod; why not?

Fri, 16 May 2008 02:42:36 +0000

Did you choose "Load Photographs" from the main birdJam Maker screen before you ran Update Track Information? If not, you'll need to select it (just below Option #3 on the main birdJam Maker screen) and then re-run Update Track Information.
If you did select Load Photographs, then can you see the photos in iTunes? Here's how to check: In the lower-left corner of iTunes, there are four icons. The right-most icon (on the left-hand side) is an arrow head. Click it so that the arrow head is pointing down. Then, select any birdJam bird song, and if the photos have been loaded into iTunes, then a photo should appear in the box just above the arrow head.
If the photos do show in iTunes but not on your iPod, then you need to check on the following: With iTunes open, plug your iPod into iTunes. When the Summary Screen opens, click on the Music Tab at the top. Just below the list of playlists is a checkbox for "Show Album Artwork on your iPod." Make sure this box is checked. If it was not, then check it and select "Apply" in the lower right. This will cause the photos to download to your iPod.

My iPod screen keeps gong dark; how do I get it to stay lighted up?

Fri, 16 May 2008 02:36:05 +0000

iPods are set so that the screen goes dark after 10 seconds; this is to conserve the battery. To extend the time your screen stays light, go to the Main Menu on your iPod; scroll down to and select Settings. Now scroll down and select Backlight. If you wish to set the Backlight Setting to 30 seconds, for example, scroll down and select 30 seconds.

How do I install a birdJam upgrade so I get the photos?

Wed, 14 May 2008 16:52:27 +0000

1. If you are on Windows, then you need to Remove the current version of birdJam Maker from your PC via the Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs. You don't need to remove the current version if you are on a Mac.

2. Go to www.birdjam.com/upgrade

3. Enter email address

4. Enter birdJam Maker serial numbr

5. Download and install birdJam Maker

6. Once birdJam Maker is installed on your computer, please open it to the main birdJam Maker window. Just below Option #3, be sure and select Load Photographs. Then, run Update Track Information. This assumes that you've got the Stokes CDs installed in iTunes on this same computer.

If you need complete installation instructions, please go to the Help Menu in birdJam Maker and print out the step-by-step instructions. You may have to skip around depending upon what you do/don't have installed currently on your computer.

7. Once you've run Update Track Information, please go to iTunes. Note the four icons in the lower left corner. Ensure that the right-most of these icons is selected so that the arrow is pointed down. Then, select any bird song, such as a Cardinal. When you click on it, the photo should appear in this window.

8. Next, plug your iPod into your computer with iTunes open. When the summary screen comes up, please click on the Music Tab. Just below the list of playlists is a box that you should make sure it checked: Display album artwork on your iPod.

9. When your iPod syncs, you should now have photos for all the birds. Enjoy!

Exception from HRESULT

Mon, 12 May 2008 15:45:11 +0000

After pressing 'Update Track Info' in birdJam Maker for Windows, you get the following error:

An unexpected error occurred.
The error is error number Error 1610350077
Exception from HRESULT:0xA0040203
Line 21305 or Line 23290

This is usually not a critical error. It seems to occur rarely when birdJam Maker waits too long for iTunes to respond after issuing a command to iTunes. (For example, after telling iTunes to change the track name for a track.)

Usually, if you press 'Retry', the operation is finished by that point and birdJam Maker continues without incident.

To see if this is the case for you, pay attention to what happens if you press 'Retry' when the error occurs. Does birdJam Maker proceed to the next bird song? You can tell which bird song birdJam Maker is working on by looking at the status area near the bottom of the main birdJam Maker window. (You may need to move the error message window to the side.)

If birdJam Maker continues to the next song after pressing 'Retry', then this is a minor timing glitch and things should proceed without incident.

If the error message recurs (on a new bird song track), press 'Retry' again.

If the error message recurs but birdJam Maker does NOT move on to the next bird song track (that is, birdJam Maker is stuck on one bird song), it is possible that you saved your song tracks in a format that does not support additional song information, such as Comment (Line 21305) or Composer (Line 23290).

This would be the case, for example, for WAV format and for older MP3 format files. Check the problem track and see what format it is in.

You can see the file format by selecting Get Info in iTunes (press Control-I when the track is selected). The Summary tab has a 'Kind' label that tells what kind of file the track is. AAC is good as this is the default format used by iTunes. (MP3 usually works unless it is an older MP3 formatted file.)

If that is not the problem, then you'll need to contact support for more help.

Will birdJam run on brands of MP3 players other than the Apple iPod?

Fri, 09 May 2008 14:13:47 +0000

birdJam Maker is dependent upon iTunes which will only sync with the Apple iPod. Sorry about that.

