If your dongle is already activated to use 5D Card Shop, then there is no need to activate your dongle again.

Make sure the 5D™ Card Shop window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the project so it fills the work area.

To deselect a a design or some text, click the mouse on another area. To select the desired design, click on it and an outline box will appear.

Certain functions are only available if the full 5D™ Embroidery System is owned, for example the Color PortraitStitch options in the Image Wizard. If you do not own the full system these functions will be grayed out (unavailable).

Frames with running stitch that is vertical or horizontal are not always completely visible at zoom to fit. This varies depending on the font, size of lettering and envelope. Use the Zoom In feature, if desired, to verify that the stitching exists.

Some pieces of cross stitch lettering are actually designs, so only their color can be changed. If the pointer is a letter A, the block is lettering. If it is a flower head, the block is a design.

Some decorative lettering may appear to be a design, for example the Pioneer Kids lettering. The number can be changed. Right-click the number and change it in the Text Properties dialog box.

If the pointer is a letter A, the block is lettering. If it is a flower head, the block is a design.

Each letter starts with the initial variegated thread color. Where low density stitching is used the other colors may not be seen. For a more realistic preview showing all colors, ensure that ColorSort is enabled in Preferences, then use Save and select Print Preview.

You can create new fabric backgrounds for your cards in 5D™ Embroidery Extra. If 5D™ Embroidery is owned, you may load fabric backgrounds, but cannot create new ones.

If you select Single embroidery when creating a card and use a fabric background, when Print Overview is selected in Page Setup the card will be displayed on a single piece of fabric. If you move the fabric background, the fabric for all pages in the card will be affected.

If you select Multiple embroideries when creating a card and use a fabric background, when Print Overview is selected in Page Setup the card will be displayed as if on separate pieces of fabric. If you move the fabric background, only the fabric for the selected page will move.

There are no Send icons in 5D™ Card Shop. To stitch your card embroideries, open them in 5D™ Embroidery or 5D™ Organizer and send them to your machine from there.

Your selected hoop is not large enough for your chosen project. Select a larger hoop, or choose a smaller project.

This message may appear when saving a project. This means that some part of your card design is not entirely within your project area (it is outside the edge of the background). Reduce the size of the text by changing the wording, or changing the size of the lettering.

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

Make sure the 6D™ Embroidery window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the hoop so it fills the work area. Also, choose a Hoop Size in Hoop Selection that is suitable to the embroidery size.

The refresh rate of the screen is limited by the power of your computer's processor and RAM as well as the video card and its memory. To get the best performance from your system, try using 2D view as this requires less power than 3D view.

Certain icons (for example Save and Export on the Quick Access Toolbar) are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

This message appears if the font or SuperDesign set that you have selected is not available. The most likely reason is that it is already open in the optional 6D™ Font Digitizing module. Close 6D™ Font Digitizing, then try again. This could also happen if you opened the 6D™ Embroidery program, then accidentally moved or deleted the font from the relevant category folder in ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \Fonts, or the SuperDesign file from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\SuperDesigns. Close 6D™ Embroidery, make sure the file is in the folder, then try again.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

This message appears if you type an incorrect extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types in the File Name box when trying to save a file.

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied bysomeone with a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 6D™ Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

Certain formats are limited to the number of stitches they can save or the size of hoop used on their specific embroidery machine, for example .sew. If you attempt to save a file in this format that is bigger than the largest available hoop size or has more stitches than are allowed, this message would appear.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

Confirm 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation is Installed

This could be because you have not yet installed the 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation. You can confirm if you have installed this by going to 6D™ Configure and clicking on the Check Installation button and clicking Check to see which items you have installed.

Check you have the latest version of the 6D™ System Documentation installed

Previous 6D™ Documentation installations included Help for some modules. In the 6D™ Documentation 10.0.21, we have included Help and Reference Guides for all modules except 6D™ Font Digitizing.

Use Smart Update to check you have the latest version:

1. Open 6D™ Configure.
2. Click on the Smart Update button.
3. Enter your E-mail Address/Password details.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Next again to start the Download process.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.

If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.

The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

It may be that you installed another software which is now associated with your stitch files.

To reset the association back to the 6D Embroidery System do the following steps:

1. Close down all programs.
2. Open 6D Configure.
3. Click the Reset File Association button. A Reset File Association box will appear.
4. Click on the 6D Embroidery button in the Reset File Association box.
5. The Set Program Association page will appear.
6. Click on the Select All checkbox. All stitch formats will be selected in the list.
7. Click Save.

All the selected stitch formats will have been set back to open in 6D Embroidery.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

This message usually means that the motif database has been deleted or corrupted. This may be corrected by repairing the installation.

First, delete the file named 'SystemMotifs.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If the file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file name may simply be shown as 'SystemMotifs'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the motifs will be restored.

On a very, very minor number of computers, the graphics card is misintepretting the graphics information; so it represents the preview area of some of the pages in the ExpressPortrait Wizard as black.

This issue can appear on the Crop Picture or Reduce Colors pages of the following modules: 5D Card Shop, 5D Family Tree or 5D PortraitStitch.

The issue does not occur if you set your computer's Color Settings to 16-bit prior to opening the 5D modules that are affected:

Windows 7 users:

1. Right click on an empty area of your Desktop.
2. Click the Screen resolution option. The Screen resolution box will appear.
3. Click on the Advanced settings link. A dialog box for your Display settings will appear.
4. Click on the Monitor tab.
5. Make a note of the existing setting for the Colors: drop-down list.
6. Change the setting for the drop-down list to High Color (16-bit).
7. Click Ok
8. Click Yes, when asked "Do you want to keep these display settings".
9. Click OK twice to get back to your Desktop

Windows Vista users:

1. Right click on an empty area of your Desktop.
2. Click Personalize
3. Click on the Display Settings link. The Display Settings box will appear.
4. Make a note of the existing setting for the Colors: drop-down list.
5. Change the setting for the drop-down list to Medium (16-bit).
6. Click Ok
7. Click Yes, when asked "Do you want to keep these display settings".
8. Click OK twice to get back to your Desktop

Windows XP users:

1. Right click on an empty area of your Desktop.
2. Click Properties. The Display Properties box will appear.
3. Click on the Settings tab - to the top right of the window.
4. Make a note of the existing setting for the Color quality: drop-down list.
5. Change the setting for the drop-down list to Medium (16-bit).
6. Click Ok
7. Click Yes, when asked "Do you want to keep these display settings".
8. Click OK twice to get back to your Desktop

Use the principals for the above instructions to set the Color Settings back to what they originally were

You may only want to only set your computer to use 16-bit mode Color mode for the duration of when you are using the affected 5D modules.

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

This message appears if the d-Card Reader/Writer is not connected correctly to a USB port of your computer when you select the Read d-Card or Write d-Card function. Refer to the hardware installation guide for more details.

Check that the d-Card Reader/Writer is securely plugged into the USB port of the computer or hub. Check the cable is plugged in correctly, as shown in the hardware installation guide.

If you still have a problem then plug the d-Card Reader/Writer directly into your computer's USB port. If it is now OK, then the problem may be a damaged or poor quality device or cable

If you have a problem installing a USB d-Card Reader/Writer ensure that your BIOS is configured to allow support of Legacy USB devices.

If there would be more than 35 embroideries on the screen after loading the desired embroideries, this message appears. Delete those you do not need and load again.

This message appears if there is no d-Card inserted in the d-Card Reader/Writer when you select the Read or Write d-Card function.

This message appears if there are no embroideries loaded on the screen when you select Write d-Card.

This message will appear when you copy a thread from a standard thread range to MyThreads, and the thread has already been copied.

This message will appear if you enter a Thread Number that already exists in MyThreads, when adding or editing custom MyThreads. Click OK, and an underline and number will be added to the end of the Thread Number to make it unique. If desired, click in the Thread Number box and re-edit it.

This message will appear when you try to delete a thread definition from MyThreads. If you wish to go ahead and delete the thread, click Yes. Otherwise click No.

This message will appear when you try to save a new or edited thread if the Thread Number is blank. The Thread Number may not be blank. Enter a Thread Number and click OK.

If you open a file that has colors from MyThreads that are unmodified copies of standard threads, but do not exist as copies in your MyThreads list, the color will be identified and selected in the original thread range when you click the color to change it.

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

This message appears if the SuperDesigns or Frames folder is empty or has been accidentally moved, deleted or renamed. Close 6D™ Embroidery, make sure the folder ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \SuperDesigns, or \Frames, is in the correct location and contains the SuperDesign or frames files, then try again.

If you are unable to restore or replace the SuperDesigns or Frames folder, repair the installation. Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the SuperDesigns or Frames will be restored.

Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

If you have your thumbnail view in Windows® Explorer set to Small icons, List or Details then you will not see the preview - you will only see the 6D logo.

Change the View to one of the other available options to see the thumbnail images of your stitch files

Changing the View:

1. Open Windows® Explorer.
2. Browse to a folder that contains stitch files.
3. Right click on an empty area of main part of the Windows® Explorer screen.
4. Move your mouse over the View option.
5. Click on Medium icons - or whichever other option you prefer to view your thumbnail images in.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

This message appears if you type an incorrect extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types in the File Name box when trying to save a file.

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied bysomeone with a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 6D™ Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

Confirm 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation is Installed

This could be because you have not yet installed the 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation. You can confirm if you have installed this by going to 6D™ Configure and clicking on the Check Installation button and clicking Check to see which items you have installed.

Check you have the latest version of the 6D™ System Documentation installed

Previous 6D™ Documentation installations included Help for some modules. In the 6D™ Documentation 10.0.21, we have included Help and Reference Guides for all modules except 6D™ Font Digitizing.

Use Smart Update to check you have the latest version:

1. Open 6D™ Configure.
2. Click on the Smart Update button.
3. Enter your E-mail Address/Password details.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Next again to start the Download process.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.

If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.

The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

It may be that you installed another software which is now associated with your stitch files.

To reset the association back to the 6D Embroidery System do the following steps:

1. Close down all programs.
2. Open 6D Configure.
3. Click the Reset File Association button. A Reset File Association box will appear.
4. Click on the 6D Embroidery button in the Reset File Association box.
5. The Set Program Association page will appear.
6. Click on the Select All checkbox. All stitch formats will be selected in the list.
7. Click Save.

All the selected stitch formats will have been set back to open in 6D Embroidery.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

In Windows® 10, you will need to manually reset the file association:

1. Click on the Start menu in the bottom left corner of your screen.
2. Click on Settings. The Settings window will appear.
3. Click on the System button.
4. Click on the Default apps entry on the left hand pane.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the right hand pane.
6. Click on the Set defaults by app link. The Set Default Program window will appear.
7. Click on the 6Dtrade; Embroidery entry from the left hand pane.
8. Click on the Choose defaults for this program link on the right hand pane.
9. Place a checkmark in the Select All checkbox - this will place a checkmark in all checkboxes if they were not already checked.
10. Click Save. This will associate all the available stitch formats from step #9 with 6D™ Embroidery.

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

This error can happen when an issue has been found in the integrity of the downloaded file during the Smart Update process.

1. Close down all open programs.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Start the Smart Update process again.

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

When stitching out an embroidery from 5D Cross Stitcher you are working on a grid of squares. Unlike any other type of embroidery design, you cannot add compensation, or overlap objects to allow for pull of the fabric. If your fabric is not hooped up correctly then gaps can appear between sections, sometimes appearing that stitches are missing altogether. Use extra backing and ensure the fabric is tight in the hoop. Lowering the number of cross threads and enlarging the cross size also helps.

This message may appear if the picture is very large. If you are loading the picture, use picture editing software to reduce it size. If you are acquiring the picture from a scanner or digital camera, change the settings in the acquiring or scanning application so the picture is smaller.

This message could appear if the selected picture is not a valid picture file. For example, it might have an extension such as .bmp or .jpg, yet not be a proper picture file.

This message appears if the desired cross stitch design (.krz) file is not where the module expects it to be. For example, if a design was loaded into the program from a floppy disk, then closed and the floppy disk removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the design from the recent files list on the File menu.

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have a .krz extension, yet not be a proper cross stitch design file.

This message appears if, for instance, you attempt to save the design to a CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the design.

This message appears when you click Remove Color in Color Configuration, if there are stitches using the selected color in the cross stitch design. Click Yes to continue, for example, to remove a color that is only used in the background.

The status bar shows the full Thread Range and Thread Number for all thread colors in both the Standard Database and MyThreads. The Thread Range and Thread Number are used to uniquely identify each thread color.

The names of colors are provided for information only and may not always be visible on the status bar. All color information can be seen in Color Configuration.

Only the first color in a variegated thread is shown in a cross stitch design. To see the effect of a variegated thread, use 3D Create Stitches.

If the grid color is similar to the color of backstitch, then the backstitch may blend with the grid at certain zoom levels so that it is hard to see. Turn off the grid temporarily to see where you have placed your backstitch. Backstitch may also be easier to see in Block mode.

The background picture and grid are not shown at the smallest zoom level. In 3D, the fabric is also not shown at the smallest zoom level. When the Cross Stitch Design Wizard closes, the screen automatically zooms to fit the design size chosen in the wizard. If the design size was large, then the smallest zoom level is used. As there are no stitches, the screen appears to be blank because the picture, fabric and grid are not shown. Zoom in to see the picture, fabric and grid.

The background picture and grid are not shown at the smallest zoom level. In 3D, the fabric is also not shown at the smallest zoom level. When Zoom To Fit is used, the smallest zoom level may be used if the design is large. Zoom in to see the picture, fabric and grid.

The manufacturer of a TWAIN device must provide a Source Manager and a TWAIN Data source for your device to work with 5D Cross Stitcher. These will normally be installed when you install the software and drivers provided with the device. If you have installed a device and it is not shown in the list then it may not be TWAIN compliant. Refer to the device documentation and manufacturer for assistance.

To drag and drop cross stitch designs onto the work area, start 5D Organizer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

Flood Fill is not affected by areas of color in a background picture. An empty area of the design can be flood filled until it meets existing crosses and backstitch. A connected area of the same colored crosses can be flood filled until it meets an empty area, backstitch or crosses in a different color. To clearly see the areas that will be flood filled, turn off the background picture.

In some cases, the fill will not go through narrow areas. If the fill could not continuously connect a fill of full crosses through a narrow gap, the gap will act as a barrier to flood fill.

When a pattern is used to fill an area, freehand backstitch in the pattern will only be placed when both end points lie within the fill area. Long sections of freehand backstitch are less likely to have both ends in the fill area and may not give the desired result. If you wish to use freehand backstitch in a pattern, try to use short sections where possible.

The selection area is extended by Rotate 90 so that you can clearly see where the selection will be placed by each click of the Rotate 90 icon. The stitches in the selection area are not changed.

Each time you click with Erase, this is recorded as an action you can Undo. If you click in blank space, or you miss the item you are trying to Erase, the action is still recorded for Undo. Hence, when you Undo, the Erase action is undone, even though it seemed to have no effect on the design.

The progress bar only appears when it takes a long time to create the embroidery that is displayed by 3D Create Stitches. The amount of time taken depends on the power of your computer. It appears so that you can see that your computer is creating the stitches. All stitches are created, regardless of how far the progress bar progresses.

This may happen if you have French knots on the edges of your design. French knots are drawn by placing their center point on any point that snaps to half grid spacing. Therefore, if they are placed along the edges of the design, half the French knot will be outside the grid. If French knots are placed on all edges of the grid, the resulting embroidery will be larger than the design by the size of a French knot.

French knots are only scaled in comparison to the full cross size when the Cross Size in Preferences is set between 2mm and 4mm. The French knots will not be any smaller or larger than they are at these limits.

Check the Stitches tab in Preference to ensure you do not have a large number of strands for crosses and/or backstitch in the design. Increasing the number of strands will increase the number of stitches.

Check the Stitches tab in Preference to ensure you do not have a large number of strands for crosses and/or backstitch in the design. Increasing the number of strands will increase the density of stitches.

Standard Backstitch and Freehand Backstitch are drawn on two separate layers in 5D Cross Stitcher, but they are stitched out together if they are the same color. In addition to this, Freehand Backstitch can be placed in multiple layers over the same line, as long as the end points of each line are different.

This is used, for example, to place different colors of Freehand Backstitch on top of each other to secure the edges of lace. Each layer will stitch out separately according to the color order in the design, but the same thread color is used in the stitch-out to give a single color to the lace effect.

The Save Char button is not available if there are more than three colors in the palette. Use Remove Unused Colors in Color Configuration to reduce the palette to the colors used to design the font.

Use Configure Fixed Font on the File menu to check that you have set the Line Height and Baseline values correctly. The Line Height should be the height of the 'A', plus space above for accents on uppercase characters, plus space below for descenders, plus at least one more grid square below for space between multiple lines of text. The Baseline should be the amount of grid squares that is allowed for descenders. If the Baseline is set to the same or greater than the Line Height, this may also cause nothing to appear when the font is used.

This will only happen if you have used Hide Colors to hide some of the colors or stitches in a design you were working on previously. The Hide Colors options are not reset automatically until you restart 5D Cross Stitcher. Click the Hide Colors icon, then click Reset.

The cross stitch embroidery created from a cross stitch design will print at actual size. Click 3D Create Stitches, then click Print.

It has been found that when you set a very large hoop size using the Enter Hoop Size option; that most of the icons will be grayed out.

The exact size that the icons will become grayed-out is dependant on a number of factors - the most important being your screen resolution.

The issue can be resolved by choosing a higher screen resolution:

Windows XP

Close down 5D Cross Stitcher
1. Right click on an empty area of your Desktop.
2. Click on the Properties option. The Display Properties box will appear.
3. Click on the Settings tab - near the top right of the box.
4. Using pen and paper, make a note of the Screen Resolution and 'Color quality' settings - in case you need to revert back to them in the future.
5. Drag the Screen Resolution slider bar to the right - see Common Screen Resolutions below
6. Click Yes to accept the changes
7. Open 5D Cross Stitcher.
8. Manually enter the large Hoop Size again.
9. Repeat steps 1 - 9 until you have entered the large Hoop Size and the icons are not grayed-out.

Windows Vista

Close down 5D Cross Stitcher
1. Right click on an empty area of your Desktop.
2. Click on the Personalize option. The 'Personalization' window will appear.
3. Click on Display Settings.
4. Using pen and paper, make a note of the Resolution and Colors settings - in case you need to revert back to them in the future.
5. Drag the Resolution: slider to the right - see Common Screen Resolutions below
6. Click Yes to accept the changes
7. Open 5D Cross Stitcher.
8. Manually enter the large Hoop Size again.
9. Repeat steps 1 - 8 until you have entered the large Hoop Size and the icons are not grayed-out.

Windows 7

Close down 5D Cross Stitcher
1. Right click on an empty area of your Desktop.
2. Click on the Screen resolution option. The 'Screen resolution' window will appear.
3. Using pen and paper, make a note of the Resolution and Colors settings - in case you need to revert back to them in the future.
4. Drag the Screen resolution slider upwards - see Common Screen Resolutions below
5. Click OK to accept the changes
6. Open 5D Cross Stitcher.
7. Manually enter the large Hoop Size again.
8. Repeat steps 1 - 9 until you have entered the large Hoop Size and the icons are not grayed-out.

Common Screen Resolutions:

Standard screens

1024 x 768
• 1152 x 864
• 1280 x 1024

Widescreen resolutions:

• 1280 x 800
• 1366 x 768
• 1440 x 900
• 1440 x 960
• 1600 x 1024

As an additional step, Widescreen users may want to consult the documentation for their Widescreen monitor or laptops to see the manufacturer's own screen resolution suggestions

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

This message appears if an embroidery you are trying to Export or Print is outside the selected hoop or larger than will fit in it. For example, with the 100mm x 100mm hoop selected, an embroidery smaller than 100mm x 100mm might be placed partially outside the work area when you click Export or Print. This message would then appear. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again.

This message appears if the embroidery on screen is partially outside the selected hoop. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again.

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

Make sure the 6D™ Embroidery window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the hoop so it fills the work area. Also, choose a Hoop Size in Hoop Selection that is suitable to the embroidery size.

The refresh rate of the screen is limited by the power of your computer's processor and RAM as well as the video card and its memory. To get the best performance from your system, try using 2D view as this requires less power than 3D view.

Certain icons (for example Save and Export on the Quick Access Toolbar) are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

This is called "Highlight Selected Color". It allows you to see where each color is used in an embroidery. For example, if you have several color blocks using the same thread color and you wish to change the color of a specific section, hover over each color in the worksheet in turn until the section you require is highlighted.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

This message appears if you type an incorrect extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types in the File Name box when trying to save a file.

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied bysomeone with a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 6D™ Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

Certain formats are limited to the number of stitches they can save or the size of hoop used on their specific embroidery machine, for example .sew. If you attempt to save a file in this format that is bigger than the largest available hoop size or has more stitches than are allowed, this message would appear.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

Confirm 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation is Installed

This could be because you have not yet installed the 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation. You can confirm if you have installed this by going to 6D™ Configure and clicking on the Check Installation button and clicking Check to see which items you have installed.

Check you have the latest version of the 6D™ System Documentation installed

Previous 6D™ Documentation installations included Help for some modules. In the 6D™ Documentation 10.0.21, we have included Help and Reference Guides for all modules except 6D™ Font Digitizing.

Use Smart Update to check you have the latest version:

1. Open 6D™ Configure.
2. Click on the Smart Update button.
3. Enter your E-mail Address/Password details.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Next again to start the Download process.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.

If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.

The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

If your 6D module has some scanner functionality (6D Cross Stitch, 6D Design Creator or 6D PhotoStitch/PhotoStitch Wizard) it may not open if you there is an existing issue with the TWAIN/scanner drivers.

To fix this, you should visit the website of your scanner manufacturer and download/install the latest drivers for your scanner.

Alternatively, if you do not use your scanner at all, then you could disable the scanner drivers using the following steps:

1. Close down all 6D modules
2. Open Windows Explorer.
3. Browse to the C:\Windows\TWAIN_32 folder
4. Using pen and paper (or in a text file), make a note of the names of any files or files within the C:\Windows\TWAIN_32 folder.
5. If there are in sub-folders, right click on the top folder that is shown in the list.
6. Choose the Rename option - the name of the folder will be highlighted.
7. Press the right arrow key on your keyboard - so that the cursor moves to the end of the folder name
8. Then type _OLD and press ENTER. So, for example if your original folder name was MyScanner; your folder would now be renamed to MyScanner_OLD.
9. Try to open the 6D module that had previously not opened
10. If the 6D module does not open then rename the folder back to its original name.
11. Repeat steps 6 to 10 if the issue still exists.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

This message appears if you choose an embroidery that is too large for the multi-part hoop you have chosen. This may also appear if you try to load an embroidery that is larger than 2000mm high and/or wide. The embroidery will not be loaded, and the preview area will be empty.

