Frequently Asked Questions and Common Problems
Note: Customers who are signed up for recurring membership through Eclipse Billing will lose site access on thier rebill date. We apologize for the inconvenience. Your business is sincerely appreciated
1. If I sign up for membership to the site do I get access to the videos in the archives catalog?
No......the videos in the archives catalog have either been through the members area or will at some point go through the members area, but they are not available upon sign up.
2. Is my username for the website the same as my login id for the archives catalog?
No.....the archives catalog uses your email address as login and you set your own password. Only you have access to your password. We cannot retrieve it for you as it is in a packed form. You must reset your own password using the forgot password link located near the login box. When you use the link.....make sure that you don't block the automatic e-mail that will be sent to your e-mail address with your new password. Read on....
3. Why isn't my E-mail being answered?
Powershotz.com responds to all E-mail inquiries. If you are a user of Yahoo.com, AOL.com, Hotmail.com, or other free e-mail account providers, and you are not receiving e-mail replies from powershotz.com it is because our e-mail is being diverted to your junk mail folder. E-mail pirates create bogus e-mail addresses that end with @powershotz.com and use those e-mail addresses to distribute advertisements. They try to trick you into thinking that powershotz.com sent those e-mails. Those advertisements are not condoned, created by or supported by powershotz.com. However as a result of this e-mail piracy, it may not be possible for your to receive e-mail replies to your questions because your e-mail account provider is blocking that mail from getting to you. Those who use third party spam blockers may also be blocking e-mail from powershotz.com. Please check your junk mail box for replies from powershotz.com, or exempt mail from powershotz.com from being blocked by your spam blocker programs. We apologize for the inconvenience.
4. Why doesn't my username and password work anymore?
Powershotz.com uses a security program which prevents hackers from entering the site and stealing images and video clips. This security software will block a username from logging on if that username is used to log on from several different computers in a short period of time, or if someone attempts to log on using that username and inputs the wrong password several times in a row it will block that computers ip address for 12 hours. If you are unable to log on, and your account has not expired, e-mail support@powershotz.com and the system will be reset to provide you with access to your account. Your e-mail will be responded to, usually within 24 hours. However you may not be able to receive this e-mail if your e-mail provider is blocking all mail from powershotz.com. See number 1 above.
5. My hard disk crashed and I lost all the video clips that I previously purchased. Can I get another copy?
When you download a file, you purchase that file. It is your responsibility to back up that file, either on another hard disk, or by burning it to a cd. There is no convenient method for re-sending those large files. They exist in protected areas on the server. In some cases we can work with you on it but no guarantee.
6. Why are the clips in the archives catalog in zip format?
The clips were previously in .wmv or .mpg format, however many users were infected with adware that would launch when their video player started running during their download. The adware interrupts the data stream by sending data back to its advertising owners on what you are currently watching so they can target advertising at you..........this also results in corrupted downloads. The complaint level was too high to manage. When we switched to .zip people started getting complete downloads and could enjoy the clips. The only problem with .zip files is that they will not open if you do not get a complete and successful download and you need a program to unzip them. Windows XP and Vista have it built. Only your older machines will have a problem and you can download a 30 day trial version of winzip that will allow you to unzip files if needed. The trial version won't let you create .zip files after the trial is over but it will allow you to unzip .zip files forever so you don't need to pay up for it.
7. I get a corrupt file error message when I attempt to open the .zip file. I've tried re-downloading but it doesn't work. What am I doing wrong?
Here is what is happening.....you attempt to download the clip the first time.....you get it halfway downloaded and it fails. You attempt to download it again.....and it fails at the exact same spot. That's because your computer went back to your cache to retrieve the file that was sitting there from your failed download attempt instead of wasting time downloading again. As painful as it seems.....you may need to clear your temporary internet files folder or go into your temporary files folder, find the file and delete it.......then do your download again. If that doesn't work, you've got a communication issue that could be anything from a loose wire to a poor internet service provider. Reboot your computer to reset your ip address and clear possible adware. You might also try downloading at a different time of day when your connection is faster. Last resort....go to someone elses computer....download....burn to disk.....get out. Don't get caught!
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