However, our MP3 products work fine with other MP3 players. Our MP3 products include birdJam for Eastern Warblers.

iPod Nano Video (3G) Freezes

Fri, 09 May 2008 14:11:55 +0000

The iPod Nano Video (3rd Generation), released in Fall, 2007, will occassionally freeze up when browsing via Cover Flow view or via Albums. We think that the reason is related to installing lots of Album Art on the iPod.

The problem occurs most often on a jam-packed iPod Nano 3G. For example, if you have both Eastern and Western Stokes and birdJam for Eastern Warblers and the Costa Rica module AND the Southeastern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico module installed, this problem is more likely to occur.

We have reported this bug to Apple and hope a future firmware update will fix it. However, in the meantime, you can work around the problem by navigating to bird songs via Playlists rather than via Cover Flow or Albums. Cover Flow and Album view both show pictures of the birds, and this seems to trigger the problem after a while.

Also, when your iPod freezes, you can reset it like this:

Make sure that the Hold button is not turned on. To verify this, toggle the Hold button on the top edge of the iPod to orange and then back.
Press and hold the Menu and Center buttons on the iPod at the same time for about 6-10 seconds.
Your iPod screen should go black and then you should see the Apple icon.

Once your iPod restarts, it should work normally.

Note also that it is important to keep your iPod charged. A low battery can cause flaky behavior. If your iPod freezes when the battery is low, it might not be able to restart properly until you recharge the iPod.

If the battery is really low, charge the iPod overnight and they try resetting it again. An external charger is a good idea for this, since some computers turn off their USB port when they go to sleep, thus not really charging the iPod. We sell a plug-in iPod wall charger on our web site or you can get them from the Apple Store or a Radio Shack.

iPod Locked Up

Fri, 09 May 2008 14:01:11 +0000

If your iPod freezes, you can reset it like this:

Make sure that the Hold button is not turned on. To verify this, toggle the Hold button on the top edge of the iPod to orange and then back.
Press and hold the Menu and Center buttons on the iPod at the same time for about 6-10 seconds.
Your iPod screen should go black and then you should see the Apple icon.

Exception from HRESULT: birdJam Maker does not work with WAV files

Thu, 08 May 2008 20:51:28 +0000

Exception from HRESULT: After pressing 'Update Track Info', you get an error such as:

Catastrophic Error
Error number -2147418113
(exception from HRESULT: 0x800FFFF (E_UNEXPECTED))
LINE 23229

The error is occurring when birdJam Maker is trying to write the Stokes CD notes into the lyrics for the track.

If you loaded your Stokes discs using a music format that does not support lyrics, such as WAV format, this error can occur.

To check it, go to iTunes Preferences and select the 'Advanced' tab. Under 'Importing', next to 'Import Using', it should be 'AAC Encoder.' (MP3 Encoder should work too.)

Does your birdJam Maker software organize my extensive collection of bird songs that I already own?

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:56:46 +0000

No, birdJam Maker only works with the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs, Eastern and Western Regions and the Cornell CDs for Costa Rica and Arizona/Sonora, Mexico. (Other modules may have been added since this was written--check out our online store for current information.)

Note that you can still use your iPod and iTunes to organize your own collection of bird songs and load them to your iPod in addition to the bird song collections that birdJam provides. We recommend that you create playlists in iTunes for your bird song CDs so that they load alongside the birdJam playlists.

How do I decide which iPod model will be best for me?

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:54:52 +0000

Most people make the decision based on two major factors:

The amount of music they want to load onto their iPods in addition to the bird songs and photos, and,
The size of the screen that will work best for them.

If you are never going to load music (the human-produced kind!) or only want a few songs, the new 4GB Nano is more than sufficient for birdJam songs and photos.

The new model Nano and Classic iPods both have large enough screens to view the photographs adequately. However, the photos cannot be enlarged to full screen. So, on the Nano, the bird photos are pretty small.

Also, if you are concerned about eye strain, the Nano screen, being the smallest, is probably one to avoid. It works great for most people, but if you are worried about the screen text size, you might want to look at a Nano before buying one.

The iPod Touch and the iPhone have large screens and larger text and the photos take up the entire screen. If you really want nice photos, you'll want to consider the iPod Touch or iPhone.

The iPhone also has the benefit of built-in speakers. All the iPods come with earbuds, but the iPhone is the only model to include tiny speakers on the bottom of the unit. The speakers are not loud enough to call in owls, for example, but they work for species with high voices such as most warblers. (Note: Please see our recommendations for ethical use of bird songs in the field.)

If you are interested in an iPod Touch or iPhone, we recommend that you visit an Apple store to check them out. If you want an iPhone, you'll need to buy that from Apple or from an AT&T store. You cannot purchase an iPhone from us.