Certain Main toolbar icons (such as Real Size) and all Edit toolbar icons except for Preferences are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

This message appears if you click Finish in the Load Design Wizard, and the combination of embroidery size, hoop size and overlap will make the work area more than 2000mm high and/or wide. You will not be able to Finish the wizard until this is resolved.

If you wish to split the selected embroidery, click Back in the wizard and change either the hoop size or the Overlap value. Increasing the overlap will bring hoop sections closer together, which will reduce the overall size of the work area.

This message appears if you click Finish in the Load Design Wizard and you have not selected an embroidery to be split. Either select an embroidery to be split, or click Cancel to close the wizard without loading an embroidery.

This message appears if you click OK in Preferences and you have setup a work area that is more than 2000mm high and/or wide. The simplest solution is to reduce the number of hoop areas Across or Down. Alternatively, choose a smaller hoop size or increase the Overlap value. Check that the Width and Height shown for the Total Area are both 2000mm or less before clicking OK.

This message appears if you click OK in Preferences after changing the hoop and/or overlap settings when the existing adjustments to split lines have not been used. If you click OK, the new hoop and/or overlap settings will be applied to the work area, but any adjustments to split lines will be lost.

This message appears when you attempt to use Split Design if you have looped a split line around so that it crosses itself. The embroidery will not be split. Adjust the split line so that it no longer crosses itself.

If you have two or more hoop areas both across and down then you will have both vertical and horizontal split lines. Each horizontal split line will cross each vertical split line. While it is possible to adjust the lines so they cross each other several times, this would cause ambiguous split zones that do not clearly belong to a particular split section. When this is the case, this message appears when you attempt to use Split Design. Adjust the split lines so that they only cross each other once.

This message appears when you attempt to use Split Design and any part of the embroidery is outside the work area. Move the embroidery so that it fits inside the work area, or use Hoop Preferences to make the work area larger.

This message may appear when you attempt to save the split embroidery sections, and you have already used the filename to save split embroidery sections. Only the name of the first split section is shown.

Click Yes if you want to go ahead and replace the split sections with the same name. It is only recommended to do this if the same number of split sections will be replaced.

Click No to cancel saving the sections. You will need to use Split Design again. Save with a different name, or choose a different folder to save in.

This can happen if a jump stitch of a particular thread color crosses from one part of an embroidery to another, but would not be used in the current split section. When the embroidery is split, all stitches are split, including jump stitches. If you are sure that a particular color is not used for anything other than jumps, skip it when you are stitching out the section.

This can happen if jump stitches cross an otherwise empty hoop area. Also, alignment stitches are always created, even for empty sections, and will use the first and last thread colors in the section.

An area that is completely empty, that does not even have jump stitches crossing it, will have one color block for the cross marking the center of the hoop. This color block is also used for any alignment stitches.

This can happen if an unnamed embroidery is pasted into 5D Design Aligner, either directly onto the work area or in the Load Design Wizard. Split and save the embroidery sections with the desired name. The name you used to save the embroidery will then appear on the printed pages.

No. You can stitch out the split sections in any order. Choose the order that you think is most likely to give the best results.

It is generally not necessary to stitch out empty sections. The only reason to do so is if you have used Corner or Baste alignment stitches, and you wish to use the alignment stitches in an empty section to confirm alignment of subsequent sections.

Use 5D Configure to alter the background color for the work area. 5D Configure may usually be used to change the texture or turn it off, but this is not available for 5D Design Aligner.

This message appears if the embroidery on screen is partially outside the selected hoop. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again.

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

Make sure the 6D™ Embroidery window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the hoop so it fills the work area. Also, choose a Hoop Size in Hoop Selection that is suitable to the embroidery size.

The refresh rate of the screen is limited by the power of your computer's processor and RAM as well as the video card and its memory. To get the best performance from your system, try using 2D view as this requires less power than 3D view.

Certain icons (for example Save and Export on the Quick Access Toolbar) are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

This message appears if you type an incorrect extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types in the File Name box when trying to save a file.

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied bysomeone with a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 6D™ Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

Certain formats are limited to the number of stitches they can save or the size of hoop used on their specific embroidery machine, for example .sew. If you attempt to save a file in this format that is bigger than the largest available hoop size or has more stitches than are allowed, this message would appear.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

Confirm 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation is Installed

This could be because you have not yet installed the 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation. You can confirm if you have installed this by going to 6D™ Configure and clicking on the Check Installation button and clicking Check to see which items you have installed.

Check you have the latest version of the 6D™ System Documentation installed

Previous 6D™ Documentation installations included Help for some modules. In the 6D™ Documentation 10.0.21, we have included Help and Reference Guides for all modules except 6D™ Font Digitizing.

Use Smart Update to check you have the latest version:

1. Open 6D™ Configure.
2. Click on the Smart Update button.
3. Enter your E-mail Address/Password details.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Next again to start the Download process.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.

If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.

The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

The correct DPI (dots per inch) setting will depend on the size of the picture to be scanned. The desired picture size is approximately 1000 X 1000 pixels. To achieve this take the size of your artwork in inches, such as 8" x 7", and divide the longest side into 1000. In the example, 1000 divided by 8 = 125. The DPI setting of the scanner should then be 125 DPI, and this will produce a picture that is about 1000 x 875 pixels.

Although the program automatically doubles the size of a picture if its height and width are less than 500 pixels, this may still produce jagged lines. For a smoother effect, rescan the picture.

Use the Design Area command to select the part of the picture you wish to use for your design. Alternatively, in the Picture window select the part of the Picture you want with Box or Freehand Select then Crop the picture (you can only do this before you start creating your design).

Use the Outline Thinner to narrow the outline to one pixel. This will allow areas to join together better.

When the initial Jump Stitch or Single Stitch was created, its start and end points were both placed by clicking the mouse, rather than clicking and dragging. To solve, click on the extra object and Delete it.

The design size is set according to the distance between the two outermost control points of the design. The stitches created from the design may go beyond these control points, so the size of the actual embroidery may exceed the height or width specified for the design size.

Try changing the angle of orientation. Even one degree can be enough to allow the artificial intelligence of the program to fill the object. Another possibility is to move the start point slightly.

The pictures used should have well differentiated color areas, which may be solid or stippled, to fill easily. Clip art is excellent for this purpose. If there is a gap where the same color flows into another area, the fill will not work as expected.

If Color Tolerance is switched off then switch it on in Screen Preferences. Color Tolerance will then allow you to preview any area for QuickStitch™ functions, which should reveal any problems with color areas in the picture. You can then alter the picture in the Picture window. Alternatively, use the FreeHand™ Fill functions to place the Fill Area.

To change the color of the border, create the fill area using QuickStitch™ Fill + Border, QuickStitch™ Fill + AutoHole + Border, QuickStitch™ Fill + Border or FreeHand™ Fill + Border. Both the fill area and the border will use the current thread color. Go to the Edit window and you will see the current color three times in the color palette on the right, once for the fill, once for the border and once in case you wish to change the following color. Click the second square on the palette that sets the border color and choose the required thread color.

If you have an area of color that is both inside and outside the Design Area then QuickStitch™ Fill will fill the whole color area with stitches. Either edit the Picture with the Picture window to reduce the size of the color area, use FreeHand™ Fill to fill only the parts you want, or edit the QuickStitch™ Fill area on the Edit window so that the fill area falls inside the Design Area.

If border areas run into each other, two layers of stitching will be produced by the QuickStitch™ border functions. To avoid this, split the colors on the picture in the picture window, or another graphics package, e.g. put a visual 'end point' for each border area. Alternatively, use the FreeHand™ Satin Border function.

The first color can only be changed in the Edit window. Go to the Edit window and click the first color in the color palette, then select the color you want to start with. Alternatively, simply mark out your Design Area and add a Color Change command, ready for the first objects in your design. The Design Area is only used to set the initial size of the design, and is not used when stitches are created. Hence, when the initial color for the Design Area is not used for any objects, it is also not used when stitches are created.

Click the Insert Object icon again to deselect it and complete the insertion. A Jump Stitch is placed from where the new objects end to their insertion point.

If you switch to the Edit or Picture window while you are in Insert then Insert will be turned off and a Jump Stitch will be inserted to jump back to the next point in the design. When you return to the Create window and create objects then you will Add them to the end of the design. You must reselect your Insert point and select Insert Objects again. The Status Bar in the Create window shows whether you are using Add or Insert.

This is a temporary effect that lasts only until you have finished inserting, that is when you switch back to Add or go to the Edit or Picture window. If you insert a Color Change then the objects inserted after the Color Change will use the new color as usual. The objects before the Color Change will revert back to the correct color when you switch back to Add.

Use the Filter Objects buttons in the Edit window to turn off the markers for Color Changes and Stop commands, and for Ties. If you turn the markers off then you can see and select the point underneath.

This will happen if you attempt to open a design that has been set as read-only, or is read-only because it is stored on a CD-ROM. If the design file is on your hard disk as read-only then you must change its properties in Windows® Explorer so that it is no longer read-only. For designs on CD-ROMs, use Windows® Explorer to copy them to your hard disk, then change the properties so that they are no longer read-only. (Windows® Explorer Help has information on the read-only attribute.)

Use the Box Select feature to select an area of the Picture around which you wish to crop the background.

When rotating a picture, certain angles could make the picture larger than the maximum allowed. If this message appears, either rotate the picture to a different angle, or reduce the size of the picture, then try again.

This happens when you use QuickTrace to follow an outline in the picture and then QuickTrace finds a part of the outline that is very thick. This can be caused by excessively broad outlines or by selecting too much of the picture with a high Color Tolerance value. In this case, QuickTrace does not know where to trace the outline as the problem part of the outline is more like a fill area. Use a lower Color Tolerance value, or use the editing functions in the Picture window to make the outline thinner or break up the outline so that the wide parts are isolated from the rest of the outline.

This message may appear if a QuickStitch™ or FreeHand™ fill area is too complex for the stitch generation functions, usually because the fill area is very small. This may happen, for example, if a design has small areas and is then further reduced in size.

To help find the area, check the progress bar that appears when stitches are created. This shows how far through the design the object is, and can be used as an approximate guide for setting the slider bars on the Edit window. If desired, also use the filters to hide other object types. Use the FilmStrip to step through the objects quickly. Look for small areas in the remaining visible objects, and adjust as necessary.

This message will appear when trying to use your scanner or digital camera if another graphics program is already open that uses the Twain-compliant device. Close 6D™ Design Creator and the other graphics programs, then reopen 6D™ Design Creator and try again.

Use Color Tolerance to preview the area that will be used.

• Solid Colors. A solid color area must have well defined edges, either by having an outline of a different color or by being enclosed by other colors. Color Tolerance will show where there are gaps in a border around an area. If the area is not sufficiently well defined, alter the image in the Picture window, or another graphics package, so that the area is enclosed.
• Stippled Colors. Stippled colors (also called 'dithered' colors) are treated the same as solid color areas.
• Graduated Colors. If Color Tolerance is switched off then you will only be able to select a small, single colored part of a graduated color. It is also easier to select a graduated color area when it is enclosed by contrasting colors.

Color Tolerance is switched on with the Color Tolerance option in Screen Preferences.

Alternatively, use the relevant FreeHand™ function (FreeHand™ Border, FreeHand™ Running, FreeHand™ Double or FreeHand™ Triple).

Pictures saved in Jpg format from Adobe® Photoshop® with non-image data may appear blue in the preview window. This does not affect the way they appear on the 5D Design Creator screen. To avoid this, if you use Adobe® Photoshop® to save .jpg files, make sure to check the Exclude non-image data box. If you do not have access to this program and have received this type of file, open and re-save in another program such as Paint Shop Pro. This automatically removes the non-image data.

It is important where you click after selecting the Outline Thinner tool. The color you click on is the color that will be thinned. So if you click on a black outline, this outline will be thinned. Alternatively if you click on an area (such as white on a black and white drawing), this area will be thinned and the outline around it will be thickened to compensate. This leaves the drawing indistinguishable from the original.

The Outline Thinner tool may not work if your picture has dithering, such as a scanned image or one that has been converted from a JPEG file. These pictures have additional colored pixels that can affect the result.

This message will appear when trying to use your scanner or digital camera if the device has not been installed correctly. Close 5D Design Creator, follow the manufacturer's instructions for the Twain-compliant device, then reopen 5D Design Creator and try again.

This message will appear if the connection to your scanner or digital camera has a problem. Close 6D™ Design Creator, check the connections to your scanner or digital camera, then reopen 6D™ Design Creator and try again.

This message will appear in certain circumstances when trying to use your scanner or digital camera, for example if the cable is disconnected during the scan or download. Close 5D Design Creator, check the connections to your scanner or digital camera, then reopen 5D Design Creator and try again.

This message could appear if the desired picture is not where the module expects it to be, for example if it was loaded from a floppy disk, then closed and the floppy disk removed. It could also appear if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have an extension such as .bmp or .jpg, yet not be a proper picture file.

This message may appear if you are using a large picture and your computer's memory or hard disk space is relatively low. Close other programs and try again.

This happens when you are doing a Save As on the .can design outline file and you have given the name of a file that is already there. It also happens when you are saving a stitch file and the file already exists. Click Yes or No as appropriate. You may have to replace a stitch file several times if you are creating stitch files to stitch out tests of your design.

Use 5D Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 5D Configure and select RGB values 102, 102, 153 from the standard color dropdown on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

It is not possible to create a custom toolbar that appears on only one window of 5D Design Creator.

The manufacturer of a TWAIN device must provide a Source Manager and a TWAIN Data source for your device to work with 5D Design Creator. These will normally be installed when you install the software and drivers provided with the device. If you have installed a device and it is not shown in the list then it may not be TWAIN compliant. Refer to the device documentation and manufacturer for assistance.

To resize when part of a picture is selected, simply click and drag any of the resize handles on the selection box (out to increase size, in to decrease size). When the mouse is over a resize handle on a corner of the selection box, the pointer changes from an arrow to the resize pointer.

To rotate when part of a picture is selected, simply click and drag the round rotate handle on the middle right of the selection box. Click and drag down to rotate clockwise, up to rotate counterclockwise.

The Expander makes lines thicker around areas in the picture that match the background color. The Expander is intended for use with scanned pictures, such as line art that has been converted to monochrome and despeckled to clean it up.

Some wide areas of satin may be imported as fill areas, depending on their size in the embroidery. This is because any area that is very wide is assumed to be a fill area. Also, all satin sections that have a fill pattern will be imported as fill areas.

This will happen if you delete a pattern from your MyFill database and then load a design that uses the pattern. The pattern will use system pattern 3 instead of the deleted MyFill pattern. Either import the deleted pattern picture again, then select it in the MyPatterns tab of Fill Properties, or choose a different pattern.

When you have a design from somebody else that contains a fill area with a MyFill pattern, it is likely that their MyFill database will have different patterns to your MyFill database. You must obtain the exported MyFill pattern and import it into your MyFill database, then select the correct pattern in the MyPatterns tab of Fill Properties.

This may happen on slower computers if you have created a lot of very large MyFill patterns, and also if you have created and then deleted a lot of MyFill patterns. It may help if you backup and then restore the MyFills database using the Backup MySettings and Restore MySettings options in 5D Configure. When you restore MySettings, the MyFills database size will be optimized which may help improve the speed for selecting MyFills.

On slower computers, large or complex motif fill areas may take some time to draw in the Create window, particularly if there are holes in the area. This may be noticeable when you create new motif fill areas and when you return to the Create window from the Edit or Picture window or another 5D Embroidery System module.

Some tools in the Create window create more than one outline at a time, such as, Double and Quadruple Trace and FreeHand™ Fill + Border. For example, Quadruple Trace puts four running stitches directly on top of each other. This means that if you want to add and move a new point to change a Quadruple Trace then you will have to do so four times, once for each of the four lines of running stitch. The same idea applies to an area with a border around it, that is, you will have to change the area and border separately.

A color change is only copied when it is part of the selected block. If you paste a block that does not start with a color change then it will use the color that is active at the point where the block is pasted. If you want to preserve the color make sure that you copy the relevant color change, or add a new color change in the desired color before pasting the block.

The Delete key is used to delete individual objects in the Edit window. However, you can remove a block or group of objects with the Cut command.

Objects must be fully enclosed by the selection line to be selected as part of a block. If even the smallest part of an object is outside the line then it will not be selected.

Designs elements you add with Insert Designs are initially added to your design at a reduced size in the top left corner of your design. This is to make sure that any inserted design will fit inside the design you are working on. You can freely resize and move an inserted design, which is initially selected as a block when it is inserted. Remember to hold down the Ctrl key when resizing if you want to keep the proportions of the block.

Use the FilmStrip and/or slider bars to hide all objects except the satin borders and traveling running stitch used to create the trace. Select any satin border object in the trace, then right-click in the FilmStrip and select Global Properties. The Satin Border properties dialog box will appear. Make adjustments as desired and click OK. The new properties will be applied to all visible satin borders.

The dashed line used by Color Tolerance only shows the outside of the area that is selected by the current Color Tolerance value. Simply try the QuickTrace function and if the result is not satisfactory then Undo the result and retry the trace with a higher Color Tolerance.

This will happen when you select Gradient or Multi-Gradient Density for a fill area. Underlay stitches are only generated for fill areas with Normal Density selected. This is because the underlay stitching will spoil the effect of Gradient or Multi-Gradient Density. With Normal Density selected, some fill areas with intricate outlines or complex holes may not be able to create underlay.

If you have a fill area with a complex outline then this may cause the stitches to fill unevenly when you select Gradient or Multi-Gradient density. This is because of the way that the edge of the area interferes with the ideal spacing of the stitches. Gradient and Multi-Gradient density work best for areas with straight or smoothly curving sides. You could replace the Fill Area with a Freehand™ Fill, or edit the area to straighten the side that causes the uneven stitches.

The best size for a background picture is approximately 1000x1000 pixels (or greater). When using pictures significantly smaller than this 5D Design Creator will magnify it, but lines may appear jagged rather than smooth. For example, if a picture is loaded that is less than 500 pixels in both height and width it will automatically be doubled in size. The best way to produce a smooth effect is to rescan the picture.

If the picture you wish to use is only a small part of the picture that has been loaded, use Crop to remove the rest of the picture. If you loaded the picture in the ExpressDesign Wizard, use the Crop Picture page of the wizard. If you loaded the picture directly onto the Picture page, select the desired area of the picture, then use Crop.

If you are creating a design from a picture, without using the ExpressDesign Wizard, use the Design Area command in the Create window when you are ready to start creating the design. This is suitable to select the desired area of the picture when the area is not much smaller than the picture.

The QuickStitch™ features use defined color areas to place fill areas, motif fill areas and borders. However, the Color Tolerance function allows you to merge different color shades to change the size of this area. The filters may also be useful to create color areas. For example, use the Despeckle filter to remove small spots of color that are often found on scanned pictures. Also, some scanned or clip art pictures have thick outlines so there may be gaps between the areas that are larger than desired. Use the Outline Thinner to reduce the thickness of outlines to one pixel automatically.

If there is a gap where the same color flows into another area, the QuickStitch™ and QuickTrace functions will not work. Because gaps in a picture are often not very large, a good way to check whether a picture is suitable is to test whether the areas will flood fill and 'patch them up' as necessary.

How To Use

1. Click the Picture tab at the bottom of the screen.
2. Use Flood Fill to fill an area with the foreground color. If it does not have complete outlines, more of the picture will be flood filled than expected.
3. Click Undo.
4. Select the foreground color to be the same as the outline around the area.
5. Click Freehand Draw and select the third line thickness.
6. Zoom In to the outline to find the gaps, then draw lines to fill any gaps in the outline.
7. Select another color and test the fill again. When only the expected area is flood filled, the picture is ready for the QuickStitch™ functions.

If the control panel is 'floating' on top of the window, double-click the title bar and the control panel will move back to its original position.

If the control panel is docked on the wrong side of the window, click and drag the title bar to the middle of the right-hand edge of the window until the outline snaps into position on the right. Release the mouse button and the control panel will be dropped into its original position.

If this does not work, or the control panel is not visible, use Reset All Modules.

Note that Reset All Modules affects all modules in the 5D Embroidery System, so any changes to settings in each module will be reset. The recent files list on the File menu is also cleared, but this does not affect any files you have saved.

To use Reset All Modules:

1. Ensure your designs are saved in any 5D Embroidery System modules that are open.
2. Click 5D Configure on the QuickLink toolbar.
3. Click Reset All Modules.
4. A message will appear, indicating that all modules will be closed and reset. Click OK.
5. A message will appear, asking you to ensure that all other 5D Embroidery System modules have closed, apart from 5D Configure. Click OK.
6. A message will appear, indicating that all modules have now been reset. Click OK. The next time you start 5D Design Creator, the control panel will be in the correct position.

This message appears if a .can file cannot be loaded. For example, it might have the extension .can, yet not be a proper design outline file.

The program cannot save the file. Ensure that the disk where you are trying to save the design is not write-protected, then try again.

Certain icons (for example Insert Object on the Edit toolbar in the Create window) are only highlighted once a design is shown on the screen. Also, when there is a design on the screen, some functions that might cause a mismatch between the size of the design and the size of the picture are not available in the Picture window.

If the control panel is 'floating' on top of the window, double-click the title bar and the control panel will move back to its original position.

If the control panel is docked on the wrong side of the window, click and drag the title bar to the middle of the right-hand edge of the window until the outline snaps into position on the right. Release the mouse button and the control panel will be dropped into its original position.

Using Reset All Modules in 5D Configure will also return the control panel to its original position.

The origin is usually shown as a dark blue circle. It may be a different color, depending the underlying picture or background colors. Also, the origin can be moved anywhere on the work area. Try Zoom To Fit to see the whole work area.

This may happen if the outlines in the picture are only one pixel wide after the Monochrome Threshold page.

For Express Trace, return to the Outline Finder and Expander page, select Find Outlines and ensure Expand is set to 1.

For Express Border, first click Picture Options and set the Area Sensitivity to High. If this does not have the desired effect, return to the Monochrome Threshold page and adjust the slider so that more of the picture within the desired areas turns black. If this also selects unwanted parts of the picture, you may need to remove the unwanted areas in a picture editor.

To remove unwanted areas, use Load Picture on the Picture page to open the picture. Set the background color to white. Select unwanted areas with Box Select or Freehand Select and Delete them. Use Save Picture As to save the picture with a new name, in case you wish to make further edits, then click Send To Wizard.

This feature is not required in the ExpressDesign Wizard, hence it is not available. It is used in the Edit page when changing object properties.

QuickStitch™ will not create an area from part of the picture that is very small or very thin. This is because the area will either have insignificantly few stitches, or it is not wide enough for stitches to go across it. Try editing your picture to enlarge the area, so that it is big enough to be used as a QuickStitch™ area. Alternatively, use single or running stitches. For thin lines, use QuickTrace.

You have used Global Properties on the FilmStrip context menu to open the object properties dialog box. The Conversion feature has no effect when Global Properties is selected. Objects may only be converted one at a time with the Conversion feature.

If an area is too small or the outline of the area crosses itself, it may not always convert to a satin area. If the area is very small, adjust the outline to increase the size of the area. If the outline of the area crosses itself, adjust the outline to prevent this.

This message may appear when creating an Express Trace design if the final picture has thick areas of solid color. Some or all parts of the design may not be created. Try using options in the wizard, on the Outline Finder and Expander page and/or the Monochrome Threshold page, to ensure the outlines are not too thick. Cancel the wizard, adjust the picture so that the outlines are easier to isolate with Monochrome Threshold, then open the picture in the ExpressDesign Wizard again.

This message appears when trying to select or use a lettering style if the file has corrupted. Reinstall the font.

This may also appear if a font is created in 6D™ Font Digitizing and has no characters defined. Use 6D™ Font Digitizing to define at least one character in the font.

This message appears if an embroidery you are trying to Export or Print is outside the selected hoop or larger than will fit in it. For example, with the 100mm x 100mm hoop selected, an embroidery smaller than 100mm x 100mm might be placed partially outside the work area when you click Export or Print. This message would then appear. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again.

This message appears if the embroidery on screen is partially outside the selected hoop. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again.

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

Make sure the 6D™ Embroidery window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the hoop so it fills the work area. Also, choose a Hoop Size in Hoop Selection that is suitable to the embroidery size.

The refresh rate of the screen is limited by the power of your computer's processor and RAM as well as the video card and its memory. To get the best performance from your system, try using 2D view as this requires less power than 3D view.

Certain icons (for example Save and Export on the Quick Access Toolbar) are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

This is called "Highlight Selected Color". It allows you to see where each color is used in an embroidery. For example, if you have several color blocks using the same thread color and you wish to change the color of a specific section, hover over each color in the worksheet in turn until the section you require is highlighted.

This message will appear when trying to use your scanner or digital camera if the device has not been installed correctly. Close 6D™ Embroidery, follow the manufacturer's instructions for the Twain-compliant device, then reopen 6D™ Embroidery and try again.

This message appears if the font or SuperDesign set that you have selected is not available. The most likely reason is that it is already open in the optional 6D™ Font Digitizing module. Close 6D™ Font Digitizing, then try again. This could also happen if you opened the 6D™ Embroidery program, then accidentally moved or deleted the font from the relevant category folder in ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \Fonts, or the SuperDesign file from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\SuperDesigns. Close 6D™ Embroidery, make sure the file is in the folder, then try again.

This message may appear if the font is corrupt, or if the character selected is not in that font. Reinstall the font, or use 6D™ Font Digitizing to add the character to the font.

This can happen if the outlines in your original picture are only one pixel wide. For example, there may be gaps or missing sections of the outline. If this happens, select Find Outlines on the Outline Finder and Expander page and ensure Expand is set to 1. This will thicken all the outlines so that they are traced correctly.

This can happen with a picture that has a border or background that is black or very dark, especially if the background or border cannot be removed with Monochrome Threshold.

For pictures with a dark border, it should be possible to remove the border on the Crop Picture page of the ExpressDesign Wizard. If this is not possible, edit the picture to remove the border or change the border color.

For pictures on a dark background, use an image editor to invert the colors in the picture or change the background color to a light color.

After editing the picture, load it again in the ExpressDesign Wizard.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

This message appears if you type an incorrect extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types in the File Name box when trying to save a file.

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied bysomeone with a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 6D™ Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

Certain formats are limited to the number of stitches they can save or the size of hoop used on their specific embroidery machine, for example .sew. If you attempt to save a file in this format that is bigger than the largest available hoop size or has more stitches than are allowed, this message would appear.

This message appears if you try to select a motif from MyMotifs, and all the motifs have been deleted from MyMotifs. Use 6D™ Design Creator to add at least one motif to MyMotifs.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

Confirm 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation is Installed

This could be because you have not yet installed the 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation. You can confirm if you have installed this by going to 6D™ Configure and clicking on the Check Installation button and clicking Check to see which items you have installed.

Check you have the latest version of the 6D™ System Documentation installed

Previous 6D™ Documentation installations included Help for some modules. In the 6D™ Documentation 10.0.21, we have included Help and Reference Guides for all modules except 6D™ Font Digitizing.

Use Smart Update to check you have the latest version:

1. Open 6D™ Configure.
2. Click on the Smart Update button.
3. Enter your E-mail Address/Password details.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Next again to start the Download process.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.

If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.

The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

If your 6D module has some scanner functionality (6D Cross Stitch, 6D Design Creator or 6D PhotoStitch/PhotoStitch Wizard) it may not open if you there is an existing issue with the TWAIN/scanner drivers.

To fix this, you should visit the website of your scanner manufacturer and download/install the latest drivers for your scanner.

Alternatively, if you do not use your scanner at all, then you could disable the scanner drivers using the following steps:

1. Close down all 6D modules
2. Open Windows Explorer.
3. Browse to the C:\Windows\TWAIN_32 folder
4. Using pen and paper (or in a text file), make a note of the names of any files or files within the C:\Windows\TWAIN_32 folder.
5. If there are in sub-folders, right click on the top folder that is shown in the list.
6. Choose the Rename option - the name of the folder will be highlighted.
7. Press the right arrow key on your keyboard - so that the cursor moves to the end of the folder name
8. Then type _OLD and press ENTER. So, for example if your original folder name was MyScanner; your folder would now be renamed to MyScanner_OLD.
9. Try to open the 6D module that had previously not opened
10. If the 6D module does not open then rename the folder back to its original name.
11. Repeat steps 6 to 10 if the issue still exists.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

This message usually means that the motif database has been deleted or corrupted. This may be corrected by repairing the installation.

First, delete the file named 'SystemMotifs.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If the file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file name may simply be shown as 'SystemMotifs'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the motifs will be restored.

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

This message will appear if the embroidery you are attempting to load is more than 150mm wide, but would fit in a Designer II hoop if it was rotated; that is it is between 150mm and 360mm wide, and less than 150mm high. Click Yes to continue.

This message appears if the d-Card is defective or if a d-card is pulled out of the d-Card Reader/Writer during the writing process.

This message appears if a Husqvarna Viking read-only Embroidery d-Card is inserted in the d-Card Reader/Writer when you select Write d-Card; replace with a Personal d-Card.

This message appears if the Personal d-Card placed in the d-Card Reader/Writer contains a program that can update your Husqvarna Viking Designer II sewing machine software. If you do not wish to update at this time, click OK to continue the Read or Write d-Card procedure. When using Write d-Card, the update program will be erased when the embroideries are written to the d-Card.

This message appears if the d-Card from which you are trying to load embroideries is another type of d-card, for example a Stitch d-Card.

This message may appear if a d-Card has been pulled out of the computer during the writing process. Try writing to the d-Card, then use the Read d-Card feature again.

To backup your 5D settings:

Backing Up MySettings:

1. Open 5D Configure.
2. Click on the Backup MySettings button. A 'Save As' dialog box will appear.
3. If needed, give the file a descriptive name. Click Save. By default the file will be saved within your \Documents\5DEmbroidery\SystemBackup folder
4. Open Windows Explorer.
5. Browse to your Documents folder - My Documents for Windows® XP users.
6. Double click on the 5D Embroidery folder.
7. Copy all folders and files - except the Samples folder - to your *external media.
8. Browse to the folder which contains your MyFonts folder - see below - and also copy the MyFonts folder to your external media.

Windows® 7 / Windows® Vista users: C:\ProgramData\VSMSoftware\5DEmbroidery\Fonts\

Windows® XP users: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VSMSoftware\5DEmbroidery\Fonts\

N.B. If you do not see the ProgramData (or All Users for Windows® XP users) folder; then refer to EM067

* external media: this can be a USB Stick, External USB Hard Disk, burned/copied onto a CD/DVD...etc.

** The main thing, is that not to store backups on the same physical hard disk that your 5D Embroidery System is installed on - if that hard disk malfunctioned, then you would lose your 5D software and all of your backups as well.

The message is indicating that your dongle is not activated to open the 5D Card Shop module.

5D Card Shop is an add-on module; this means that your dongle needs additional activation to use the 5D Card Shop module - even if your dongle has previously been activated to use other 5D modules.

To activate your dongle to use 5D Card Shop; contact your local dealer or go to the 5D Purchase Center.

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

This message will appear if the embroidery you are attempting to load is more than 200mm wide, but would fit if it was rotated; that is it is between 200mm and 360mm wide, and less than 200mm high. Click Yes to continue.

You have not selected the option to start Embroidery Machine Communication automatically when Windows starts. Resolve this as follows:

1. Start 5D Configure.
2. Click a Send tab.
3. Click the Embroidery Machine Communication button and the icon will appear in the system tray.
4. Position the pointer over the icon in the system tray and right-click. A menu will appear.
5. Click the Start Automatically option.
6. Right-click the icon again to confirm the Start Automatically option is checked.
7. Click anywhere on the desktop, away from the menu, to close the menu without changing anything.

You may connect one of each type of embroidery machine to the same computer. For example, you may connect one Husqvarna Viking Designer SE, Diamond, Ruby and one Pfaff creative vision, 4.0 at the same time.

However, if you connect two or more of the same type of machine, the Embroidery Machine Communication module will not communicate correctly with those machines.

This message may appear when creating an Express Trace design if the final picture has thick areas of solid color. Some or all parts of the design may not be created. Try using options in the wizard, on the Outline Finder and Expander page and/or the Monochrome Threshold page, to ensure the outlines are not too thick. Cancel the wizard, adjust the picture so that the outlines are easier to isolate with Monochrome Threshold, then open the picture in the ExpressDesign Wizard again.

This can happen if the outlines in your original picture are only one pixel wide. For example, there may be gaps or missing sections of the outline. If this happens, select Find Outlines on the Outline Finder and Expander page and ensure Expand is set to 1. This will thicken all the outlines so that they are traced correctly.

This can happen with a picture that has a border or background that is black or very dark, especially if the background or border cannot be removed with Monochrome Threshold.

For pictures with a dark border, it should be possible to remove the border on the Crop Picture page of the ExpressDesign Wizard. If this is not possible, edit the picture to remove the border or change the border color.

For pictures on a dark background, use an image editor to invert the colors in the picture or change the background color to a light color.

After editing the picture, load it again in the ExpressDesign Wizard.

To deselect an embroidery, click the mouse on another embroidery. To select the desired embroidery, click on it and an outline box will appear. If one embroidery or piece of lettering is overlapping another making it difficult to select, click the Previous and Next Design icons on the Home tab. Alternatively, press the Tab key to select each embroidery in turn.

There is a corrupt embroidery file in the directory you are trying to view. If the program crashes before you are able to select a file then this corrupt file is in the last folder you browsed.

To find the corrupt file use File > Open to individually open each file in this folder. When a file is reported to be corrupt use Windows® Explorer to delete it.

Certain icons (for example Save As on the Main toolbar and most of the Edit toolbar icons) are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

When creating multi-color lettering, ensure that the Jump Connection is selected. If Running Connection is selected, you will not be able to ColorSort the lettering.

The ColorSort process does not just put the same color blocks together. It checks for overlap between areas, therefore depending on the overlaps, the final number of color blocks may vary, even if you are Combining a similar number of shapes or monograms.

This message appears if the size entered in the Size Box on the Letter tab is below 3mm or above 200mm. The Size setting refers to the height in millimeters of an uppercase 'A' in the selected font. If you wish to increase lettering above this you could click and drag one of the corner boxes or alter the Height or Width proportions.

This message appears when trying to select or use a lettering style if the file has corrupted. Reinstall the font.

This may also appear if a font is created in 6D™ Font Digitizing and has no characters defined. Use 6D™ Font Digitizing to define at least one character in the font.

This message appears if an embroidery you are trying to Export or Print is outside the selected hoop or larger than will fit in it. For example, with the 100mm x 100mm hoop selected, an embroidery smaller than 100mm x 100mm might be placed partially outside the work area when you click Export or Print. This message would then appear. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again.

This message appears if the embroidery on screen is partially outside the selected hoop. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again.

Check the Plus Hoop setting has been chosen. Click Hoop and alter the Hoop Size setting to 170mm x 100mm (Plus Hoop). To load designs in specific positions for the Plus Hoop, click File, Open Plus/Mega Designs Command, P1 and so on.

Check the Mega Hoop multi-part setting has been chosen. Click Hoop and alter the Hoop Size setting to 360mm x 150mm (Mega Multi-Part). To load designs in specific positions for the Mega Hoop, click File, Open Plus/Mega Designs Command, P1 and so on.

The automatic splitting up of lettering does not work after it has been converted to fixed stitches. This occurs if it is a pasted copy, as well as if it has been previously ColorSorted, Combined or Saved.

As a Plus Hoop design will not open in the correct positions when you have a Medium, Large or Mega Hoop selected, you can take the following steps to position them correctly:

1. If the design is on a card, use 5D Reader/Writer USB to read it and save the design parts as a series of files.
2. In 5D Embroidery, click the Hoop icon and select the desired Hoop Size. It should be the Medium Hoop (100mm x 170mm) or larger. Make sure the Orientation is set to Vertical. Click OK.
3. Click the Preferences icon, then click the Screen tab. Change the grid size to 35mm, then click OK.
4. Open the three (or two) Plus Hoop design files in the order that they will be stitched out (e.g. P1 - stitch first, P3 - stitch second, P2 - stitch third).
5. Place the P2 design so that the first stitch, marked by the small cross, is on the center of the gridlines in the center of the hoop. You may wish to zoom in to help positioning.
6. Place the P1 design so that the first stitch is on the first gridline above the center line.
7. Place the P3 design so that the first stitch is on the first gridline below the center line.
8. Click Combine to merge them into one embroidery file for your embroidery machine, and save as a new filename. There will be many color changes.

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

Make sure the 6D™ Embroidery window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the hoop so it fills the work area. Also, choose a Hoop Size in Hoop Selection that is suitable to the embroidery size.

Many functions of 6D™ Embroidery can be used to help see sections of embroideries more easily. They include the Zoom Commands and the Draw Range. The different methods of selection (Box Select, Freehand Select, Polygon Select and Make Block From Visible Area) are also useful for different situations.

This message appears when attempting to open 5D Embroidery if your computer is set to a display of 256 colors or less. Reset the display as follows:

1. Right-click on the desktop and a shortcut menu appears.
2. In Windows® 7, click Screen resolution, then click Advanced settings - Properties box will appear. From there click the Monitor tab.
3. In Windows® Vista, click Personalize, then click Display Settings in the window that appears.
4. In Windows® XP, click on Properties and a dialog box appears. Click the Settings tab.
5. In both cases, change Color quality to High Color (16 bit) or higher using the drop-down menu.
6. Click OK, and allow your computer to restart if required.

The refresh rate of the screen is limited by the power of your computer's processor and RAM as well as the video card and its memory. To get the best performance from your system, try using 2D view as this requires less power than 3D view.

Certain icons (for example Save and Export on the Quick Access Toolbar) are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

If the control panel is 'floating' on top of the window, double-click the title bar and the control panel will move back to its original position.

If the control panel is docked on the wrong side of the window, click and drag the title bar to the middle of the right-hand edge of the window until the outline snaps into position on the right. Release the mouse button and the control panel will be dropped into its original position.

For the following Line Types, there are no control boxes to change the size of the characters in the lettering:

• Circle Clockwise
• Circle Counter-Clockwise
• Full Circle
• Fit To Straight Line
• Fit To Wavy Line

Instead, use Size, Height and Width in Letter Properties to change the size of the characters.

Some fonts and shapes sets have non-uniform properties. For example, they may use more than one pattern for satin or fill, or use the same fill pattern at different angles in different characters or shapes. Therefore, there is no overall uniform property that can be changed, so the Satin and Fill buttons may not be used to change the Satin and Fill Properties. You may wish to use a different font with a similar style that allows you to change its properties, or create a new font with the QuickFont Wizard based on a TrueType® or OpenType® font with a similar style.

You have changed a property that is not used by the font you have chosen. For instance, if the font is created from satin sections, changing the fill properties will have no effect on the lettering. Similarly, if the font is an outline font of running, double or triple stitch, neither the fill or satin properties will affect the appearance of the characters.

For script fonts, the Gap setting has no effect on adjacent lowercase characters. Script fonts use a special 'continuous' joining method, which places lowercase characters adjacent to each other to give the appearance of handwriting. All the fonts in the Script category use this joining method, and you may also create new fonts with the QuickFont Wizard or the optional 6D™ Font Digitizing module that use this joining method.

You are using an uppercase font. In an uppercase font (with UC in the name), all the lowercase characters are identical to the uppercase characters.

You are using an lowercase font. In an lowercase font (with LC in the name), all the uppercase characters are identical to the lowercase characters.

Select the desired lettering, then right-click on the lettering. The Letter Properties will appear and you may change the text.

Once lettering has been converted to embroidery, no adjustments can be made with Letter Properties.

Only embroideries or blocks of stitches may be rotated or mirrored. Lettering and shapes must be 'fixed' as embroideries to allow this. Select the Design or Edit page and all lettering and shapes will be fixed as embroideries.

If you select the Edit page, in 5D Embroidery Extra, only the selected embroidery can be adjusted.

Only embroideries may be ColorSorted. Lettering must be 'fixed' as an embroidery to allow this. Select the Design or Edit page and all lettering will be fixed as embroideries.

If you select the Edit page, in 5D Embroidery Extra, only the selected embroidery can be adjusted.

To cancel a stitch block selection made using Box Select, Freehand Select, Polygon Select or Make Block From Visible Area, click anywhere in the currently active embroidery, but outside the dotted box showing the selected stitches. The stitches will no longer be selected.

This will happen if you choose a Universal Hoop that is the same size. The Universal Hoops are shown as plain hoops of the selected size. Use Hoop Selection to choose the desired hoop size, but do not choose a Universal Hoop.

The hoop is only shown graphically when 3D mode is selected. Therefore, it is not shown graphically when the Edit tab in 5D Embroidery Extra is selected.

Only the currently selected section can be sent to an embroidery machine when some multi-part hoops are selected.

1. Send the first section and stitch it out.
2. Then adjust the hoop for the next section, send it and stitch it out.
3. Continue until the whole design has been completely stitched out.

Note that for certain embroidery machines such as the Husqvarna Viking Designer SE and Designer Diamond, and the Pfaff creative vision, creative 4.0, multi-part embroideries are transferred in one .vp3 file.

If the control panel is visible but in the wrong position, first try to click and drag its title bar to move it back to its normal position on the right.

If this does not work, or the control panel is not visible, use Reset All Modules.

Note that Reset All Modules affects all modules in the 5D Embroidery System, so any changes to settings in each module will be reset. The recent files list on the File menu is also cleared, but this does not affect any files you have saved.

To use Reset All Modules:

1. Ensure your designs are saved in any 5D Embroidery System modules that are open.
2. Click 5D Configure on the QuickLink toolbar.
3. Click Reset All Modules.
4. A message will appear, indicating that all modules will be closed and reset. Click OK.
5. A message will appear, asking you to ensure that all other 5D Embroidery System modules have closed, apart from 5D Configure. Click OK.
6. A message will appear, indicating that all modules have now been reset. Click OK.

The next time you start 5D Embroidery, the control panel will be in the correct position.

This is because the shape of an embroidery becomes a factor when there is an odd number of repeats. For an even number of repeats, the shape of an embroidery is cancelled out by the exact same shape on the opposite side of the circle. For an odd number of repeats, the circle is not 'balanced' in quite the same way, so the center point of the final embroidery may not be in the same place as the original center of the circle after you right-click.

This may also happen with an even number of repeats when the Mirror option is chosen for Position and the embroidery is not horizontally symmetrical. If you regard each pair of mirrored embroideries as a single item, an odd number of pairs may cause the center of rotation to move.

If your embroidery is horizontally symmetrical before you use the Encore function, the Mirror option will have no apparent effect. However, it will affect stitch order of each alternate copy. For example, clockwise stitching will become counter-clockwise, and so on.

The Notes for an embroidery will have the words Endless added after any other Notes text. If the Notes have been edited so that this is no longer the case, use the slider bars on the Edit tab to see if there are marker stitches at the beginning and end of the embroidery.

This can happen if you use the Repeat Embroidery option and you do not use Undo before trying again. This is because you have already created a repeated sequence with no gaps that then becomes a single embroidery. If you then use the Endless Embroidery function again to try to add a Gap, the whole repeated sequence is treated as a single embroidery. This should be apparent if you look at the Notes, because the word 'Endless' will occur twice at the end of the Notes. Always click Undo to go back to the single copy of the embroidery before trying Endless Embroidery again with different settings.

The Endless function is not available in any of the following situations:

• There is no embroidery selected, so there is nothing that can be made endless: load an embroidery
• A multi-part hoop is selected: use Preferences to select a standard hoop that is compatible with your embroidery machine
• The embroidery is too big for or is outside the current hoop: adjust the embroidery as needed or choose a larger hoop

This is called "Highlight Selected Color". It allows you to see where each color is used in an embroidery. For example, if you have several color blocks using the same thread color and you wish to change the color of a specific section, hover over each color in the worksheet in turn until the section you require is highlighted.

This message will appear when trying to use your scanner or digital camera if the device has not been installed correctly. Close 6D™ Embroidery, follow the manufacturer's instructions for the Twain-compliant device, then reopen 6D™ Embroidery and try again.

This message will appear when trying to use your scanner or digital camera if another graphics program is already open that uses the Twain-compliant device. Close 6D™ Embroidery and the other graphics program, then reopen 6D™ Embroidery and try again.

This message will appear if the connection to your scanner or digital camera has a problem. Close 6D™ Embroidery, check the connections to your scanner or digital camera, then reopen 6D™ Embroidery and try again.

This message will appear in certain circumstances when trying to use your scanner or digital camera, for example if the cable is disconnected during the scan or download. Close 5D Embroidery Extra, check the connections to your scanner or digital camera, then reopen 5D Embroidery Extra and try again.

This message will appear if you attempt to repeat an embroidery so that it is larger than 500mm high or wide. Click OK. The Encore function will be cancelled without repeating the embroidery.

This may happen if the outlines in the picture are only one pixel wide after theMonochrome Threshold page.

For Express Trace, return to the Outline Finder and Expander page, select Find Outlines and ensure Expand is set to 1.

For Express Border, first click Picture Options and set the Area Sensitivity to High. If this does not have the desired effect, return to the Monochrome Threshold page and adjust the slider so that more of the picture within the desired areas turns black. If this also selects unwanted parts of the picture, you may need to remove the unwanted areas in a picture editor.

6D™ Design Creator and 6D™ PhotoStitch have picture editing functions that may be used to remove unwanted areas.