How much space do both the Eastern and Western bird songs and photos require?

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:36:05 +0000

The Eastern and Western (Stokes) bird songs, combined, require about 750MB, or less than 1GB. This includes all of the playlists and photos that birdJam Maker adds.

This means that you can use an older 1GB iPod Nano as a nice birding tool. Or, any of the current model iPods that have a screen will work just fine. (The iPod Shuffle won't work because it does not have a screen, so you can't select the bird song to play.)

Where can I find the Installation Instructions?

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:31:21 +0000

The installation instructions are included with birdJam Maker. You can find them by:

Clicking the Help link in birdJam Maker, either on the main birdJam Maker screen on in the menus.
Navigating to the Documentation folder on your computer's hard drive. The Documentation folder is inside the birdJam Maker folder. (Usually in Program Files on Windows and in the Applications folder on a Mac.) Inside the documentation folder, you'll find several birdJam Maker help documents.

Or, you can view the installation instructions here:

Is it hard to install birdJam myself on an iPod?

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:20:00 +0000

The vast majority of birders who "load their own" iPod indicate that it is a straightforward process: They just follow our installation instructions and things go smoothly. It can take quite a bit of time, however.

For example, if you are loading Eastern and Western bird songs, it can take as long as an hour and a half to go through the installation process simply because it takes a while to load the seven Stokes bird song CDs (3 Eastern and 4 Western) into iTunes.

Once the Stokes CDs are loaded and birdJam Maker is installed, then it's as simple as selecting a few options and pushing two buttons in birdJam Maker. (Easy!)

For fastest results, we strongly urge you to print out and follow our step-by-step installation instructions. You can view the instructions here:

What does "Restore" mean in iTunes?

Thu, 08 May 2008 12:35:41 +0000

Be careful about "Restore," especially if you have a pre-loaded birdJam iPod and have NOT gone through the entire the birdJam Maker installation process.

If you Restore your iPod, you are returning it to original factory settings which means that you are wiping out all content on the iPod.

If you have loaded the bird songs into iTunes and run birdJam Maker to format and organize the songs, then you just need to sync and download the bird songs again. (No big deal!)

However, if you haven't done the installation process but for some reason want to Restore your iPod, read the birdJam Maker installation instructions carefully. The installation instructions are available via the Help menu in birdJam Maker.

File permission error on Macintosh with external hard drive

Tue, 06 May 2008 15:03:14 +0000

After pressing 'Update track info', you get an error message such as:

Error S80 C1 iTunes got an error: File permission error' -- along with the name of the track. (Occurs on each track.)

This error can occur on the Macintosh if you are using an external hard drive for your iTunes Music folder and if you moved your music to the external drive after having first installed your Stokes discs on your main hard drive.

For some reason, the permissions that allow birdJam Maker to update tracks do not get transferred over when moving the Stokes tracks to the external hard drive.

To fix the error, first try using the 'Special Settings' menu option under the Apple menu in birdJam Maker (underneath Preferences). There is a note on the special settings pane which explains how to input the location of your iTunes Music folder.

If that doesn't fix the problem, then you will need to delete and re-install the Stokes discs.

Here are instructions for how to delete the Stokes tracks so that you can start over:

http://secure.amazsoft.com/birdjam/kbase/article/000009

I am missing one or two bird songs. How can I reload just the missing songs without reloading everything?

Fri, 02 May 2008 18:13:31 +0000

First, delete the affected track(s) and reload it/them from your Stokes CDs.

Start by quitting birdJam Maker and going to iTunes.

In iTunes, find the affected track. To find a track, click first on 'Music' under LIBRARY in the left column of iTunes. Then type in a portion of the bird name into the Search box in the top right corner of iTunes. (Note that if you find a bird in a Playlist instead of in the LIBRARY section of iTunes, you won't actually be deleting the bird song, but only the copy of the bird song in the Playlist.)

Using Crested Auklet, on the Stokes Western CDs, as an example: Crested Aukleet is on the Western Stokes CD, Disc 2, track 52, part b. Also, note carefully if there are two birds on the affected track. In our example, the Whiskered Auklet is on the first part of Disc 2, track 52 (we call it part a).

Delete this track in iTunes. Delete both tracks if there are two birds on this track.

Next, go to iTunes preferences and select the 'Advanced' tab. Next to 'On CD Insert', select 'Show CD.' This will prevent iTunes from automatically importing the entire Stokes CD when we insert it next.

Find the appropriate Stokes CD and insert it into your computer. It should appear in iTunes.

Find the needed track. In our example, we are looking for track 52 on Disc 2.

Drag the track to LIBRARY in the left column of iTunes.

Now eject the Stokes CD and rerun birdJam Maker's Update Track Info and you should be back in business.