As with Circle and Line, you must right-click to finish using Encore and create the repeated embroidery. Until you right-click, Encore is simply previewing the chosen Encore Hoop settings and you may click the Encore Setup button to change settings. Notice also that there is no selection box shown around any embroidery when Encore is active.

If you click one of the other control panel tabs, Encore will be cancelled, the preview will be removed from the screen and the original embroidery will be selected.

The control boxes on blocks of lettering allow subtle adjustments directly to the shape of the lettering. However, the Letter Properties only allows the proportions of Height and Width to be adjusted. When the Letter Properties are changed, the previous adjustments may be partially lost when the Height and Width values are applied. Therefore, it is recommended to make all desired adjustments in Letter Properties before making final adjustments directly with the control boxes.

This message can occur if you have are trying to generate some special characters from fonts you have made in the QuickFont Wizard and the Check Spelling option is selected in Preferences.

Open Preferences.
1. Uncheck the Check Spelling checkbox.
2. Click OK.
3. Close down 5D Embroidery/Embroidery Extra.
4. Re-open 5D Embroidery/Embroidery Extra.
5. Generate the characters again.

My design will not split for the Pfaff creative Grand Dream Hoop/Husqvarna Viking Mega Multi-Part Hoop SE (or any other Multi-Part hoop) an error message says it is too large for the hoop.

When using Multi-Part hoops with the Intelligent split option, some designs which do not have any stitching in the overlap area will not split and produce a 'Design too large' error.

When this occurs, change to the Straight Line split option in Preferences.

Some multipart embroideries are created with alignment stitches that overlap exactly. When viewing these designs in 6D™ Embroidery, deselect Remove Overlap in 6D™ Configure, Export, before sending them to the embroidery machine.

You can use a utility called charmap; which is already installed onto Windows computers?

1. Click on the Start menu.
2. Type charmap – on Windows XP: Run -> charmap -> Enter.
3. Press Enter or click on the Charmap entry near the top of the Start menu.
4. Select Arial from the font drop-down list. Other fonts may show all the special characters, but by choosing Arial, you are guaranteed that they will be seeing all the characters.
5. Scroll down if needed to find the character that you want to use. Click on the characters to select it.
6. Click on the Select button and that character will appear in the Characters to copy textbox.
7. Click on the Copy button to place that character in the clipboard.
8. Go back to 5D Embroidery (or whichever 5D module you are enterring lettering in) and paste it into the Letter textbox.

The MyFonts folder for the 5D Embroidery System, can be found here:

Windows® 7 / Windows® Vista users: C:\ProgramData\VSMSoftware\5DEmbroidery\Fonts\MyFonts

Windows® XP users: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VSMSoftware\5DEmbroidery\Fonts\MyFonts

If you do not see the ProgramData folder - or All Users folder for Windows® XP users; then you may have to take the following steps to stop them being hidden by your operating system:

1. Click on your Start menu.
2. Click on Control Panel.
3. Type folder option into the Search textbox
4. Click on the Folder Options link.
5. The Folder Options dialog box will appear – set it to Show hidden files, folders and drives files and uncheck the two Hide options indicated in the screenshot – click Yes to the warning message.
6. Click OK.
7. Once you have followed all the instructions for accessing the MyFonts folder, you can reverse these instructions to put the Folder Options to what they were.

Windows® XP users: use the above instructions, but for step #3, click on the Appearance and Themes link in Control Panel; then click on the Folder Options link.

The largest design that can be created is 2000mm x 2000mm (2 meters by 2 meters)

This message appears if you try to create a monogram with no letters selected. Select some letters.

This message appears if you try to create a monogram using a character that is outside the available font range (ASCII 33-255). Use a valid character.

This message will appear when trying to use your scanner if the device has not been installed correctly. Close 6D™ Embroidery, follow the manufacturer's instructions for the Twain-compliant device, then reopen 6D™ Embroidery and try again.

This message will appear if the scanner has created an image file that is not supported by 6D™ Embroidery. Convert the image to a supported image file format.

This message appears if the font or SuperDesign set that you have selected is not available. The most likely reason is that it is already open in the optional 6D™ Font Digitizing module. Close 6D™ Font Digitizing, then try again. This could also happen if you opened the 6D™ Embroidery program, then accidentally moved or deleted the font from the relevant category folder in ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \Fonts, or the SuperDesign file from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\SuperDesigns. Close 6D™ Embroidery, make sure the file is in the folder, then try again.

This message appears if the SuperDesigns or Frames folder is empty or has been accidentally moved, deleted or renamed. Close 6D™ Embroidery, make sure the folder ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \SuperDesigns, or \Frames, is in the correct location and contains the SuperDesign or frames files, then try again.

If you are unable to restore or replace the SuperDesigns or Frames folder, repair the installation. Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the SuperDesigns or Frames will be restored.

Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

This message may appear if the font is corrupt, or if the character selected is not in that font. Reinstall the font, or use 6D™ Font Digitizing to add the character to the font.

This message appears if the database of Frames and Borders, or the database of shapes used for Encore shapes, shape fill, and creating border and appliqué shapes, has been corrupted or accidentally moved or deleted.

This error does not prevent 6D™ Embroidery from starting. However, you will not be able to use the relevant functions until this is resolved. To correct this, start the installation for your 6D™ Embroidery System software, then choose the Repair option.

If the problem persists, delete the file named 'BorderShapes.bdr' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System, and then use the Repair option again.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If the file is not present then this is the reason for the error.

If no design is selected, or more than one design is selected, the worksheet will be blank. To view and change the threads in an embroidery, select the single embroidery, then view the threads in the color worksheet.

Certain functions are only available in 6D™ Embroidery Extra, for example the ExpressDesign Wizard, the PhotoStitch Wizard, the QuiltBlock Wizard, Split Project Wizard and the Background Wizard. In 6D™ Embroidery these functions will be grayed out (unavailable).

This can happen if the outlines in your original picture are only one pixel wide. For example, there may be gaps or missing sections of the outline. If this happens, select Find Outlines on the Outline Finder and Expander page and ensure Expand is set to 1. This will thicken all the outlines so that they are traced correctly.

This can happen with a picture that has a border or background that is black or very dark, especially if the background or border cannot be removed with Monochrome Threshold.

For pictures with a dark border, it should be possible to remove the border on the Crop Picture page of the ExpressDesign Wizard. If this is not possible, edit the picture to remove the border or change the border color.

For pictures on a dark background, use an image editor to invert the colors in the picture or change the background color to a light color.

After editing the picture, load it again in the ExpressDesign Wizard.

After creating and saving an embroidery, use the Edit tab or open the file in 6D™ Stitch Editor Plus and use the following instructions.

1. Use the Freehand Block Select feature to mark the stitches in the background.
2. Click Delete Stitches.
3. Save the adjusted embroidery.

The .mgm file stores the exact name of the font file and frame or flourish file used in the 6D™ ExpressMonogram Wizard. If a font or flourish has been replaced by one with a slightly different name then the settings will revert to the first font or flourish in the first category available.

If the selected motif width is larger than the size of the monogram or name, then only one motif may be created. Adjusting lettering or motif size or spacing may allow multiple motifs to be included in the border. If the selected motif shape is irregular it may overlap the monogram. Adjusting lettering or motif size or spacing may produce the desired results.

Frames and Flourishes with running stitch that is vertical or horizontal are not always completely visible at zoom to fit. This varies depending on the font, size of lettering and envelope. Use the Zoom In feature, if desired, to verify that the stitching exists.

The Monogram font category fonts Condensed Block and Square Block include two versions of the characters ’I’ and ’W’. If you enter an upper case letter, the displayed version will be even width (square). If you use a lower case ’I’ (or Ì, Í, Î or Ï) the letter will be narrower. If you use a lower case ’W’ the letter will be wider.

The ExpressMonogram Wizard can only use the fonts provided in the 6D™ Embroidery System or created using the 6D™ QuickFont Wizard. It cannot use new fonts created in 6D™ Font Digitizing.

In Encore Shape and Encore Hoop, when two embroideries are selected, the embroidery that is first in the stitch-out order will be placed in the corners. If you want to use the other embroidery in the corners, use Layout Order to change the order.

A maximum of two designs can be used with Encore Shape and Encore Hoop. If more than two designs are selected, only the first two that were loaded will be used in the Encore. Either use Encore Circle or Line, or combine some of the embroideries before using Encore.

The Endless function is not available in any of the following situations:

• There is no embroidery loaded, so there is nothing that can be made endless: load an embroidery
• The embroidery is too big for or is outside the current hoop: adjust the embroidery as needed or choose a larger hoop

Information on the font, SuperDesign, Motif or Frame used in an embroidery made in 6D™ Embroidery is stored in the Settings. Open the embroidery and click the Settings tab in the Home tab to view the settings. Alternatively, print a worksheet for the embroidery.

6D™ Embroidery and 6D™ Font Digitizing cannot have the same font open at the same time. Therefore, you must close the font in 6D™ Font Digitizing to make it fully available to 6D™ Embroidery.

For the following Line Types, there are no control boxes to change the size of the characters in the lettering:

• Circle Clockwise
• Circle Clockwise
• Full Circle
• Fit To Straight Line
• Fit To Wavy Line

Instead, use Size, Height and Width in Letter Properties to change the size of the characters.

Some fonts and SuperDesign sets have non-editable properties. For example, they may use more than one pattern for satin or fill, or use the same fill pattern at different angles in different characters or shapes. Therefore, there is no overall uniform property that can be changed, so the properties dialog box may not be used to change the stitch Properties. You may wish to use a different font with a similar style that allows you to change its properties, or create a new font with the QuickFont Wizard based on a TrueType® or OpenType® font with a similar style.

You are trying to change a property in a font or SuperDesign set that is not editable. For instance, if a font uses more than one type of Pattern Fill, the stitch type will be unavailable. Also, if a font is an outline font of running, double or triple stitch, no fill or satin properties will be available.

Script fonts use a special connection method that allows adjacent lower case letters to be connected to each other, regardless of the Gap setting. This is not compatible with the way the characters are arranged by the Full Circle line type.

Circle Clockwise and Circle Counter-Clockwise are compatible with Script fonts.

When lettering, SuperDesigns and frames are rotated or mirrored, they are 'fixed' as embroideries. Make any changes to the properties of your lettering, SuperDesign or frame before rotating or mirroring it.

When lettering, SuperDesigns and frames are copied, the copy is 'fixed' as an embroidery. If you want to change the properties of both copies, create the second copy in the Letter, SuperDesign or Frame window.

When lettering is ColorSorted it is 'fixed' as an embroidery. Make any desired adjustments to your lettering before using ColorSort.

The control boxes on blocks of lettering allow subtle adjustments directly to the shape of the lettering. However, the Letter Properties only allows the proportions of Height and Width to be adjusted. When the Letter Properties are changed, the previous adjustments may be partially lost when the Height and Width values are applied. Therefore, it is recommended to make all desired adjustments in Letter Properties before making final adjustments directly with the control boxes.

If a font does not use an editable stitch type, the Stitch Type will not be available in Letter Options.

If a SuperDesign does not include an editable stitch type, the Stitch Type drop-down list will not be available in the SuperDesign Options dialog box.

Stitch types are not available in the Letter Properties dialog box. Right-click the lettering, and select the stitch type from the right-click menu.

Appliqué is associated with the selected design. If you add appliqué to a design that is not selected, the appliqué will be associated with the selected design, not the desired one. Make sure that you select the desired design before adding appliqué.

Appliqué is associated with the selected design. If you add appliqué to a design that is not selected, the stitching will be treated as background stitching, and the appliqué will be placed on top of it. Make sure that you select the desired design before you add appliqué to it.

If you select Hoop Zoom to Fit in the Print page, the grid will be proportional to the scaling used to fit the hoop to the printed page. If you select ’Garment/Quilt Block Zoom to Fit’ or ’Garment/Quilt Block Real Size’ in the Print page, the grid will extend across the whole of the selected background, not just the hoop area. The grid will be proportional to the scaling used to fit the garment and hoop to the printed page.

If you have your thumbnail view in Windows® Explorer set to Small icons, List or Details then you will not see the preview - you will only see the 6D logo.

Change the View to one of the other available options to see the thumbnail images of your stitch files

Changing the View:

1. Open Windows® Explorer.
2. Browse to a folder that contains stitch files.
3. Right click on an empty area of main part of the Windows® Explorer screen.
4. Move your mouse over the View option.
5. Click on Medium icons - or whichever other option you prefer to view your thumbnail images in.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.

The QuickFont Wizard is designed to work with Windows TrueType® and OpenType ® fonts. The QuickFont Wizard does not support Postscript Type 1 fonts. To check Font Properties:

1. Click Start, Control Panel, then select Fonts.
2. Click the desired font to select it.
3. Right-click and select Properties from the menu that appears.
4. Check Type of file. If it is PostScript Metrics or Type 1 Font File it will not work with the QuickFont Wizard.

This message may appear at the end of font creation if one or more characters is not properly defined in a font. That is, there is no data in the TrueType or OpenType font about the characters, so they have not been created in the embroidery font. This may happen with specialist or symbol fonts, which are not designed for general text usage. If desired, use 6D™ Font Digitizing to create any missing characters.

This message may appear when trying to preview or create a font with the QuickFont Wizard. When some parts of characters have very narrow sections, they may not be large enough to have fill areas created when the Stitch Type is set to Fill or Fill + Satin Border. If the font is created, it may have characters or parts of some characters missing. It is recommended to choose a different Stitch Type. Alternatively, create the font then use 5D Font Digitizing to create the missing parts and/or characters.

This can happen if you have selected a very small (or complex) TrueType Font that is installed on your computer.

If a particular character is extremely small; then some of the narrower sections of a character will not be large enough to contain a Satin/Fill area. This may result in that character not being generated.

For example when trying to generate the Garamond font; by default the 'e' character is too small to generate - resulting in the following message

A way around this is to increase DPI settings on your computer (the size that your Operating System displays your fonts at):

The image below gives an approximation of moving from normal (left) to Large (right)

XP

1. Right click on an empty area of your Desktop.
2. Click on Properties.
3. The Display Properties box will appear.
4. Click on the Settings tab.
5. Click on the Advanced button.
6. Click on the General tab.
7. Select the Large size (DPI 120) from the drop-down list.
8. Click OK until your return to the Desktop.
9. You will be prompted to restart your computer. Click Yes to restart the computer.
10. Now try to generate the font that had previous given you the 'Too complicated' message in QuickFont Wizard.

Vista

1. Right click on an empty area of your Desktop.
2. Click on the Personalize option. The Personalization window will appear.
3. Click on the Adjust font size (DPI) option on the left side of the window.
4. Click Continue to any User Account Control messages that may appear.
5. Select the Larger scale (120 DPI) option
6. Click OK
7. Restart your computer when prompted.
8. Now try to generate the font that had previous given you the 'Too complicated' message in QuickFont Wizard.

Windows 7

Right click on an empty area of your Desktop.

Click on the Screen resolutionoption. The Screen resolution

FT011   "The selected dimensions will produce a large PortraitStitch and stitch creation may take some time. Removing background areas will reduce the time required."

This message will appear if you specify a PhotoStitch larger than 26,000mm square. Click OK to continue creating the PhotoStitch. To reduce the stitch creation time, remove the picture background, particularly any very detailed areas. Stitch creation time is shorter for Linear PhotoStitch.

GA001   I can't drag and drop embroideries from the Open dialog box

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

GA002   Error: "Embroidery too large for output file format"

Certain formats are limited to the size of hoop used on their specific embroidery machine, for example .sew. If you attempt to save a file in this format that is bigger than the largest available hoop size this message would appear.

GA003   I have saved my embroidery as Tajima format, but it now has more colors

If your original embroidery had a stop command in it then this would be replaced by a color change, thus adding a color for every stop you have in your embroidery. As the Tajima file format does not have a stop command in its format, it requires the machine operator to manually enter stops into the machine. If you save or distribute files in Tajima format, then you must also specify all colors and stops and where they occur in the embroidery.

GA004   I have saved an embroidery in .sew format, and two files have been created

Janome software cannot load embroideries with more than 12 colors. If a file to be exported in .sew format has more than 12 color changes, it will automatically be split into multiple files, with the last character of the filename "1", "2", and so on.

GA005   Error "Cannot open embroidery."

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

GA006   Error "Unrecognized file format."

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

GA007   "Embroidery is corrupt"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA008   "Embroidery XY coordinates incorrect"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA009   "Unrecognized file extension"

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

GA010   Error "Unrecognized file extension" when saving a file

This message appears if you type an incorrect extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types in the File Name box when trying to save a file.

GA011   Error "Not enough memory to perform operation."

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

GA014   I have changed grid color and now I wish to return to the original color

Use 5D Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 5D Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Preferences to change the grid spacing.

GA015   I have changed the screen background color and now I wish to return to the original light blue

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

GA016   I wish to change the background color for the work area

Use 5D Configure to alter the background color for the work area. 5D Configure may also be used to change the texture for modules that use texture.

GA017   I wish to change the background color for the work area and the Real Size window

Use 5D Configure to alter the background color for the work area and Real Size. 5D Configure may also be used to turn the texture on or off.

GA018   I can't see some of the floating toolbars or icons

Use Reset All Modules in 5D Configure to return all toolbars in the module to their default settings.

To use Reset All Modules

1. Ensure your designs are saved in any 5D Embroidery System modules that are open.
2. Click 5D Configure on the QuickLink toolbar.
3. Click Reset All Modules.
4. A message will appear, indicating that all modules will be closed and reset. Click OK.
5. A message will appear, asking you to ensure that all other 5D Embroidery System modules have closed, apart from 5D Configure. Click OK.
6. A message will appear, indicating that all modules have now been reset. Click OK. The toolbars in your module will have been restored.

If preferred, you can check individual toolbars in View, Customize. Use this to see if the missing toolbar has been turned off, and also to reset the toolbar if icons have been added to or removed from the toolbar. If this does not restore the toolbar, use Reset All Modules.

GA019   "The color xx has been found in your database, but the thread color is not exactly the same."

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA020   "Could not find xx in your database. Matching to closest thread in yy."

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied bysomeone with a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 6D™ Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA021   I cannot send a file to an embroidery machine

Click the 5D Configure icon to start 5D Configure. This will allow you to adjust the Send 1 and Send 2 options for your embroidery machine.

GA022   When I close 5D Embroidery all my other modules also close

5D Embroidery is the central module of the 5D Embroidery System. When 5D Embroidery closes, all other open modules are closed at the same time.

If you have created a new file or made changes in another module, you will be prompted to save the file before the module closes.

GA023   I have installed my 5D Embroidery Software, but I can't see shortcuts to all the modules. Have they installed correctly?

All modules that you have installed are available on the QuickLink toolbar and QuickLink menu. The QuickLink toolbar is shown in every module that uses toolbars. It is shown here for a fully installed 5D Embroidery System:



In some cases, part of the toolbar may not be fully visible. In this case, the remainder of the toolbar can be seen by clicking the >> symbol at the right end of the toolbar. This will drop down a menu of any options that were not visible.

Also notice that the machine accessories are shown only on the Accessories sub-menu (Green cross) on the toolbar, or on the Accessories sub-menu of the QuickLink menu.

GA024   I have a very large embroidery in the clipboard block. How do I remove it?

Click on the Clipboard Block area of your 5D module; and the contents of the Clipboard will be cleared.

GA027   "Embroidery too large for export format."

Certain formats are limited to the number of stitches they can save or the size of hoop used on their specific embroidery machine, for example .sew. If you attempt to save a file in this format that is bigger than the largest available hoop size or has more stitches than are allowed, this message would appear.

GA028   The toolbar icons have unexpectedly changed to a smaller size.

Use Reset All Modules in 5D Configure to return all toolbars in the module to their default settings (see GA018).

Alternatively, to change the icon size in this module only, select View, Customize, then go to the Options tab and select the Large Icons option.

GA029   Some pictures are not shown as thumbnails when I choose Thumbnail view in the Open picture dialog box.

This may happen if you are trying to view wmf (Windows Meta File) pictures as thumbnails in Windows® Vista. Windows® Vista does not provide thumbnail views of wmf pictures.

GA032   "Please choose a valid motif pattern."

This message appears if you try to select a motif from MyMotifs, and all the motifs have been deleted from MyMotifs. Use 6D™ Design Creator to add at least one motif to MyMotifs.

GA036   When I try to use Find Thread to select a thread number, the wrong thread shade is selected.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

GA037   How do I find information on an error message?

To search within the FAQs for information on an error message, copy the text, or number, of the error message into the search field, checking that you have used the correct spelling.

Note the following:

• Sometimes a short query works better (use the one or two most distinctive words).
• Try using the error text and the number in separate searches.

GA038   How can I learn to use my embroidery software?

Some information is provided with the software:

• A printed User's Guide is included with most products. It contains QuickStart exercises to introduce you to the software.
• The Help file also includes the QuickStart exercises.
• A larger Reference Guide, containing 'How to use' exercises is present on the product CD or DVD in PDF format.

Further learning materials can be found in the 5D Learning Center. On your computer go to Start, All Programs, 5D Embroidery System, then choose Learning Center.

• Tutorials are interactive training exercises that give you a step-by-step demonstration of the QuickStart Exercises for many of the 5D Embroidery System modules.
• Video Demonstrations show how to use the software, and the samples produced.
• Inspiration Guides show how to use selected software features (you can download related sample files).

GA039   How do I search for information in the FAQs?

The best way to search for information in the FAQs is to use a short query, checking that you have used the correct spelling.

Note the following:

• A query using one or two distinctive words often works best.
• Two separate searches may work better than one for a complex issue.

For example, instead of "How do I send a design to my embroidery machine?" use "send design".

GA041   How can I manually download the latest Smart Update files for future use?

The update can be manually downloaded via the User Web Portal:

Go to the 5D Embroidery System website
1. Click on the Mailing List link. A new browser window will open.
2. Ensure that the "I have registered before" option is selected.
3. Enter your existing registration details.
4. Click Next. Your Name/E-mail Address details will be shown.
5. Click Next. Your Registration Summary will be shown.
6. Click on the Software Updates link on the left hand side of the web page.
7. Download the Smart Update that you need.

You will need to double click on the file that you downloaded to start the installation process.

It should be noted, that the above process will show you all Update files - not just the ones that you need. If you are unsure of which files that you need to download/install, it is recommended that you use Smart Update via 5D Configure.

GA042   "Error - thread range is corrupt or missing. Cannot change thread. Restore MySettings or reinstall the thread database."

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

GA043   "Cannot save file."

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

GA044   "No stitch data to save."

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

GA045   Not enough memory available to perform function.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

GA047   The 6D Installation Check utility shows that I do not have 6D Embroidery Machine Communication installed.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.



If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.



The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

GA049   When I double click on my stitch files, they now open in another software. How can I reset the file associations?

It may be that you installed another software which is now associated with your stitch files.

To reset the association back to the 6D Embroidery System do the following steps:

1. Close down all programs.
2. Open 6D Configure.
3. Click the Reset File Association button. A Reset File Association box will appear.
4. Click on the 6D Embroidery button in the Reset File Association box.
5. The Set Program Association page will appear.
6. Click on the Select All checkbox. All stitch formats will be selected in the list.
7. Click Save.

All the selected stitch formats will have been set back to open in 6D Embroidery.

GE001   No dongle attached. Cannot open program.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

GE002   "Embroidery not created using licensed software."

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

GE003   Motif database is missing or corrupt. Cannot change motif."

This message usually means that the motif database has been deleted or corrupted. This may be corrected by repairing the installation.

First, delete the file named 'SystemMotifs.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If the file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file name may simply be shown as 'SystemMotifs'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the motifs will be restored.

GE014   Can I install the 5D software onto my secondary computer?

You are permitted to install your software onto a secondary computer – i.e. to install it onto your Desktop computer and your laptop computer.

You only have one dongle per software package; so you are limited to using the software on one computer at a time.

GE019   Error: "The application failed to start because XMLLite.dll was not found."

This error has occurred because you have Windows XP, but have not installed the Service Pack 3 onto that computer.

The issue can be fixed by downloading XMLLite for Windows XP (KB915865)

Alternatively, you may want to use Windows Update to install Window XP Service Pack 3 to fix the ‘XMLLite.dll issue’ and install a host of security fixes that are contained in Windows XP Service Pack 3.

GE020   When I try to open Thread Manager nothing happens

It may be that the file for your Thread Manager module has been incorrectly placed into a 'Quarantine' folder of the anti-virus software installed on your computer.

We are in contact with Security Software manufacturers when a false positive threat does appear.

The first thing to do, is to make sure that you have used the Update feature for your security software – to make sure that you have the latest definition files installed.

Additionally, you may want to look in the Quarantine folder of your security software; then remove the 5D module(s) from that list:

Nortons Internet Security:

1. Open the main Norton Internet Security window
2. In the Computer Protection section, click on the Quarantine link.
3. Select the Thread Manager module listed under Quarantine.
4. Click the Options button.
5. Click the Restore button.
6. Ensure that the Exclude this risk from future scans option is checked. Click the Yes button
7. You will receive a message that the item was successfully restored. Click the Close button.
8. The Quarantine list will now be blank. Click the Close button to bring you back to the main Norton Internet Security window.
9. Click the 'X' in the top right of the window to close the main window - the main window will be closed, but Norton Internet Security will still be running in the background.

GE021   Error: "The application has failed to start because ColourDatabase.dll was not found"

It is very likely that your security software on your computer has quarantined (or deleted) the colourdatabase.dll file.

Use the Repair option on your installation to put back the colourdatabase.dll file:

1. Click on the Start menu
2. Click on Control Panel.
3. Click on the Install a Program option – or Add/Remove Programs for Windows XP users
4. Select the 5D Embroidery System entry.
5. Click Next when the InstallShield Wizard appears.
6. Click on the Change button.
7. Choose the Repair option.
8. Click Next.
9. Click Install
10. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the Repair installation
11. Click Finish. The colourdatabase.dll should now have been put back by the Repair install.

However, you would need to configure your security software to put the colourdatabase.dll into its 'Safe List'; meaning that it will no longer be accidentally quarantined.

GE025   In Windows® 10, when I click Reset File Association in 6D Configure, a Windows® message appears.

In Windows® 10, you will need to manually reset the file association:

1. Click on the Start menu in the bottom left corner of your screen.
2. Click on Settings. The Settings window will appear.
3. Click on the System button.
4. Click on the Default apps entry on the left hand pane.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the right hand pane.
6. Click on the Set defaults by app link. The Set Default Program window will appear.
7. Click on the 6Dtrade; Embroidery entry from the left hand pane.
8. Click on the Choose defaults for this program link on the right hand pane.
9. Place a checkmark in the Select All checkbox - this will place a checkmark in all checkboxes if they were not already checked.
10. Click Save. This will associate all the available stitch formats from step #9 with 6D™ Embroidery.

GE18   One of my 5D modules is missing

It may be that the file for your 5D module has been incorrectly placed into a 'Quarantine' folder of the anti-virus software installed on your computer.

We are in contact with Security Software manufacturers when a false positive threat does appear.

The first thing to do, is to make sure that you have used the Update feature for your security software – to make sure that you have the latest definition files installed.

Additionally, you may want to look in the Quarantine folder of your security software; then remove the 5D module(s) from that list:

Nortons Internet Security 2010:

1. Open the main Norton Internet Security 2010 window
2. In the Computer section, click on the Quarantine link.
3. Select a 5D module listed in Quarantine.
4. Click the More Details button.
5. Click the 'Restore this file' option.
6. Repeat the above process for any 5D modules that may be listed.

HD001   General USB Problems

Some USB ports do not have enough power to drive the dongle. By using a USB hub, which uses a power supply, this can be overcome.

HD004   "Dongle (data protection device) not found. Please ensure dongle is connected and try again."

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

HD005   I only have USB 2.0 ports on my computer. Will the dongle and other USB devices work with USB 2.0?

The dongle and all our other USB devices work with USB 2.0 ports.

HD006   My dongle or other USB device has already been installed, but the Found New Hardware wizard is installing it again

This can happen if you unplug your dongle or other USB device and then plug it back into a different USB port. When this happens, it is detected as a new hardware item and the driver is installed on the alternative USB port. Wait for the hardware wizard to finish installing the driver, then continue using the software as usual.

HD007   When I use Windows® Update, I see an entry to update the drivers for my SafeNet HASP Key. Should I install this update?

If your dongle is working correctly then it is not necessary to install this update. If you do not wish to see this update each time you use Windows® Update, select the Hide This Update option and it will not be listed next time you use Windows® Update.

HD008   "Dongle (data protection device) driver not found. Install from software DVD and try again."

This message will appear if the dongle driver is not accessible, has been removed or has not been installed correctly.

First, ensure you are logged onto your computer with full administrator rights and attempt to use the desired 6D™ Embroidery System module. If the error message no longer appears, then the user name you originally tried to use is too restricted to use the 6D™ Embroidery System.

Otherwise, use the dongle driver installation utility in the \Technical\Dongle Driver folder of your 6D™ Embroidery System DVD (also available by download). Ensure you are logged onto your computer with full administrator rights before using the dongle driver installation utility.

HD010   Configuring Anti-Virus / Firewall software for the 5D Embroidery System.

The 5D Embroidery System uses new features that are only found in the HASP SRM driver. The Hasp License Manager Service (C:\Windows\System32\hasplms.exe) components of these drivers is needed to both update your dongle to use the features of the HASP SRM drivers and allow the software to open.

Some security software (specifically the firewall component) may try to block the hasplms.exe file from fully accessing the dongle components of your computer. This may cause your dongle to flash.

During the 5D Embroidery installation, some security software will give you the option to 'Allow' or 'Deny' the hasplms.exe file the access that it needs; at this time you should click 'Allow'.

Norton Internet Security 2008

1. Open Norton Internet Security 2008
2. Click on the Options link on the bottom left of the screen.
3. Click on Norton Internet Security from the drop-down list.
4. The Norton Internet Security Option screen will open.
5. Click on the Personal Firewall link on the left of the screen.
6. Click on the Program Control link.
7. Select the hasplms entry.
8. Change the Access drop-down list from Custom to Allow.
9. Click Apply then click OK.

McAfee SecurityCenter

1. Open the McAfee SecurityCenter
2. Click on the Advanced Menu option at the bottom left of the screen.
3. Click on the Configure button on the left of the screen.
4. Click on the Internet & Network option.
5. Click on the Advanced... button. The Firewall window will open.
6. Click on Program Permissions option.
7. Select the Aladdin HASP License Manager Service entry.
8. Click the Grant Full Access option from the Action section in the bottom right of the screen.

ZoneAlarm

1. Open ZoneAlarm.
2. Click on the Program Control menu on the left of the screen.
3. Click on the Programs tab on the top right of the screen.
4. Right click on all the question marks (?) symbols for the Aladdin HASP License Manager entry; select Allow from the context menu.

Panda Internet Security 2007

1. Open Panda
2. Within the Security protection section; click on the Settings... button. Another dialog box will open.
3. Click on the Firewall button on the left of the screen.
4. In the "Programs with access to the network" section; click on the Settings... button.
5. Select the Aladdin HASP License Manager Service.
6. Click on the Communication drop-down list
7. Select "Inbound and Outbound" from the list.
8. Click Close.
9. Click OK
10. Restart your computer.

McAfee 2005/2006

1. Right-click the McAfee icon in the system tray.
2. Left-click the Personal Firewall. This will open the Security Window.
3. Click Internet Applications from the left column.
4. Find hasplms.exe/HASP License Manager Service under Application Name. Highlight by clicking on hasplms.exe/HASP License Manager Service
5. In the lower right hand corner, click "Allow Full Access".
6. Exit this window.

Norton 2005/2006

1. Open Norton Internet Security. The Norton Internet Security windows will open.
2. Click the Status & Settings option if you are not already on that screen.
3. Click the Personal Firewall setting. The right hand pane will give more options for the Personal Firewall setting.
4. Click the Configure button. A new Norton Internet Security window will open.
5. Click the Programs tab.
6. In the Manual Program Control section, scroll down the list until you see hasplms.exe.
7. Click on the drop-down arrow in the Internet Access column.
8. Choose the Permit All option.
9. Click the OK button. This will close the 2nd Norton Internet Security windows.
10. Close the first Norton Internet Security window.

HD011   Error "Unable to access HASP SRM Run-time environment (H0033)"

This error is given when Anti-Virus / Firewall software is preventing the Sentinel HASP (dongle) software communicating with the dongle. This may cause the dongle to flash.

This is due to the connection being blocked, normally by Anti-Virus / Firewall software.

For further information on manually configuring Anti-Virus / Firewall software see HD010

Another factor, may be that the Sentinel License Manager Service may have been stopped on your computer. Follow the steps below to start that service:

1. Click on the Start menu.
2. Right click on Computer/My Computer.
3. Click on the Manage option. The Computer Management window will appear.
4. Click on Services on the left hand window.
5. Right click on Sentinel HASP License Manager on the right hand window.
6. Click on the Start option.
7. When the service has started; try to open the 5D Software.

HD014   You must activate your dongle to use this module. Go to 6D™ Configure and select Activate Dongle.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

HD015   Error: You must activate your dongle to use this module... (H0031)

This message will appear if your dongle is not activated to use the 5D module(s) that you are trying to open.

If you would like to activate your dongle to use a new 5D module(s), then you could contact your local dealer or go to the 5D Purchase Center to purchase an Activation Code.

If you have already purchased an Activation Code to use the module(s) that is giving this error message; then you will need to go to 5D Configure and then click on the Activate Dongle button. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the activation process.

HD016   After installing the Windows 8.1 Update from Microsoft, my computer gives an error on a 'blue screen' when the computer starts.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

HD018   My dongle is not opening my 6D modules.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

HT006   Where can I find the latest drivers for my Wacom Volita 2 graphics tablet?

Please go here to find the latest Wacom Volita 2 Drivers.

Select the relevant details from the drop-down lists, then click Submit.

Choose the driver with the highest version number - which will usually be the top entry on the page.

IN012   "Menu.exe is being detected as a Trojan"

We are aware of an issue where the AVG security software incorrectly detects the Menu.exe file as a threat when your 5D Embroidery System DVD is inserted into the computer.

We are in contact with Security Software manufacturers when a false positive threat does appear.

The first thing to do; is to make sure that you have used the Update feature for your security software – to make sure that you have the latest definition files installed.

AVG has released an update to their definition files which will fix this issue. Once you have applied that update, you should be able to use the installation menu without issues.

IN013   When I try to run the "Update_Version_9_4.msp" file, the Serif PhotoPlus software opens.

The Serif PhotoPlus software uses the .msp file extension. To resolve this set the .msp file assocation back to the default program - Windows® Installer.

Method #1

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Browse to the location where you saved the Update_Version_9_4.msp file.
3. Right click on that file.
4. Move your mouse over the Open With option.
5. Select Windows® installer from the list.

The installation should now start normally.

Method #2

If Method #1 does not work, then you use Method #2:

1. Move your Update_Version_9_4.msp file to your Desktop.
2. Download the Update 9.4 - Manual Update Fixer to any location on your computer.
3. Double click on the VSM94Update_ManualUpdateFixer.exe file that you downloaded.
4. A black screen will appear - keep this open for the duration of the install.
5. After a few moments the normal install screen will start.
6. Follow the normal installation process to install the update.
7. When the update is completed, close the black screen down.

* If you are getting this issue when trying to install the 5D System 9.41 Update, then you will need to download (and install) the Update 9.41 - Manual Update Fixer.

IN014   Do I need to uninstall my 4D Software to install the 5D Software?

You do not need to uninstall the 4D Software when you come to installing the 5D Embroidery System; both systems will co-exist on the same computer without issues.

IN015   What are the features in the latest Smart Update?

The best way to find out which features are in the latest Smart Update (or previous upgrades) is to:

1. Click on the Start menu.
2. Click on All Programs.
3. Click on 5D Embroidery System
4. Click on Readme. A folder will open showing the Readme file(s) that are installed on your computer.
5. Open the latest file.
6. The latest features will be listed at the top of the document.

IN016   Will the 5D Embroidery System run on a Mac?

Firstly, the 5D Embroidery System is intended to be run on a Windows® computer.

Although, many customers have been able to get it to work fully using 3rd Party environments like Parallels and Boot Camp; we cannot support the software when it is run in a non-standard setup or using 3rd Party tools.

IN017   Error "This patch package could not be opened..."

This message can appear if you have manually downloaded the 5D System 9.4 Update or 5D System 9.41 Update and then try to run the update.

The instructions below should resolve the issue:

1. Move your Update_Version_9_4.msp file to your Desktop.
2. Download the Update 9.4 - Manual Update Fixer to any location on your computer.
3. Double click on the VSM94Update_ManualUpdateFixer.exe file that you downloaded.
4. A black screen will appear - keep this open for the duration of the install.
5. After a few moments the normal install screen will start.
6. Follow the normal installation process to install the update.
7. When the update is completed, close the black screen down.

* If you are getting this error when trying to install the 5D System 9.41 Update, then you will need to download (and install) the Update 9.41 - Manual Update Fixer.

IN018   Error: The upgrade patch cannot be installed by the Windows Installer Service...



This message may appear for the following reasons:

• You are trying to install the 5D System 9.41 Update onto a computer that does not have the 5D System 9.4 Update installed on it.
• You are trying to install a Smart Update file onto a computer that does not have the 5D Embroidery Software Installed on it.

The 5D System 9.4 Update is not installed, but you are trying to install the 9.41 Update:

The 5D System 9.4 Update MUST be installed on your computer before you can install the 5D System 9.41 Update:

1. Open 5D Configure.
2. Click on the Smart Update button.
3. Enter your details to log into your record.
4. Click Next.
5. The Smart Update screen will appear.
6. Ensure that the 5D System 9.4 Update and the 5D System 9.41 Update are selected/checked. *
7. Click Next.
8. Both files will download
9. The install for the 5D System 9.4 Update will start after the completion of the downloads.
10. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the 5D System 9.4 Update.
11. The 5D System 9.41 Update will start.
12. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the 5D System 9.41 Update.

The 5D System is not installed on the computer:

You will need to ensure that the 5D Embroidery Software is installed on your computer.

IN019   Error: ParentFrame download failed. Error #Permission denied.

This error can happen when an issue has been found in the integrity of the downloaded file during the Smart Update process.

1. Close down all open programs.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Start the Smart Update process again.

IN022   Error 1722 reported when installing or uninstalling the Explorer Plugin

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

PC001   Invalid credit card number (pre-validation)

You have entered an invalid credit card number. Correct the number and try again.

PC002   Error: You must accept the Terms and Conditions before continuing

You have not selected (checked) the box accepting the Terms and Conditions. Check this box and try again.

Now you will be able to continue in the Purchase Center.

PC003   The expiration date has passed

The expiration date that you selected from the drop-down list is in the past. Either you selected the wrong date, or your credit card is out of date.

PC004   One or more required fields are missing

This will appear in the Payment Details page if at least one of the required fields is empty. This could happen if your billing address and delivery address were not the same, and you had clicked Next before adding the changed details.

PC005   The payment was accepted but an unexpected error prevented the process to complete. Please contact embroidery software support for more information.

Something is wrong with your dongle, so the Product Activation Code could not be added to it. Contact embroidery software support for a diagnosis of the problem.

PC006   How can I upgrade from 4D™ to the 5D™ Embroidery System

If you own the 4D™ Embroidery System, you can upgrade to the 5D™ Embroidery System in the following ways:

For customers who already own a 4D™ Embroidery System dongle:

1. Go to your local dealer.
2. Purchase the 4D™ to 5D™ Upgrade Kit
3. Insert the DVD into your computer.
4. Start the installation process.
5. Complete the installation process.
6. Insert your 4D dongle into your computer if it is not already inserted.
7. Open your internet browser.
8. Go to www.5DPurchaseCenter.com - 5D Purchase Center
9. Click on the "Software" or "More Software" links
10. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the purchase procedure.
11. Your 5D Activation Code will be emailed to you at the end of the purchase process.
12. Go to your Inbox.
13. Open the email from 5D Embroidery System Support
14. Open the PDF file that is attached to that email.
15. Open 5D Configure.
16. Click on the Register button
17. Follow the on-screen instructions - refer the the PDF file when you are prompted to enter your Product Activation Code.

For customers who do NOT own a 4D Embroidery System dongle:

1. Visit your local dealer.
2. Ask your dealer to give you a demonstration of the features of the 5D Embroidery System.
3. Decide which 5D Embroidery System boxed product, best suits your needs.

SM004   I receive the "Windows System Error. Please close and restart all software" message on Windows® Vista or Windows® 7 when I send a design using USB Direct Connection

This issue has been fixed in the 5D Embroidery System 9.51 Update. This update can be obtained via Smart Update

1. Open 5D Configure.
2. Click on the Smart Update button.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions

WS006   Where do I find the Learning Center?

There are a few ways that you can get to the Learning Center:

via 5D Embroidery:

1. Open 5D Embroidey.
2. Click on the Learning Center button.

via the Start menu:

1. Click on the Start menu.
2. Click All Programs.
3. Click 5D Embroidery System.
4. Click on the Learning Center option.

and via your internet browser:

1. Open your internet browser.
2. Go to www.5DLearningCenter.com - 5D Learning Center

WS007   How do I change my password?

To change the password that you use to log into your account, you will need to do the following:

1. Insert your 5D dongle - if you have one
2. Open 5D Configure.
3. Click on the Register button.
4. Log into your record.
5. Click Next until you are on the last page of the Registration wizard - the Registration Summary page.
6. Click on the Account Password link - on the left-hand side of the window.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions to change your password.
8. Click Next.
9. Click Finish.

6D Explorer Plug-in

Listed versions: 10.0, 10.1

CT013   Error: "Please select a valid thread."

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

EM017   "Embroidery has too many stitches for file format."

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

EM023   I have changed grid color and spacing and now I wish to return to the original settings

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

EP001   No design thumbnails are shown, just an icon for the format type.

There is an option in Windows Explorer to turn off thumbnails, you may have this option turned on.

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Click on the Options box to open the Folder Options dialog.
3. Click on the View tab.
4. Uncheck the checkmark against the "Always show icons, never thumbnails" option.
5. Click OK.



EP002   My thumbnails of designs look strange in the Windows Explorer.

It could be that you have had a previous software on your computer which had shown thumbnails of stitch files. The cache of thumbnails needs to be cleared from Windows Explorer, so that it can start using the thumbnails shown by the Windows Explorer Plug-in.

An example of the issue can be seen below, with the incorrect thumbnail image from a third party icon software on the left; and the correct preview on the right:



Follow these steps to clear the thumbnail cache from your computer:

Windows 8

1. Open Windows Explorer – right click the Windows Explorer icon on the Task bar and select File Explorer.
2. Windows Explorer will open to the Libraries folder of your computer. In the left hand pane of the window, click on the Computer heading.
3. Right click on the Local Disk (C:) entry, then click Properties. The Local Disk (C:) Properties dialog box will appear.
4. On the General tab, click the Disk Cleanup button. It may take a few moments while the utility analyses the drive.
5. Uncheck everything in the list, and then place a checkmark against the Thumbnails entry at the bottom.
6. Click OK and a confirmation message will appear. Click the Delete Files button.
7. Repeat steps #3 to #6 for any other Local Disk entries that you may have in Windows Explorer.



Windows 7

1. Click on the Start menu.
2. Click on the Computer option. Windows Explorer will open.
3. Right click on the Local Disk (C:) entry, then click Properties. The Local Disk (C:) Properties dialog box will appear.
4. On the General tab, click the Disk Cleanup button. It may take a few moments while the utility analyses the drive.
5. Uncheck everything in the list, and then place a checkmark against the Thumbnails entry at the bottom.
6. Click OK and a confirmation message will appear. Click the Delete Files button.
7. Repeat steps #3 to #6 for any other Local Disk entries that you may have in Windows Explorer.



EP003   When I search for designs in Windows Explorer no designs appears.

This could be because you have the Windows Search option turned off.

To turn it on:

Windows 8

1. Go to your Start screen.
2. Type windows features
3. Click on the Turn Windows Features On or Off option.
4. Scroll down to the Windows Search option.
5. Place a checkmark in the checkbox if it is empty.
6. Click OK.

Windows 7

1. Click on the Start menu
2. Type windows features
3. Click on the Turn Windows Features On or Off option.
4. Scroll down to the Windows Search option.
5. Place a checkmark in the checkbox if it is empty.
6. Click OK.

EP004   When I search for Properties of designs in Windows Explorer nothing appears.

It could be that the Windows Indexing has been turned off; turn it back on and try again.

Windows 8

1. Go to your Start screen.
2. Type services
3. Click on the Services option that appears to open the Services box.
4. Scroll down to the Windows Search checkbox.
5. Right click on it.
6. Select Properties
7. On the General tab, ensure that you have the Automatic (Delay Start) selected.
8. Click OK.
9. Restart your computer.
10. Now try searching for a designs properties again.

Windows 7

1. Click on the Start menu.
2. Type services
3. Click on the Services option that appears to open the Services box.
4. Scroll down to the Windows Search checkbox.
5. Right click on it.
6. Select Properties
7. On the General tab, ensure that you have the Automatic (Delay Start) selected.
8. Click OK.
9. Restart your computer.
10. Now try searching for a designs properties again.

EP005   I cannot see thumbnails of my stitch files in Windows® Explorer.