Does birdJam Maker work with bird song CD sets other than the Stokes CDs for East and West?

Thu, 01 May 2008 16:19:31 +0000

birdJam Maker has been enhanced so that new add-on modules can be added to birdJam Maker for East, West or North America.

The first two add-on modules, added in Winter 2008, were for Costa Rica and SE Arizona/Sonora, Mexico. Both of these CD sets were produced by Cornell and are available from our online store. You'll need to purchase both the add-on birdJam Module and the associated Cornell CD set.

We expect to continue adding modules. Check our online store to see what else is available.

Bird songs are mixed up with my Album and Artist names

Thu, 01 May 2008 16:14:14 +0000

Problem:

Is there anyway to eliminate or hide all of the individual song listings under "Artists" (my list starts with "ah-waaah, pop"), "Albums", and "Songs"? Trying to find music songs among all of the bird calls is going to be just that much more complicated.

Solution:

Unfortunately, there's not a way that we know of to just exclude the bird songs from album & artist lists.

Still, there are some options:

In birdJam Maker, you can change the 'prefix' setting to either a space or 'zz', then re-run 'Update Track Info' and re-sync your iPod. This causes all of the bird songs to sort either to the beginning or the end of your album and artist lists.

You could also set all of your bird song albums and artists to something boring like 'Stokes Field Guide' and 'Stokes.' You do this in iTunes by selecting all bird song tracks and then using Ctl-I (Get Info) to change the album and artist in one fell swoop. Be careful as it's easy to accidentally change things you don't intend to change.

Finally, you could create music-only playlists by creating a Smart Playlist in iTunes that excludes the genre 'Birding.' Then you can search for songs via one of your music-only playlists.

zz or aa Prefix with birdJam for Eastern Warblers

Thu, 01 May 2008 16:13:50 +0000

If you purchased birdJam for Eastern Warblers and use the zz (or aa) prefix for your Album and Artist names in birdJam Maker, you may be frustrated to see that birdJam for Eastern Warblers does not use prefixes. As a result, your human-music album and artists will have birds mixed up in them.

To fix this, you can manually add zz (or aa) to the beginning of the Album and Artist names in iTunes. That way, they will end up in the same Albums and Artists as the birds you currently have installed with birdJam Maker (assuming you put zz or aa on the beginning of these using birdJam Maker).

It shouldn't take too long to do this (30 minutes according to one birdJam customer), then birdJam for Eastern Warblers will be organized in exactly the same way as your other birdJam bird songs.

How to Delete All of the Stokes Tracks

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:05:12 +0000

Here's how to delete all of your Stokes CD tracks so that you can reload everything:

1. Open iTunes.

2. In the left column of the iTunes window, select 'Music' underneath LIBRARY.

3. In the top right corner of iTunes, type 'Stokes' into the Search Box.

4. Browse through the resulting list to be sure that it contains ONLY Stokes tracks. (You are about to delete all of these and we don't want any mistakes!)

5. Once you are sure that only Stokes tracks are selected, select any one track then Select All. (Edit menu: Select All, or Control-A.)

6. Press the 'delete' key on your keyboard.

That's it!

Now print out the Installation Instructions to use as a guide in re-loading everything. (See the Help menu in birdJam Maker for the Installation Instructions.)

Can I create my own playlists?

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:08:30 +0000

Yes, you can!

birdJam Maker does not undo any of the built-in features of iTunes nor of your iPod. So, in iTunes you can create as many playlists as you like: For example, birds of your backyard, Aunt Sue's favorite birds, birds of upper Saskatchewan.

Once you've created your playlist, sync your iPod and the new playlist will be copied to your iPod.

Note that the only restriction is that birdJam Maker will copy over any identically-named playlists if you happen to create a playlist with a name identical to a birdJam playlist. (And if you press the 'Install Playlists' button in birdJam Maker.)

Error: CRC checksum mismatch

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:47:39 +0000

If you get an error something like this:

Error: algorithm::arsenic::decompressor exception:CRC checksum mismatch; output data is invalid

...when trying to install birdJam Maker (after downloading a new copy of birdJam Maker from our web site), this means that you did not get a complete download.

birdJam Maker's file size should be more than 27MB (as of Spring 2008).

Delete the prior bad download and then re-download birdJam Maker. If you have difficulty again, sometimes a different browser works better (for example, FireFox).

What do I do if my iPod doesn't respond?

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:52:43 +0000

Don't panic!

This is a fairly common situation, especially if the iPod battery has been run down very low. You simply need to "Reset" your iPod. To reset a Click Wheel iPod, do the following:

Toggle the Hold button on the top of the iPod to orange and then back into the original position.
Then hold down Menu and the center button at the same time for about 5-10 seconds until the iPod resets. That's it!