If you have your thumbnail view in Windows® Explorer set to Small icons, List or Details then you will not see the preview - you will only see the 6D logo.

Change the View to one of the other available options to see the thumbnail images of your stitch files

Changing the View:

1. Open Windows® Explorer.
2. Browse to a folder that contains stitch files.
3. Right click on an empty area of main part of the Windows® Explorer screen.
4. Move your mouse over the View option.
5. Click on Medium icons - or whichever other option you prefer to view your thumbnail images in.



EP006   The thumbnails for my stitch files do not show in Windows® Explorer.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.



GA001   I can't drag and drop embroideries from the Open dialog box

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

GA005   Error "Cannot open embroidery."

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

GA006   Error "Unrecognized file format."

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

GA008   "Embroidery XY coordinates incorrect"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA009   "Unrecognized file extension"

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

GA015   I have changed the screen background color and now I wish to return to the original light blue

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

GA027   "Embroidery too large for export format."

Certain formats are limited to the number of stitches they can save or the size of hoop used on their specific embroidery machine, for example .sew. If you attempt to save a file in this format that is bigger than the largest available hoop size or has more stitches than are allowed, this message would appear.

GA036   When I try to use Find Thread to select a thread number, the wrong thread shade is selected.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

GA042   "Error - thread range is corrupt or missing. Cannot change thread. Restore MySettings or reinstall the thread database."

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

GA043   "Cannot save file."

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

GA044   "No stitch data to save."

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

GA045   Not enough memory available to perform function.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

GA047   The 6D Installation Check utility shows that I do not have 6D Embroidery Machine Communication installed.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.



If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.



The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

GA049   When I double click on my stitch files, they now open in another software. How can I reset the file associations?

It may be that you installed another software which is now associated with your stitch files.

To reset the association back to the 6D Embroidery System do the following steps:

1. Close down all programs.
2. Open 6D Configure.
3. Click the Reset File Association button. A Reset File Association box will appear.
4. Click on the 6D Embroidery button in the Reset File Association box.
5. The Set Program Association page will appear.
6. Click on the Select All checkbox. All stitch formats will be selected in the list.
7. Click Save.

All the selected stitch formats will have been set back to open in 6D Embroidery.

GE001   No dongle attached. Cannot open program.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

GE002   "Embroidery not created using licensed software."

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

HD004   "Dongle (data protection device) not found. Please ensure dongle is connected and try again."

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

HD014   You must activate your dongle to use this module. Go to 6D™ Configure and select Activate Dongle.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

HD016   After installing the Windows 8.1 Update from Microsoft, my computer gives an error on a 'blue screen' when the computer starts.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

HD018   My dongle is not opening my 6D modules.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

IN022   Error 1722 reported when installing or uninstalling the Explorer Plugin

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

XP001   Error message: 'Embroidery is too large for the selected hoop'.

Using Convert in the Explorer Plug-in may show the error 'Embroidery is too large for the selected hoop'. This will occur if the design is either too wide or too high for the selected hoop and only applies when saving for file types that have a hoop restriction:

• Brother / Babylock / Bernina (.pes)
• Janome (.jef)
• Janome (.sew)
• Pfaff (.pcs)

See the Export dialog to see the hoop size.

The message may also appear if:

1. The design has to be rotated 90 degrees to fit into the hoop.
2. The design has not been saved centered.

In both cases you would have to open the design into 6D Embroidery and either rotate or center it as required and then export as your preferred format.

6D Family Tree

Listed versions: 10.0, 10.1

CT013   Error: "Please select a valid thread."

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

DC038   "Could not load picture file."

This message could appear if the desired picture is not where the module expects it to be, for example if it was loaded from a floppy disk, then closed and the floppy disk removed. It could also appear if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have an extension such as .bmp or .jpg, yet not be a proper picture file.

EM010   "Error. Font file is corrupt."

This message appears when trying to select or use a lettering style if the file has corrupted. Reinstall the font.

This may also appear if a font is created in 6D™ Font Digitizing and has no characters defined. Use 6D™ Font Digitizing to define at least one character in the font.

EM012   Error: "No embroideries available to print. Only embroideries that are combined and inside the hoop can be printed."

This message appears if the embroidery on screen is partially outside the selected hoop. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again.

EM017   "Embroidery has too many stitches for file format."

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

EM018   The embroidery I want to work with appears too small on the screen.

Make sure the 6D™ Embroidery window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the hoop so it fills the work area. Also, choose a Hoop Size in Hoop Selection that is suitable to the embroidery size.

EM021   It seems to take a long time to redraw embroideries when I choose different functions or switch to a new embroidery

The refresh rate of the screen is limited by the power of your computer's processor and RAM as well as the video card and its memory. To get the best performance from your system, try using 2D view as this requires less power than 3D view.

EM022   Some of the icons in the toolbar are 'grayed out'.

Certain icons (for example Save and Export on the Quick Access Toolbar) are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

EM023   I have changed grid color and spacing and now I wish to return to the original settings

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

EM048   When I hover the mouse pointer over a color in the color worksheet, part of the embroidery changes to an unusual color.

This is called "Highlight Selected Color". It allows you to see where each color is used in an embroidery. For example, if you have several color blocks using the same thread color and you wish to change the color of a specific section, hover over each color in the worksheet in turn until the section you require is highlighted.

EM073   "Error. Cannot open Font File."

This message appears if the font or SuperDesign set that you have selected is not available. The most likely reason is that it is already open in the optional 6D™ Font Digitizing module. Close 6D™ Font Digitizing, then try again. This could also happen if you opened the 6D™ Embroidery program, then accidentally moved or deleted the font from the relevant category folder in ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \Fonts, or the SuperDesign file from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\SuperDesigns. Close 6D™ Embroidery, make sure the file is in the folder, then try again.

EM074   "Error. No SuperDesigns, Frames or or Flourish files found."

This message appears if the SuperDesigns or Frames folder is empty or has been accidentally moved, deleted or renamed. Close 6D™ Embroidery, make sure the folder ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \SuperDesigns, or \Frames, is in the correct location and contains the SuperDesign or frames files, then try again.

If you are unable to restore or replace the SuperDesigns or Frames folder, repair the installation. Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the SuperDesigns or Frames will be restored.

Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

EM075   "Error. No letters in font file."

This message may appear if the font is corrupt, or if the character selected is not in that font. Reinstall the font, or use 6D™ Font Digitizing to add the character to the font.

EP006   The thumbnails for my stitch files do not show in Windows® Explorer.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.



FT001   Error message "The program requires a color palette of High Color (16 bit) or higher."

This message appears when attempting to open 5D Family Tree if your computer is set to a display of 256 colors or less. Reset the display as follows:

1. Right-click on the desktop and a shortcut menu appears.
2. In Windows® 7, click Screen resolution, then click Advanced settings - Properties box will appear. From there click the Monitor tab.
3. In Windows® Vista, click Personalize, then click Display Settings in the window that appears.
4. In Windows® XP, click on Properties and a dialog box appears. Click the Settings tab.
5. In both cases, change Color quality to High Color (16 bit) or higher using the drop-down menu.
6. Click OK, and allow your computer to restart if required.

FT002   Error "Unrecognized file extension"

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types.

FT003   "Error. No character set is defined. Cannot open .ged file."

The family tree (.ged) file cannot be read. Where possible, export the file again from the original program, using the ASCII character set.

Note: This error message may be reported when importing GEDCOM files from other family history programs.

FT004   "Error. No family data found. Cannot open .ged file."

The family tree (.ged) file cannot be read. Export the file again from the original program. You may need to adjust your export settings.

FT005   "Error 7. Dongle not found. Please attach the correct dongle to a USB port of your computer."

This message will appear when trying to start a module if 5D Family Tree cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been

removed or loosened while using 5D Family Tree. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

FT006   "Problem with scanner or camera software."

This message will appear when trying to use your scanner or digital camera if the device has not been installed correctly. Close 5D Family Tree, follow the manufacturer's instructions for the Twain-compliant device, then reopen 5D Family Tree and try again.

FT007   "Scanner or camera is in use by another application."

This message will appear when trying to use your scanner or digital camera if another graphics program is already open that uses the Twain-compliant device. Close 6D™ Family Tree and the other graphics program, then reopen 6D™ Family Tree and try again.

FT008   Error message "Your scanner or camera is no longer available for use. Close this program, plug in and switch on your scanner or camera, and run this program again."

This message will appear if the connection to your scanner or digital camera has a problem. Close 6D™ Family Tree, check the connections to your scanner or digital camera, then reopen 6D™ Family Tree and try again.

FT009   Error message "Failure to acquire picture due to unknown causes."

This message will appear in certain circumstances when trying to use your scanner or digital camera, for example if the cable is disconnected during the scan or download. Close 5D Family Tree, check the connections to your scanner or digital camera, then reopen 5D Family Tree and try again.

FT010   Error message "Could not load picture file."

This message could appear if the desired picture is not where the program expects it to be, for example if it was loaded into the program from a floppy disk, then closed and the floppy disk removed. It could also appear if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have an extension such as .bmp or .jpg, yet not be a proper image file.

FT011   "The selected dimensions will produce a large PortraitStitch and stitch creation may take some time. Removing background areas will reduce the time required."

This message will appear if you specify a PhotoStitch larger than 26,000mm square. Click OK to continue creating the PhotoStitch. To reduce the stitch creation time, remove the picture background, particularly any very detailed areas. Stitch creation time is shorter for Linear PhotoStitch.

FT012   Error "Embroidery is too large for the hoop."

This message appears if you try to make an album layout or quilt block that is too large for the selected hoop. Change the hoop, or change the embroidery so that it fits into the hoop.

FT013   Error "Warning: some stitches overlap the frame. Alter portrait size, font settings or text if desired."

This message will appear in the Preview and Export Options page if your design is too large for your selected quilt block or embroidery hoop. Browse back through the Album/Quilt Block wizard, and adjust Gap, Line Spacing, or font size settings. Then try again.

This error message may also appear if you have used a multi-part hoop for a Quilt Block. Select an embroidery hoop of the same dimensions instead.

FT014   Error "Failed to create the embroidery chart - this family tree is too complicated, and cannot be created. Please reduce the Ancestor/Descendant levels."

This message may appear in the Customize Chart page of the Chart Wizard where a family tree includes complicated features, for example, marriage between relatives. Reduce the number of generation levels in the chart, and try again.

Note: This will only happen with imported GEDCOM files, as this type of family structure cannot be created within 5D Family Tree. Where relatives have married, recreate the individual.

FT015   Error "Failed to create the embroidery chart - the generated design will be larger than 4.5m in width or height. Please reduce the Ancestor/Descendant levels and try again."

This message may appear in the Customize Chart page of the Chart Wizard where a family tree chart would be larger than 4.5m (too big to split). Reduce the number of generation levels in the chart, and try again.

FT016   Error "The color xx has been found in your database, but the thread color is not exactly the same."

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 5D Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 5D Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 5D Configure.

FT017   "Could not find xx in your database. Matching to closest thread in yy."

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a later version of the thread database.

If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 5D Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed.

To check for the latest updates for the 5D Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 5D Configure.

FT018   Error: "Please enter a number between 3 and 120"

This message appears if the size entered in the Size Box in the Lettering section of a Wizard page is below 3mm or above 120mm. The Size setting refers to the height in millimeters of an uppercase 'A' in the selected font. If you wish to increase lettering above this you could click and drag one of the corner boxes or alter the Height or Width proportions.

FT020   Error "Cannot save file."

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

FT021   Error "Not enough memory available to perform operation."

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

FT022   Some of the icons in the Toolbar are 'grayed out'

Certain icons (for example Move Child Up on the Edit toolbar) are only highlighted once it is possible to perform the action concerned.

FT023   Certain functions don't seem to work all the time

Some functions, such as the Zoom buttons, are only available when the Tree View tab is selected. To use these functions, click the Tree View tab on the control panel.

Similarly, Edit Selected, Back, Forwards, Move Child Up and Move Child Down are only available when the Family View tab is selected.

FT024   When I move a child up or down the list, the father is selected afterwards

The father becomes the selected individual after you have used Move Child Up, or Move Child Down, because a change has been written to the GEDCOM file. To move the child further up or down the list, select it, and move it again.

FT026   I have already made a family tree, but 5D Family Tree opened at the New Family Wizard

5D Family Tree will open at the New Family Wizard if the last family file that you were editing is not available (for example, if you were using a file on a memory stick that has now been removed). Browse to the folder that contains that family file.

FT027   The picture I want to work with appears too small on the screen

Make sure the 5D Family Tree window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the picture so it fills the work area. Use Zoom In if you are working on details within the picture.

FT028   I find it hard to select the part of the picture I wish to edit

Many functions of 5D Family Tree can be used to help see sections of pictures more easily. Use the Zoom Commands when working on details.

FT029   How do I edit the thread colors in a font with more than two colors?

You cannot change more than two font colors within 5D Family Tree. The Multi-Color fonts included with 5D Family Tree are not affected, as they have only two colors. If you use a 5D Embroidery System Multi-Color font with more than two colors, for example Acorn or Ornamental, and you want to change the font colors, edit the finished embroidery in 5D Embroidery.

FT030   The letters or shapes I am designing in 5D Font Digitizing are not appearing in 5D Family Portrait

5D Family Portrait and 5D Font Digitizing cannot have the same font or shapes set open at the same time. Therefore, you must close the font or shapes set in 5D Font Digitizing to make it fully available to 5D Family Portrait.

FT031   I want to change the appearance of the font stitching, but the Satin and Fill buttons are not available

Some fonts and shapes sets have non-uniform properties. For example, they may use more than one pattern for satin or fill, or use the same fill pattern at different angles in different characters or shapes. Therefore, there is no overall uniform property that can be changed, so the Satin and Fill buttons may not be used to change the Satin and Fill Properties. You may wish to use a different font with a similar style that allows you to change its properties, or create a new font with the 5D Embroidery QuickFont Wizard based on a TrueType® or OpenType® font with a similar style.

FT032   I have increased the Gap setting, but the lowercase characters are still touching each other

For script fonts, the Gap setting has no effect on adjacent lowercase characters. Script fonts use a special 'continuous' joining method, which places lowercase characters adjacent to each other to give the appearance of handwriting. All the fonts in the Script category use this joining method, and you may also create new fonts with the 5D Embroidery QuickFont Wizard or the optional 5D Font Digitizing module that use this joining method.

FT033   I get an 'exception report' warning when importing my family tree into Family Historian

If you have used the "Resides At" attribute within your family tree, Family Historian will generate an error message when the GEDCOM file for that family tree is imported: "An exception report has been generated which lists all data lines (if any) that have been skipped (i.e. not loaded)..."

This happens because Family Historian version 3.1 does not fully support the RESI attribute.

FT034   Some characters in my text changed when loading a .ged file created in another program

5D Family Tree uses the ASCII character set. When a family tree (.ged) file is loaded, some accented characters may be changed if a non-ASCII character set is used. This happens because the way that accented and special characters are represented varies between character sets. Where possible, export the file again from the original program, using the ASCII character set. Otherwise, check the imported family information and, where necessary, edit the family tree information.

FT035   Why has the file association for .ged files been removed from 5D Family Tree?

When some other genealogy programs open a .ged file, the file association is automatically taken back. You will still be able to open the .ged file from within 5D Family Tree.

In these circumstances, to open a .ged file with 5D Family Tree, right-click the file, select "Open with", and select 5D Family Tree from the menu.

You can select to automatically open .ged files with 5D Family Tree from the same menu. However, the next time you use the other genealogy program the file association will switch back.

FT036   "Error. No family data found. Cannot open .ged file."

The family tree (.ged) file cannot be read. Export the file again from the original program. You may need to adjust your export settings.

Note: This error message may be reported when importing GEDCOM files from other family history programs.

FT037   Picture vanishes when taken through ExpressPortrait wizard

If a picture that is too large is loaded into the ExpressPortrait wizard, it vanishes from the Preview window. If Next is clicked nonetheless, the program will crash. A Windows error message may be reported.

The maximum recommended size for a picture for the 5D Family Tree ExpressPortrait wizard is 2000 x 2000 pixels.

GA001   I can't drag and drop embroideries from the Open dialog box

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

GA005   Error "Cannot open embroidery."

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

GA006   Error "Unrecognized file format."

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

GA007   "Embroidery is corrupt"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA008   "Embroidery XY coordinates incorrect"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA009   "Unrecognized file extension"

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

GA010   Error "Unrecognized file extension" when saving a file

This message appears if you type an incorrect extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types in the File Name box when trying to save a file.

GA015   I have changed the screen background color and now I wish to return to the original light blue

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

GA019   "The color xx has been found in your database, but the thread color is not exactly the same."

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA020   "Could not find xx in your database. Matching to closest thread in yy."

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied bysomeone with a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 6D™ Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA027   "Embroidery too large for export format."

Certain formats are limited to the number of stitches they can save or the size of hoop used on their specific embroidery machine, for example .sew. If you attempt to save a file in this format that is bigger than the largest available hoop size or has more stitches than are allowed, this message would appear.

GA034   "Error saving picture."

This message appears on attempting to save the picture and the picture is not saved. For example, if you attempt to overwrite an existing picture that is read only or if you attempt to save the picture to a read only location such as a CD-ROM.

GA036   When I try to use Find Thread to select a thread number, the wrong thread shade is selected.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

GA042   "Error - thread range is corrupt or missing. Cannot change thread. Restore MySettings or reinstall the thread database."

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

GA043   "Cannot save file."

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

GA044   "No stitch data to save."

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

GA045   Not enough memory available to perform function.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

GA046   When I press the Help button I get the "Failed to launch help." error

Confirm 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation is Installed

This could be because you have not yet installed the 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation. You can confirm if you have installed this by going to 6D™ Configure and clicking on the Check Installation button and clicking Check to see which items you have installed.

Check you have the latest version of the 6D™ System Documentation installed

Previous 6D™ Documentation installations included Help for some modules. In the 6D™ Documentation 10.0.21, we have included Help and Reference Guides for all modules except 6D™ Font Digitizing.

Use Smart Update to check you have the latest version:

1. Open 6D™ Configure.
2. Click on the Smart Update button.
3. Enter your E-mail Address/Password details.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Next again to start the Download process.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

GA047   The 6D Installation Check utility shows that I do not have 6D Embroidery Machine Communication installed.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.



If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.



The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

GE001   No dongle attached. Cannot open program.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

GE002   "Embroidery not created using licensed software."

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

GE003   Motif database is missing or corrupt. Cannot change motif."

This message usually means that the motif database has been deleted or corrupted. This may be corrected by repairing the installation.

First, delete the file named 'SystemMotifs.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If the file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file name may simply be shown as 'SystemMotifs'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the motifs will be restored.

HD004   "Dongle (data protection device) not found. Please ensure dongle is connected and try again."

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

HD014   You must activate your dongle to use this module. Go to 6D™ Configure and select Activate Dongle.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

HD016   After installing the Windows 8.1 Update from Microsoft, my computer gives an error on a 'blue screen' when the computer starts.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

HD018   My dongle is not opening my 6D modules.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

IN022   Error 1722 reported when installing or uninstalling the Explorer Plugin

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

6D Font Digitizing

Listed versions: 10.0, 10.1

CT013   Error: "Please select a valid thread."

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

EM010   "Error. Font file is corrupt."

This message appears when trying to select or use a lettering style if the file has corrupted. Reinstall the font.

This may also appear if a font is created in 6D™ Font Digitizing and has no characters defined. Use 6D™ Font Digitizing to define at least one character in the font.

EM012   Error: "No embroideries available to print. Only embroideries that are combined and inside the hoop can be printed."

This message appears if the embroidery on screen is partially outside the selected hoop. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again.

EM017   "Embroidery has too many stitches for file format."

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

EM018   The embroidery I want to work with appears too small on the screen.

Make sure the 6D™ Embroidery window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the hoop so it fills the work area. Also, choose a Hoop Size in Hoop Selection that is suitable to the embroidery size.

EM021   It seems to take a long time to redraw embroideries when I choose different functions or switch to a new embroidery

The refresh rate of the screen is limited by the power of your computer's processor and RAM as well as the video card and its memory. To get the best performance from your system, try using 2D view as this requires less power than 3D view.

EM022   Some of the icons in the toolbar are 'grayed out'.

Certain icons (for example Save and Export on the Quick Access Toolbar) are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

EM023   I have changed grid color and spacing and now I wish to return to the original settings

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

EM048   When I hover the mouse pointer over a color in the color worksheet, part of the embroidery changes to an unusual color.

This is called "Highlight Selected Color". It allows you to see where each color is used in an embroidery. For example, if you have several color blocks using the same thread color and you wish to change the color of a specific section, hover over each color in the worksheet in turn until the section you require is highlighted.

EM073   "Error. Cannot open Font File."

This message appears if the font or SuperDesign set that you have selected is not available. The most likely reason is that it is already open in the optional 6D™ Font Digitizing module. Close 6D™ Font Digitizing, then try again. This could also happen if you opened the 6D™ Embroidery program, then accidentally moved or deleted the font from the relevant category folder in ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \Fonts, or the SuperDesign file from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\SuperDesigns. Close 6D™ Embroidery, make sure the file is in the folder, then try again.

EM075   "Error. No letters in font file."

This message may appear if the font is corrupt, or if the character selected is not in that font. Reinstall the font, or use 6D™ Font Digitizing to add the character to the font.

EM086   The letters I am designing in 6D™ Font Digitizing are not appearing in the ExpressMonogram Wizard.

The ExpressMonogram Wizard can only use the fonts provided in the 6D™ Embroidery System or created using the 6D™ QuickFont Wizard. It cannot use new fonts created in 6D™ Font Digitizing.

EM092   The letters I am designing in 6D™ Font Digitizing are not appearing in 6D™ Embroidery.

6D™ Embroidery and 6D™ Font Digitizing cannot have the same font open at the same time. Therefore, you must close the font in 6D™ Font Digitizing to make it fully available to 6D™ Embroidery.

EP006   The thumbnails for my stitch files do not show in Windows® Explorer.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.



GA001   I can't drag and drop embroideries from the Open dialog box

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

GA005   Error "Cannot open embroidery."

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

GA006   Error "Unrecognized file format."

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

GA007   "Embroidery is corrupt"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA008   "Embroidery XY coordinates incorrect"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA009   "Unrecognized file extension"

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

GA010   Error "Unrecognized file extension" when saving a file

This message appears if you type an incorrect extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types in the File Name box when trying to save a file.

GA015   I have changed the screen background color and now I wish to return to the original light blue

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

GA019   "The color xx has been found in your database, but the thread color is not exactly the same."

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA020   "Could not find xx in your database. Matching to closest thread in yy."

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied bysomeone with a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 6D™ Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA027   "Embroidery too large for export format."

Certain formats are limited to the number of stitches they can save or the size of hoop used on their specific embroidery machine, for example .sew. If you attempt to save a file in this format that is bigger than the largest available hoop size or has more stitches than are allowed, this message would appear.

GA036   When I try to use Find Thread to select a thread number, the wrong thread shade is selected.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

GA042   "Error - thread range is corrupt or missing. Cannot change thread. Restore MySettings or reinstall the thread database."

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

GA043   "Cannot save file."

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

GA044   "No stitch data to save."

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

GA045   Not enough memory available to perform function.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

GA046   When I press the Help button I get the "Failed to launch help." error

Confirm 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation is Installed

This could be because you have not yet installed the 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation. You can confirm if you have installed this by going to 6D™ Configure and clicking on the Check Installation button and clicking Check to see which items you have installed.

Check you have the latest version of the 6D™ System Documentation installed

Previous 6D™ Documentation installations included Help for some modules. In the 6D™ Documentation 10.0.21, we have included Help and Reference Guides for all modules except 6D™ Font Digitizing.

Use Smart Update to check you have the latest version:

1. Open 6D™ Configure.
2. Click on the Smart Update button.
3. Enter your E-mail Address/Password details.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Next again to start the Download process.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

GA047   The 6D Installation Check utility shows that I do not have 6D Embroidery Machine Communication installed.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.



If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.



The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

GE001   No dongle attached. Cannot open program.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

GE002   "Embroidery not created using licensed software."

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

GE003   Motif database is missing or corrupt. Cannot change motif."

This message usually means that the motif database has been deleted or corrupted. This may be corrected by repairing the installation.

First, delete the file named 'SystemMotifs.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If the file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file name may simply be shown as 'SystemMotifs'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the motifs will be restored.

HD004   "Dongle (data protection device) not found. Please ensure dongle is connected and try again."

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

HD014   You must activate your dongle to use this module. Go to 6D™ Configure and select Activate Dongle.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

HD016   After installing the Windows 8.1 Update from Microsoft, my computer gives an error on a 'blue screen' when the computer starts.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

HD018   My dongle is not opening my 6D modules.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

IN022   Error 1722 reported when installing or uninstalling the Explorer Plugin

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

6D PhotoStitch

Listed versions: 10.0, 10.1

CT013   Error: "Please select a valid thread."

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

DC038   "Could not load picture file."

This message could appear if the desired picture is not where the module expects it to be, for example if it was loaded from a floppy disk, then closed and the floppy disk removed. It could also appear if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have an extension such as .bmp or .jpg, yet not be a proper picture file.

EM012   Error: "No embroideries available to print. Only embroideries that are combined and inside the hoop can be printed."

This message appears if the embroidery on screen is partially outside the selected hoop. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again.

EM017   "Embroidery has too many stitches for file format."

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

EM018   The embroidery I want to work with appears too small on the screen.

Make sure the 6D™ Embroidery window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the hoop so it fills the work area. Also, choose a Hoop Size in Hoop Selection that is suitable to the embroidery size.

EM021   It seems to take a long time to redraw embroideries when I choose different functions or switch to a new embroidery

The refresh rate of the screen is limited by the power of your computer's processor and RAM as well as the video card and its memory. To get the best performance from your system, try using 2D view as this requires less power than 3D view.

EM022   Some of the icons in the toolbar are 'grayed out'.

Certain icons (for example Save and Export on the Quick Access Toolbar) are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

EM023   I have changed grid color and spacing and now I wish to return to the original settings

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

EM048   When I hover the mouse pointer over a color in the color worksheet, part of the embroidery changes to an unusual color.

This is called "Highlight Selected Color". It allows you to see where each color is used in an embroidery. For example, if you have several color blocks using the same thread color and you wish to change the color of a specific section, hover over each color in the worksheet in turn until the section you require is highlighted.

EM049   "Problem with scanner or camera software."

This message will appear when trying to use your scanner or digital camera if the device has not been installed correctly. Close 6D™ Embroidery, follow the manufacturer's instructions for the Twain-compliant device, then reopen 6D™ Embroidery and try again.

EM050   "Scanner or camera is in use by another application."

This message will appear when trying to use your scanner or digital camera if another graphics program is already open that uses the Twain-compliant device. Close 6D™ Embroidery and the other graphics program, then reopen 6D™ Embroidery and try again.

EM051   "Your scanner or camera is no longer available for use. Close this program, plug in and switch on your scanner or camera, and run this program again."

This message will appear if the connection to your scanner or digital camera has a problem. Close 6D™ Embroidery, check the connections to your scanner or digital camera, then reopen 6D™ Embroidery and try again.

EM052   "Failure to acquire picture due to unknown causes."

This message will appear in certain circumstances when trying to use your scanner or digital camera, for example if the cable is disconnected during the scan or download. Close 5D Embroidery Extra, check the connections to your scanner or digital camera, then reopen 5D Embroidery Extra and try again.

EM074   "Error. No SuperDesigns, Frames or or Flourish files found."

This message appears if the SuperDesigns or Frames folder is empty or has been accidentally moved, deleted or renamed. Close 6D™ Embroidery, make sure the folder ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \SuperDesigns, or \Frames, is in the correct location and contains the SuperDesign or frames files, then try again.

If you are unable to restore or replace the SuperDesigns or Frames folder, repair the installation. Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the SuperDesigns or Frames will be restored.

Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

EM081   I would like to get rid of the lines created from the white background ofmy picture by Linear PhotoStitch embroidery.

After creating and saving an embroidery, use the Edit tab or open the file in 6D™ Stitch Editor Plus and use the following instructions.

1. Use the Freehand Block Select feature to mark the stitches in the background.
2. Click Delete Stitches.
3. Save the adjusted embroidery.

EP006   The thumbnails for my stitch files do not show in Windows® Explorer.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.



FT011   "The selected dimensions will produce a large PortraitStitch and stitch creation may take some time. Removing background areas will reduce the time required."

This message will appear if you specify a PhotoStitch larger than 26,000mm square. Click OK to continue creating the PhotoStitch. To reduce the stitch creation time, remove the picture background, particularly any very detailed areas. Stitch creation time is shorter for Linear PhotoStitch.

GA001   I can't drag and drop embroideries from the Open dialog box

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

GA005   Error "Cannot open embroidery."

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

GA006   Error "Unrecognized file format."

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

GA007   "Embroidery is corrupt"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA008   "Embroidery XY coordinates incorrect"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA009   "Unrecognized file extension"

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

GA010   Error "Unrecognized file extension" when saving a file

This message appears if you type an incorrect extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types in the File Name box when trying to save a file.

GA015   I have changed the screen background color and now I wish to return to the original light blue

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

GA019   "The color xx has been found in your database, but the thread color is not exactly the same."

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA020   "Could not find xx in your database. Matching to closest thread in yy."

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied bysomeone with a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 6D™ Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA027   "Embroidery too large for export format."

Certain formats are limited to the number of stitches they can save or the size of hoop used on their specific embroidery machine, for example .sew. If you attempt to save a file in this format that is bigger than the largest available hoop size or has more stitches than are allowed, this message would appear.

GA036   When I try to use Find Thread to select a thread number, the wrong thread shade is selected.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

GA042   "Error - thread range is corrupt or missing. Cannot change thread. Restore MySettings or reinstall the thread database."

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

GA043   "Cannot save file."

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

GA044   "No stitch data to save."

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

GA045   Not enough memory available to perform function.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

GA046   When I press the Help button I get the "Failed to launch help." error

Confirm 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation is Installed

This could be because you have not yet installed the 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation. You can confirm if you have installed this by going to 6D™ Configure and clicking on the Check Installation button and clicking Check to see which items you have installed.

Check you have the latest version of the 6D™ System Documentation installed

Previous 6D™ Documentation installations included Help for some modules. In the 6D™ Documentation 10.0.21, we have included Help and Reference Guides for all modules except 6D™ Font Digitizing.

Use Smart Update to check you have the latest version:

1. Open 6D™ Configure.
2. Click on the Smart Update button.
3. Enter your E-mail Address/Password details.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Next again to start the Download process.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

GA047   The 6D Installation Check utility shows that I do not have 6D Embroidery Machine Communication installed.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.



If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.



The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

GA048   My 6D module does not open

If your 6D module has some scanner functionality (6D Cross Stitch, 6D Design Creator or 6D PhotoStitch/PhotoStitch Wizard) it may not open if you there is an existing issue with the TWAIN/scanner drivers.

To fix this, you should visit the website of your scanner manufacturer and download/install the latest drivers for your scanner.

Alternatively, if you do not use your scanner at all, then you could disable the scanner drivers using the following steps:

1. Close down all 6D modules
2. Open Windows Explorer.
3. Browse to the C:\Windows\TWAIN_32 folder
4. Using pen and paper (or in a text file), make a note of the names of any files or files within the C:\Windows\TWAIN_32 folder.
5. If there are in sub-folders, right click on the top folder that is shown in the list.
6. Choose the Rename option - the name of the folder will be highlighted.
7. Press the right arrow key on your keyboard - so that the cursor moves to the end of the folder name
8. Then type _OLD and press ENTER. So, for example if your original folder name was MyScanner; your folder would now be renamed to MyScanner_OLD.
9. Try to open the 6D module that had previously not opened
10. If the 6D module does not open then rename the folder back to its original name.
11. Repeat steps 6 to 10 if the issue still exists.

GE001   No dongle attached. Cannot open program.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

GE002   "Embroidery not created using licensed software."

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

GE003   Motif database is missing or corrupt. Cannot change motif."

This message usually means that the motif database has been deleted or corrupted. This may be corrected by repairing the installation.

First, delete the file named 'SystemMotifs.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If the file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file name may simply be shown as 'SystemMotifs'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the motifs will be restored.

HD004   "Dongle (data protection device) not found. Please ensure dongle is connected and try again."

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

HD014   You must activate your dongle to use this module. Go to 6D™ Configure and select Activate Dongle.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

HD016   After installing the Windows 8.1 Update from Microsoft, my computer gives an error on a 'blue screen' when the computer starts.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

HD018   My dongle is not opening my 6D modules.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

IN022   Error 1722 reported when installing or uninstalling the Explorer Plugin

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

6D QuickFont

Listed versions: 10.0, 10.1

AQ001   Error "No disk in drive."

This message will appear when you have checked the Make Disk option, but have not put a floppy disk in the drive before clicking Next on the Output Options page. Disk creation is skipped, so if you wanted to create the disk, click Back on the Print Options page, insert a floppy disk and click Next again.

AQ002   Error "Font is too large to fit onto one disk. Three font disks will be created, one for each menu. Continue?"

As you increase the Output Size, the number of stitches required to build each character will increase. If the characters are very large then the combined number of stitches for all the characters may mean that the full character set will not fit on a single floppy disk. This message will appear, allowing you to make a three-disk set.

AQ003   Error "This font is too big to fit onto one disk, or even onto three disks."

This message appears when the font is so large and there are so many stitches that it will not fit onto disks, even when split across three disks. This is most likely to happen with fonts that are created as Fill + Satin Border. This message will inform you of this situation, but no disks will be made.

One solution is to create two copies of the font, one as Fill and one as Satin Border and stitch the Satin Border font over the top of the Fill font. Alternatively, reduce the size at which the font is generated and try again.

AQ005   I am having trouble with converting a symbol font to the desired size.

The sizes of the shapes in a symbol font often vary in size within a single font. The size of converted fonts is set by specifying the height of the uppercase letter A, or whichever symbol or character occupies its position in the font (ASCII character 65). This may affect your converted symbols if the symbol at ASCII 65 is a lot smaller or larger than other symbols in the font. If your symbols convert to unexpectedly small or large sizes, compare the symbols by selecting the font in a word processor and typing on your keyboard. Type in A and some other letters to see how the corresponding shapes differ in size from the shape for A. Alternatively, type in some letters in a normal font then select the letters and change them to the required symbol font.

There is a free word processor called WordPad supplied with all current versions of Windows®.

AQ006   The kerning character < does not work for my Designer I font disk.

Ensure you are using Designer I software version 1.41 or later, as this feature is not available in earlier versions.

AQ007   Error "stitch type requires an output size of between "xx and "yy mm"

This message will appear when you try to set the Output Size too low or too high for the chosen Stitch Type. Change the Output Size accordingly.

AQ008   Error message "MyFonts folder is full. You must delete some fonts to make room for new fonts."

This message appears if there is no room in the MyFonts folder on the Designer SE to transfer the font you have selected. Delete some fonts, then try again.

AQ009   "Error. Font is too thin to be filled."

This message may appear when trying to preview or create a font with the QuickFont Wizard. When some parts of characters have very narrow sections, they may not be large enough to have fill areas created when the Stitch Type is set to Fill or Fill + Satin Border. If the font is created, it may have characters or parts of some characters missing. It is recommended to choose a different Stitch Type. Alternatively, create the font then use 6D™ Font Digitizing to create the missing parts and/or characters

AQ010   "Error processing character x. Continue generating font?"

This message may appear during font creation if one or more characters is not properly defined in a font. That is, there is no data in the TrueType or OpenType font about the characters, so they cannot be created in the embroidery font. This may happen with specialist or symbol fonts, which are not designed for general text usage. Click Yes to continue and create the available characters, or click No to cancel creating the font and choose a different TrueType or OpenType font.

AQ011   Error: "No disk in drive"

This message appears if there is no disk inserted in the floppy disk drive of your computer when you try to save the font to floppy disk.

CT013   Error: "Please select a valid thread."

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

EM017   "Embroidery has too many stitches for file format."

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

EM018   The embroidery I want to work with appears too small on the screen.

Make sure the 6D™ Embroidery window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the hoop so it fills the work area. Also, choose a Hoop Size in Hoop Selection that is suitable to the embroidery size.

EM021   It seems to take a long time to redraw embroideries when I choose different functions or switch to a new embroidery

The refresh rate of the screen is limited by the power of your computer's processor and RAM as well as the video card and its memory. To get the best performance from your system, try using 2D view as this requires less power than 3D view.

EM023   I have changed grid color and spacing and now I wish to return to the original settings

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

EM086   The letters I am designing in 6D™ Font Digitizing are not appearing in the ExpressMonogram Wizard.

The ExpressMonogram Wizard can only use the fonts provided in the 6D™ Embroidery System or created using the 6D™ QuickFont Wizard. It cannot use new fonts created in 6D™ Font Digitizing.

EP006   The thumbnails for my stitch files do not show in Windows® Explorer.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.



EQ002   "Error. Could not set up font data."

This message may appear at the end of font creation if one or more characters is not properly defined in a font. That is, there is no data in the TrueType or OpenType font about the characters, so they have not been created in the embroidery font. This may happen with specialist or symbol fonts, which are not designed for general text usage. If desired, use 6D™ Font Digitizing to create any missing characters.

GA001   I can't drag and drop embroideries from the Open dialog box

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

GA005   Error "Cannot open embroidery."

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

GA006   Error "Unrecognized file format."

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

GA007   "Embroidery is corrupt"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA008   "Embroidery XY coordinates incorrect"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA009   "Unrecognized file extension"

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

GA010   Error "Unrecognized file extension" when saving a file

This message appears if you type an incorrect extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types in the File Name box when trying to save a file.

GA015   I have changed the screen background color and now I wish to return to the original light blue

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

GA019   "The color xx has been found in your database, but the thread color is not exactly the same."

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA020   "Could not find xx in your database. Matching to closest thread in yy."

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied bysomeone with a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 6D™ Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA036   When I try to use Find Thread to select a thread number, the wrong thread shade is selected.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

GA042   "Error - thread range is corrupt or missing. Cannot change thread. Restore MySettings or reinstall the thread database."

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

GA043   "Cannot save file."

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

GA044   "No stitch data to save."

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

GA045   Not enough memory available to perform function.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

GA047   The 6D Installation Check utility shows that I do not have 6D Embroidery Machine Communication installed.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.



If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.



The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

GE001   No dongle attached. Cannot open program.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

GE002   "Embroidery not created using licensed software."

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

HD004   "Dongle (data protection device) not found. Please ensure dongle is connected and try again."

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

HD014   You must activate your dongle to use this module. Go to 6D™ Configure and select Activate Dongle.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

HD016   After installing the Windows 8.1 Update from Microsoft, my computer gives an error on a 'blue screen' when the computer starts.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

HD018   My dongle is not opening my 6D modules.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

IN022   Error 1722 reported when installing or uninstalling the Explorer Plugin

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

6D Sketch

Listed versions: 10.0, 10.1

CT013   Error: "Please select a valid thread."

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

EM012   Error: "No embroideries available to print. Only embroideries that are combined and inside the hoop can be printed."

This message appears if the embroidery on screen is partially outside the selected hoop. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again.

EM017   "Embroidery has too many stitches for file format."

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

EM018   The embroidery I want to work with appears too small on the screen.

Make sure the 6D™ Embroidery window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the hoop so it fills the work area. Also, choose a Hoop Size in Hoop Selection that is suitable to the embroidery size.

EM021   It seems to take a long time to redraw embroideries when I choose different functions or switch to a new embroidery

The refresh rate of the screen is limited by the power of your computer's processor and RAM as well as the video card and its memory. To get the best performance from your system, try using 2D view as this requires less power than 3D view.

EM022   Some of the icons in the toolbar are 'grayed out'.

Certain icons (for example Save and Export on the Quick Access Toolbar) are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

EM023   I have changed grid color and spacing and now I wish to return to the original settings

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

EM048   When I hover the mouse pointer over a color in the color worksheet, part of the embroidery changes to an unusual color.

This is called "Highlight Selected Color". It allows you to see where each color is used in an embroidery. For example, if you have several color blocks using the same thread color and you wish to change the color of a specific section, hover over each color in the worksheet in turn until the section you require is highlighted.

EP006   The thumbnails for my stitch files do not show in Windows® Explorer.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.



GA001   I can't drag and drop embroideries from the Open dialog box

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

GA005   Error "Cannot open embroidery."

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

GA006   Error "Unrecognized file format."

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

GA007   "Embroidery is corrupt"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA008   "Embroidery XY coordinates incorrect"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA009   "Unrecognized file extension"

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

GA010   Error "Unrecognized file extension" when saving a file

This message appears if you type an incorrect extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types in the File Name box when trying to save a file.

GA015   I have changed the screen background color and now I wish to return to the original light blue

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

GA019   "The color xx has been found in your database, but the thread color is not exactly the same."

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA020   "Could not find xx in your database. Matching to closest thread in yy."

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied bysomeone with a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 6D™ Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA027   "Embroidery too large for export format."

Certain formats are limited to the number of stitches they can save or the size of hoop used on their specific embroidery machine, for example .sew. If you attempt to save a file in this format that is bigger than the largest available hoop size or has more stitches than are allowed, this message would appear.

GA036   When I try to use Find Thread to select a thread number, the wrong thread shade is selected.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

GA042   "Error - thread range is corrupt or missing. Cannot change thread. Restore MySettings or reinstall the thread database."

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

GA043   "Cannot save file."

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

GA044   "No stitch data to save."

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

GA045   Not enough memory available to perform function.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

GA046   When I press the Help button I get the "Failed to launch help." error

Confirm 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation is Installed

This could be because you have not yet installed the 6D™ Embroidery System Documentation. You can confirm if you have installed this by going to 6D™ Configure and clicking on the Check Installation button and clicking Check to see which items you have installed.

Check you have the latest version of the 6D™ System Documentation installed

Previous 6D™ Documentation installations included Help for some modules. In the 6D™ Documentation 10.0.21, we have included Help and Reference Guides for all modules except 6D™ Font Digitizing.

Use Smart Update to check you have the latest version:

1. Open 6D™ Configure.
2. Click on the Smart Update button.
3. Enter your E-mail Address/Password details.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Next again to start the Download process.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

GA047   The 6D Installation Check utility shows that I do not have 6D Embroidery Machine Communication installed.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.



If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.



The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

GE001   No dongle attached. Cannot open program.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

GE002   "Embroidery not created using licensed software."

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

GE003   Motif database is missing or corrupt. Cannot change motif."

This message usually means that the motif database has been deleted or corrupted. This may be corrected by repairing the installation.

First, delete the file named 'SystemMotifs.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery \System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If the file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file name may simply be shown as 'SystemMotifs'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the motifs will be restored.

HD004   "Dongle (data protection device) not found. Please ensure dongle is connected and try again."

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

HD014   You must activate your dongle to use this module. Go to 6D™ Configure and select Activate Dongle.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

HD016   After installing the Windows 8.1 Update from Microsoft, my computer gives an error on a 'blue screen' when the computer starts.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

HD018   My dongle is not opening my 6D modules.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

IN022   Error 1722 reported when installing or uninstalling the Explorer Plugin

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

SK001   Error message "Error 7. Dongle not found. Please attach the correct dongle to a USB port of your computer."

This message will appear when trying to start 5D Sketch if the 5D Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

SK002   Error message "The program requires a color palette of High Color (16 bit) or higher."

This message appears when attempting to open 5D Sketch if your computer is set to a display of 256 colors or less. Reset the display as follows.

1. Right-click on the desktop and a shortcut menu appears.
2. In Windows® 7, click Screen resolution, then click Advanced settings - Properties box will appear. From there click the Monitor tab.
3. In Windows® Vista, click Personalize, then click Display Settings in the window that appears.
4. In Windows® XP, click on Properties and a dialog box appears. Click the Settings tab.
5. In both cases, change Color quality to High Color (16 bit) or higher using the drop-down menu.
6. Click OK, and allow your computer to restart if required.

SK003   Error message "The embroidery is xx.x mm x yy.y mm and does not fit in the chosen hoop. Choose a different embroidery or increase the hoop size."

This message appears on the Load Embroidery page of the Load Design Wizard if you choose an embroidery that will not fit the chosen hoop size, even if it is rotated. If you wish to load the selected embroidery, step back through the wizard, increase the hoop size as necessary and try again.

SK004   "The embroidery will only fit the selected hoop if it is rotated 90 degrees. Is that OK?"

This message appears on the Load Embroidery page of the Load Design Wizard if you choose an embroidery that will only fit the chosen hoop size if it is rotated. If you wish to accept the embroidery you have selected, but rotate it to fit in the hoop, click Yes. Otherwise, click No. If you click No because you want to load the embroidery in its original orientation, you should go back through the Load Design Wizard and change the hoop size or orientation.

SK005   Error message "The Minimum ZigZag Width is larger than the Maximum ZigZag Width. Change either the Minimum or Maximum so that the Minimum is the same or smaller than the Maximum."

When setting the Minimum and Maximum ZigZag Width in Stitches Preferences, the Minimum must be the same or smaller than the Maximum. Adjust either the Minimum or Maximum to ensure that the Minimum is not larger than the Maximum ZigZag Width.

SK006   Some of the icons in the Toolbar are 'grayed out'.

Certain icons (for example, most of the Edit toolbar icons) are only highlighted once there are stitches on the screen.

SK008   Some of the stitches I have drawn with Horizontal ZigZag, Rotational ZigZag and/or Calligraphy appear to be broken up.

This can happen in 3D view with any of the zigzag stitches when the ZigZag Width is very low. You have drawn very short stitches close to each other, and this causes them to appear broken up in 3D view. Select 2D view and you will see the stitches. Hence, this is only an issue with displaying the stitches in 3D.

SK009   I have chosen a variegated thread for drawing stitches, but only one color is showing.

Variegated threads are stored in the thread database as a sequence of colors, each of which lasts for a specified length. Hence, one of these must be the first color that is defined. While drawing stitches in 3D, only the first color defined for a variegated thread is used for drawing the stitches. When you right-click to finish drawing with the current drawing function, the variegated thread is drawn in all of its colors.

In 2D, only the first color of a variegated thread is shown. You must view your embroidery in 3D to see all the shades in a variegated thread.

SK010   The embroidery appears too small on the screen.

Make sure the 5D Sketch window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the hoop so it fills the work area. Also, choose a Hoop Size in the Load Design Wizard or Hoop Selection that is suitable to the embroidery size.

SK011   I find it hard to select the part of the embroidery I wish to edit.

Many functions of 5D Sketch can be used to help see sections of embroideries more easily. They include the Zoom Commands and hiding thread colors. The different methods of selection (Box Select, Freehand Select, Polygon Select and Make Block From Visible Area) are also useful for different situations.

SK012   I have added a Color Change and/or new stitches part way through my embroidery, instead of at the end.

This happens when you have a stitch point part way through your embroidery selected and Insert Mode is on. When Insert Mode is on, new stitches and/or color changes are inserted at the selected stitch point. This also affects stitches added to the embroidery with Paste, and embroideries inserted with Open, View, Find Designs and so on. To ensure you only add stitches and color changes at the end of your embroidery, turn off Insert Mode.

SK013   I used Erase Stitches and some stitches I want to keep are highlighted.

Right-click to finish the Erase Stitches operation. The highlighted stitches will be erased. Click Undo, and the erase operation will be reversed. Use Erase Stitches again to remove the stitches you wanted to erase, without removing the stitches you want to keep.

SK014   The page numbers only appear on the worksheet part of the print out.

The plan view and the picture pages only have stitches and the picture on the printed page. This is necessary on the sheet that prints the picture, so that only the picture is printed onto the printable fabric or tee shirt transfer paper. Similarly, the plan view should only show the picture and the alignment stitches and/or the embroidery.

SK015   "No embroidery loaded."

This message appears if you select Finish on the Load Embroidery page of the Load Design Wizard when there is no embroidery loaded. Load an embroidery so there is an embroidery shown in the preview area. If you do not wish to load an embroidery, return to the Design Options page and choose a different option.

SK016   "No stitch data to save."

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery loaded, no alignment stitches have been created and no stitches have been drawn.

SK017   When I stitch out the embroidery, there is a thick group of stitches in one place.

This may happen if you pause the pen on the same point on the tablet for an extended time when drawing with Free Motion, Horizontal ZigZag, Rotational ZigZag or Calligraphy. Each of these drawing functions adds stitches to the design continuously when the pen is on the tablet (or when the mouse button is held down), as controlled by the Free Motion Stitch Speed. This is the same as holding fabric in one place in a sewing machine while continuously stitching. The stitches will be on the same point. You can see this happening as the stitch count on the status bar increases.

Either select and delete the excess stitches, or remove them with the Eraser.

Alternatively, 5D Stitch Editor includes a Density Advisor, which can automatically reduce the density where stitch points are tightly packed together.

SK018   "I have accidentally made a selection and moved it."

This might happen if the CTRL key is still held down when you have no stitch drawing function selected. When no other functions are active, stitches can be selected by selecting a stitch, then using CTRL+click to select another stitch. This will make a selection of all the stitches between the two selected stitches. If no other stitch is selected, the last stitch in the embroidery is selected. Hence, CTRL+click will select all stitches from the clicked stitch to the end of the embroidery. To cancel the selection, right-click. If you have moved the selection, click Undo to move the stitches back to their original positions.

The CTRL key should only be held down if a stitch drawing function is selected. It is recommended to also release the CTRL key when you right-click to deselect a function.

6D Stitch Editor Plus

Listed versions: 10.0, 10.1

CT013   Error: "Please select a valid thread."

This message appears if you attempt to click OK in the Color Selection dialog box when MyThreads is selected as the thread range and MyThreads is empty.

To prevent this message appearing again, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure to add at least one thread to MyThreads.

EM012   Error: "No embroideries available to print. Only embroideries that are combined and inside the hoop can be printed."

This message appears if the embroidery on screen is partially outside the selected hoop. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again.

EM017   "Embroidery has too many stitches for file format."

There is a limit on the number of stitches that may be saved to an embroidery file in Pfaff (.pcs) file format. This message appears if the embroidery you attempt to save to this format exceeds this limit.

EM018   The embroidery I want to work with appears too small on the screen.

Make sure the 6D™ Embroidery window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the hoop so it fills the work area. Also, choose a Hoop Size in Hoop Selection that is suitable to the embroidery size.

EM021   It seems to take a long time to redraw embroideries when I choose different functions or switch to a new embroidery

The refresh rate of the screen is limited by the power of your computer's processor and RAM as well as the video card and its memory. To get the best performance from your system, try using 2D view as this requires less power than 3D view.

EM022   Some of the icons in the toolbar are 'grayed out'.

Certain icons (for example Save and Export on the Quick Access Toolbar) are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

EM023   I have changed grid color and spacing and now I wish to return to the original settings

Use 6D™ Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color drop-down on the Grid Color button.

Use Screen Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 10.

EM048   When I hover the mouse pointer over a color in the color worksheet, part of the embroidery changes to an unusual color.

This is called "Highlight Selected Color". It allows you to see where each color is used in an embroidery. For example, if you have several color blocks using the same thread color and you wish to change the color of a specific section, hover over each color in the worksheet in turn until the section you require is highlighted.

EM077   The color worksheet appears blank.

If no design is selected, or more than one design is selected, the worksheet will be blank. To view and change the threads in an embroidery, select the single embroidery, then view the threads in the color worksheet.

EM081   I would like to get rid of the lines created from the white background ofmy picture by Linear PhotoStitch embroidery.

After creating and saving an embroidery, use the Edit tab or open the file in 6D™ Stitch Editor Plus and use the following instructions.

1. Use the Freehand Block Select feature to mark the stitches in the background.
2. Click Delete Stitches.
3. Save the adjusted embroidery.

EP006   The thumbnails for my stitch files do not show in Windows® Explorer.

You should first make sure that you have followed the instructions in the following FAQs before doing the instructions below:

• EP005
• EP001

You may find that Windows® Explorer displays some file formats but not all types. This usually occurs if you have had another file management program such as the Embird Iconizer installed. The issue may be that entries have been made in the computer’s Registry that do not have an owner, and therefore cannot be updated by the 6D™ Windows® Explorer Plug-in installation.

1. Download the VSM 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility.
2. Double click on the VSM6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file.
3. You may receive a message asking "Do you want to allow the follow program to make changes to this computer?" Click Yes.
4. A black screen will appear – when it is finished press any key to close that window.
5. Restart your computer.
6. Delete the Thumbnail cache (instructions in EP002).

The thumbnails for your stitch files should now be showing correctly.



GA001   I can't drag and drop embroideries from the Open dialog box

To drag and drop embroideries onto the Work Area, right-click Start, then Explore to start Windows® Explorer. Then follow the instructions under Drag and Drop.

GA005   Error "Cannot open embroidery."

This message appears if the desired embroidery is not where the module expects it to be, for example if an embroidery was loaded from a USB memory stick, then closed and the memory stick removed. The message would appear if you tried to load the embroidery from the Recent Files list on the File menu.

GA006   Error "Unrecognized file format."

This message appears if the file you are attempting to load is corrupt. For example, it might have the extension .vp3, yet not be a proper Husqvarna Viking / Pfaff embroidery.

GA007   "Embroidery is corrupt"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA008   "Embroidery XY coordinates incorrect"

The embroidery is corrupt and cannot be loaded. Refer to source of this file for a solution.

GA009   "Unrecognized file extension"

This message appears if you attempt to load a file with an extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types. For example, it would appear if you tried to drag and drop a .doc file onto the screen.

GA010   Error "Unrecognized file extension" when saving a file

This message appears if you type an incorrect extension that does not belong to any embroidery file types in the File Name box when trying to save a file.

GA015   I have changed the screen background color and now I wish to return to the original light blue

Use 6D™ Configure to change the background color. Follow the instructions in 6D™ Configure and select the RGB values 211, 233, 255 in the Colors dialog box.

GA019   "The color xx has been found in your database, but the thread color is not exactly the same."

This message appears if the Thread Range and Color Number of the selected color are identical to those in your thread database, but some aspect of the color is different. It could be a different material or weight, or have additional colors as a variegated thread. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied by someone with a different version of the color, for instance if they have edited it in MyThreads, or if they have a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the near match. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To import the new color from an embroidery if it is a MyThreads color, use Thread Manager in 6D™ Configure. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA020   "Could not find xx in your database. Matching to closest thread in yy."

This message appears if the Thread Range of the selected color is not found in your thread database. This could happen if the design you are attempting to edit was supplied bysomeone with a later version of the thread database. If you click OK, the color will be replaced with the nearest match in the Import Thread Range you have set in 6D™ Configure. You can alter it to any other color if desired. If you click Cancel, the color will not be changed. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure.

GA027   "Embroidery too large for export format."

Certain formats are limited to the number of stitches they can save or the size of hoop used on their specific embroidery machine, for example .sew. If you attempt to save a file in this format that is bigger than the largest available hoop size or has more stitches than are allowed, this message would appear.

GA036   When I try to use Find Thread to select a thread number, the wrong thread shade is selected.

The Find Thread feature in Color Selection allows you to enter partial thread numbers. The first thread in the list matching the number is found, with priority given to an exact match. If you are attempting to find a thread with only part of the number, the first thread matched may not be the desired thread. To ensure you select the correct thread, enter the thread number as it appears in the list. Some thread ranges have prefix characters on the thread number. These must also be entered to obtain an exact match.

GA042   "Error - thread range is corrupt or missing. Cannot change thread. Restore MySettings or reinstall the thread database."

This message appears if there is a problem with your thread database. You will be unable to choose a thread color. First close all the modules of the 6D™ Embroidery System, close down your computer and restart. If this does not clear the problem, restore a backup with Restore MySettings, if you have created one using Backup MySettings in 6D™ Configure.

Otherwise, you either need a new version of the thread database, or a repair install of your 6D™ Embroidery System software. To check for the latest updates for the 6D™ Embroidery System, use Smart Update in 6D™ Configure. If the error still appears, then repair the installation. First, delete the files named 'MySettings.mdb' and 'ThreadDatabase.mdb' from ProgramData\VSMSoftware\6DEmbroidery\System.

This assumes you have installed your 6D™ Embroidery System software in the default location. If either file is not present then this is the reason for the error. The file names may simply be shown as 'MySettings' and 'ThreadDatabase'.

Put your 6D™ Embroidery System software DVD in your computer and re-run the installation. When the choice appears, select the "Modify or remove" option and click Next. In the next screen, select Repair and click Next. Continue with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. When the installation is complete, the thread database will be restored to its original installation state. This means that the MyThreads database will have the default set of threads. This will also reset MyThreadRanges and custom Quick Color Themes to their installation states. Check Smart Update in 6D™ Configure after repairing the installation.

GA043   "Cannot save file."

This message appears if, for instance, you have loaded an embroidery from a CD-ROM and then attempt to save the embroidery back to the CD. A CD-ROM is read only, therefore you will not be able to save the embroidery.

GA044   "No stitch data to save."

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

GA045   Not enough memory available to perform function.

This message will appear if system resources are low. Close other programs and try again. If this does not work, try restarting your computer.

GA047   The 6D Installation Check utility shows that I do not have 6D Embroidery Machine Communication installed.

You receive the screen below if you have the 6D Embroidery System installed and you choose the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option in the 6D Installation Check utility.



If you have a 6D Embroidery System installed, then you only need to select the 6D Embroidery System option and click Check. If you have installed the seven individual components of the 6D Embroidery System, then you will see the screen below when you do the 6D Installation Check.



The 6D Embroidery Machine Communication option refers to whether you have installed the individual components that make up the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system. It does not refer to status of communication between your computer and your direct connection embroidery machine.

It is only possible to have either the 6D Embroidery System system installed or the 6D Embroidery Machine Communication system installed on one computer at any time.

GE001   No dongle attached. Cannot open program.

This message will appear when trying to start a module if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

GE002   "Embroidery not created using licensed software."

This message may appear if you attempt to load an embroidery created in third-party software. Such embroideries may cause unpredictable results.

HD004   "Dongle (data protection device) not found. Please ensure dongle is connected and try again."

This message will appear when trying to use 6D™ Embroidery if the 6D™ Embroidery System cannot detect the dongle (data protection device). For example, if the dongle has been removed or loosened while using 6D™ Embroidery. Ensure the dongle is plugged into a free USB port of your computer.

HD014   You must activate your dongle to use this module. Go to 6D™ Configure and select Activate Dongle.

When you have installed and registered certain 6D™ Embroidery System modules, you must activate the dongle. If you attempt to run a module before activating, this message will appear.

HD016   After installing the Windows 8.1 Update from Microsoft, my computer gives an error on a 'blue screen' when the computer starts.

If the error refers to any of the following files, then please install the latest Dongle Drivers to resolve the issue:

• aksclass.sys
• akshasp.sys
• akshhl.sys
• aksusb.sys
• aksdf.sys
• aksfridge.sys
• hardlock.sys

* If you installed the dongle drivers as part of a 6D Embroidery System installation, then you already have the latest dongle drivers installed.

HD018   My dongle is not opening my 6D modules.

It could be that your dongle drivers are not installed correctly.

When you install a new version of the dongle drivers, the installation will remove the old dongle drivers from your computer before it installs the latest version.

In case the old drivers were not fully removed correctly, then it is advisable to download and install the latest command-line dongle drivers - which remove all traces of the dongle drivers from your computer, before installing the latest dongle drivers:

1. Disconnect the dongle[s] from the computer.
2. Download the following file - Command-Line Purge Dongle Drivers
3. Double click on the HASPCommandLineDrivers-Purge.exe file – a black screen will appear.
4. You may receive a Microsoft warning message. Click the Run Anyway button.
5. Click Yes to any User Account Control prompts that may appear.
6. Click OK to both Sentinel Run-time Environment Installer messages reading Operation successfully completed.
7. When the process is finished, the black screen will disappear.
8. Insert your dongle into your computer – the Installing device driver software message may appear.

IN022   Error 1722 reported when installing or uninstalling the Explorer Plugin

Error 1722 appears when an installation of the Explorer Plugin may have become corrupted. Use the 6D Explorer Plugin Fix utility to correct this problem.

1. Download the 6D Explorer Plugin 1722 Fix utility here.
2. Double click on the downloaded 6DExplorerPluginFix.exe file
3. Follow the on-screen instructions
4. Now try to install the 6D Explorer Plugin installation file again.

SE001   When I view Tajima files, the Trim and Stop stitches do not show

Unlike Husqvarna Viking/Pfaff (.vp3 and .vip) format files, Tajima (.dst) does not have stitches specially designated as trims or stops. Instead these are replaced as three extra jump stitches instead of a trim and a color change instead of a stop. When the machine is stitching the design, it converts these back to the correct stitch types

SE002   The embroidery I want to work with appears too small on the screen

Make sure the 5D Stitch Editor window is maximized by clicking the Maximize icon on the title bar, then maximize the window of the desired embroidery by clicking the Maximize icon on its title bar. Click Zoom To Fit to expand the embroidery so it fills the window or use Zoom In together with the Overview Window to move around the embroidery. Check the Hoop Size in Hoop Selection to make sure the Hoop Size is not too large for the embroidery.

SE003   I find it hard to select the part of the embroidery I wish to edit

Many functions of 5D Stitch Editor can be used to help see sections of embroideries more easily. They include the Zoom Commands and the Overview Window, as well as Draw Next Color, Draw Previous Color, the slider bars and Ghost Mode. The Coordinates can also be used to help run through designs to find the required stitch or command. The different methods of selection (Box Select, Color Block Select, Freehand Select, Polygon Select and Make Block From Visible Area) are also useful for different situations.

SE004   I selected part of an embroidery, then tried to Compensate the block. The compensation has been applied to the whole embroidery, not just the area selected.

Compensation works on the visible part of an embroidery. Hide stitches with Draw Range, Draw Next Color or turn colors off by right-clicking in the Color Worksheet to isolate a specific area before using this function.

SE005   I selected part of an embroidery, then tried to Break Up Stitches. Stitches have been broken up in the whole embroidery, not just the area selected.

Break Up Stitches works on the visible part of an embroidery. Hide stitches with Draw Range, Draw Next Color or turn colors off by right-clicking in the Color Worksheet to isolate a specific area before using this function.

SE006   I cannot select the desired color using the Color Block function, because one color is on top of the other

Use Draw Next Color and Draw Previous Color or turn colors off by right-clicking in the Color Worksheet to isolate the desired color area, then click Color Block to select those stitches.

SE007   I used Box Select around an area, but selected some stitches I didn't want. Undo is grayed out so I can't click it.

To cancel a stitch block selection made using Box Select, Color Block Select, Freehand Select, Polygon Select or Make Block From Visible Area, click anywhere in the currently active embroidery, but outside the dotted box showing the selected stitches. The stitches will no longer be selected.

SE008   I have started to PatternMake™ an embroidery using the Stamp Fill and realize I have not isolated the part of the design I wish to pattern

Click Undo once the stamping process is complete, then isolate the desired stitches and use Stamp Fill again. If necessary, click Undo once more to Undo the use of Remove Needle Points in Fill.

SE009   "Embroidery xxx is too large or is not in the hoop."

This message appears if an embroidery you are trying to Save is outside the selected hoop or larger than will fit in it. For example, with the 100mm x 100mm hoop selected, an embroidery smaller than 100mm x 100mm might be placed partially outside the work area when you click Save. This message would then appear. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again. Alternatively, change the Hoop Use setting in General Preferences to No.

SE010   Error "No embroideries available to print. Only embroideries that are inside the hoop can be printed."

This message appears if the embroidery on screen is partially outside the selected hoop. Move the embroidery completely within the four blue corners of the work area and try again. Alternatively, change the Hoop Use setting in General Preferences to No.

SE011   Error "The cut line crosses over itself. Please define another cut line and try again."

This message appears when you place a cut line that crosses itself at some point. If you want to split the embroidery then you must redo the cut line, without it crossing over itself.

SE013   Error "The cut line does not enter the embroidery. Please define another cut line and try again."

This message appears when you right-click to end the cut line before the cut line has crossed any stitches. If you want to split the embroidery then you must redo the cut line.

SE014   It seems to take a long time to redraw embroideries when I choose different functions or switch to a new embroidery.

The refresh rate of the screen is limited by the power of your computer's processor and RAM as well as the video card and its memory. To get the best performance from your system, keep the Overview Window closed, as this must be redrawn every time the screen changes. Also try using 2D view as this requires less power than 3D view.

SE015   Some of the icons in the Toolbar are 'grayed out'

Certain icons (for example Combine, Save As and Print on the Main Toolbar and all Edit Toolbar icons apart from Preferences) are only highlighted once an embroidery is shown on the screen.

SE017   I have changed grid color and spacing and now I wish to return to the original settings

Use 5D Configure to change the grid color. Follow the instructions in 5D Configure and select Blue Gray (RGB values 102, 102, 153) from the standard color dropdown on the Grid Color button.

Use General Preferences to change the grid spacing. Set the Grid Size to 5.

SE018   I have moved the control panel and I can't put it back in position

If the control panel is 'floating' on top of the window, double-click the title bar and the control panel will move back to its original position.

If the control panel is docked on the wrong side of the window, click and drag the title bar to the middle of the right-hand edge of the window until the outline snaps into position on the right. Release the mouse button and the control panel will be dropped into its original position.

Using Reset All Modules in 5D Configure will also return the control panel to its original position.

To use Reset All Modules

1. Ensure your designs are saved in any 5D Embroidery System modules that are open.
2. Click 5D Configure on the QuickLink toolbar.
3. Click Reset All Modules.
4. A message will appear, indicating that all modules will be closed and reset. Click OK.
5. A message will appear, asking you to ensure that all other 5D Embroidery System modules have closed, apart from 5D Configure. Click OK.
6. A message will appear, indicating that all modules have now been reset. Click OK. The control panel will have been restored.

SE019   The control panel is not showing or is in the wrong position in 5D Stitch Editor.

If the control panel is visible but in the wrong position, first try to click and drag its title bar to move it back to its normal position on the right.

If this does not work, or the control panel is not visible, use Reset All Modules.

Note that Reset All Modules affects all modules in the 5D Embroidery System, so any changes to settings in each module will be reset. The recent files list on the File menu is also cleared, but this does not affect any files you have saved.

To use Reset All Modules:

1. Ensure your designs are saved in any 5D Embroidery System modules that are open.
2. Click 5D Configure on the QuickLink toolbar.
3. Click Reset All Modules.
4. A message will appear, indicating that all modules will be closed and reset. Click OK.
5. A message will appear, asking you to ensure that all other 5D Embroidery System modules have closed, apart from 5D Configure. Click OK.
6. A message will appear, indicating that all modules have now been reset. Click OK.

The next time you start 5D Stitch Editor, the control panel will be in the correct position.

SE020   "Error. Not enough cut points to separate the embroidery."

This message appears when you place only two points to define your cut line. You must place at least three points to define the area that will be separated.

SE021   "No stitch data to save."

This message appears on attempting to save when there is no embroidery on the current window.

SE022   The points on my border shape are blunt.

This may happen with some border shapes that have sharp points if they are not drawn proportionally, or if you create very sharp points with Polygon Border. This may also happen when border shapes are used at very small sizes.

For best results when drawing preset shapes with sharp points, it is recommended to hold down Ctrl so that the shape is perfectly in proportion.

When using Polygon Border, if you need to have an acute angle, try placing an extra point or two around the turn, instead of using a single point. Also, try to join the polygon border back to itself on a straight side. If the border starts and finishes at a corner, that corner will not be mitered because the ends of the border will be flat at that point.

SE023   After drawing a border/appliqué shape, I right-click but the shape disappears.

When drawing border/appliqué shapes, right-click is used to cancel without using the shape. To use the shape, you must click one of the Create Border or Create Appliqué functions. This then creates a new embroidery with the border or appliqué.

When drawing a Polygon, the polygon shape is completed with right-click, but using right-click again will also cancel without using the shape.

To change the border/appliqué settings before using one of the Create Border or Create Appliqué functions, click the Preferences icon then click the Border tab. Adjust the options as desired, then click OK.