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Problems or Error Messages


How do I fix it when Windows says that "this app won't run"?
Later Windows operating systems have default settings to restrict what programs or apps can run on the system.  If you are seeing a message that says something to the effect that "this app(lication)...

Why have I not received an order confirmation yet?
If you ordered Notation more than 30 minutes ago, and have not yet received an order confirmation, there are a couple of reasons you might not have received it. The most typical is that the email...

Why does my antivirus software show a problem with my download link?
Sometimes antivirus software will display a "false positive" for executable (.exe) files.  This "false positive", or reporting a problem when there is not really a virus, is mainly due to extra...

My antivirus/malware protection software says the Wine download is a virus - why is that?
Please rest assured that downloads from our website are virus-free.  However, it is a common problem and well known that antivirus developers do not care about Wine and Windows software in their...

I'm trying to install the software and I'm getting a Windows "ERROR: no access...." message - what do I do?
This error message is caused by the Windows Defender Ramsonware protection when this feature is activated. If you own a version 4 license of Notation Composer or Notation Musician please make sure...

Why doesn't the "P" + tap-the-touchpad work to move the playback cursor on my laptop?
For some laptops the "P" + tap-the-touchpad to move the playback placement cursor does not work properly.  This is due to a setting in Windows 10/11 that is easily remedied. 1. Open "Settings" 2....

When trying to install the software I'm getting a message "the specified account already exists." How do I fix that?
If you are trying to install any Notation Software product and are seeing the error "the specified account already exists", it is typically an issue with a registry entry.  To fix this issue, you will...

Ensemble templates - when I use "Create New" in Notation Composer, the ensemble list is empty. What do I do?
For some reason the ensemble template files that were installed with your software are no longer recognized.  You can manually install the template files by following the instructions below.  A zip...

I've associated my Notation product with MIDI (.mid) files - why does some other media player play those files in my browser?
A couple of media players use a bit of a "stealth" approach to running their software in your browser. Here are two that we are familiar with, and the specific steps that (should) work for not having...

Why am I not receiving emails from Notation Software?
Sometimes spam or malware protection software will block the delivery of emails that contain links, especially if the link is for an "executable" file.  The installation files for Notation Software...

Why can't I record into Composer?
There are a few different reasons that your keyboard may not be properly recognized as a MIDI recording device: 1. You may not be able to record into Composer if the MIDI connection is not set up...

Why does Composer have a problem opening the Templates?
There is sometimes a problem with Windows if a user doesn't have the right "permissions" settings for a folder. You will need to be sure that your user name on your machine has "full control" settings...

The installation program does not work without warning, why?
If the Notation installation program starts, but does not successfully complete, and offers no error messages, this might be due to a conflict with anti-virus software installed on your system. In...

Why does the Prepare Fake Book command create an empty part?
The Prepare Fake Book Lead Sheet command (in the Part menu) produces a single part with the melody, lyrics, and chord names. This command tries to automatically determine which song track has the...

Why are barlines misplaced and rhythms incorrect?
These types of files are typically due to "metronomeless" recording, and can be corrected using Notation Composer's (https://www.notation.com/NotationComposer.php ) "ReBar" feature...

Why do I hear a track playing strange pitches?
The most likely reason is that this track is supposed to be playing various drum sounds, but instead a pitched instrument (such as a piano) is attempting to play the sounds. If you have a General MIDI...

Why are the notes for the right and left hands of a piano part combined into one staff, and how can the notes be separated into right- and left-hand staves?
Many MIDI files use only a single track for the piano or keyboard. If you find the notes for a piano or keyboard part combined into a single staff, you can separate them into right- and left-hand...

Notation Musician (Composer) fails to open a MIDI file and reports: Mthd chunk ID (error 908). What should I do?
If Notation fails to open a MIDI file and reports "Mthd chuck ID (error 908)", this means that the MIDI file is incorrectly formatted. This might happen because the MIDI file was corrupted when it was...

'G' and other letters are printed instead of noteheads and music symbols.
If the printout of your score fails to show music symbols and instead shows letters (such as a 'G' instead of a notehead), the problem may be due to too many fonts in your Windows/Fonts folder (please...

Large blocks of black are displayed instead of music notation symbols. How can I fix this?
If a Notation product displays large blocks of black instead of music notation symbols, then the explanation is very likely one of the following, for which each has a solution to the problem: 1. ...

Why isn't the blue playback cursor in synchronization with the sound?
Some MIDI playback devices have a bit of "latency", but Notation products can be calibrated to allow for this issue and have the blue playback cursor synchronize perfectly with the sound. Open...

I do not hear sound - what should I do?
The default MIDI playback of our software is the internal Notation Software Synth. If you are not hearing sound when playing back a song file, please check your audio system's settings first, and test...

My download link doesn't work and I get a "validation" error.
If you have received your download link via email, but you get an error message that says "The final validation of your redownload of the Notation Software product has failed", then the problem is...

I do not see or cannot use the link to redownload my software - what do I do?
Sometimes an email program, browser, or some malware protection software that is installed on your machine will hide or disable links that download executable files such as .exe or .msi filetypes.  ...

Why haven't I received my download link?
Some email services have tightened their regulations on sending links via email.  When you make a purchase from Notation Software, you should receive (1) a receipt email from a reseller if you...

The setup program fails with error number -114 for file note32.dll. What should I do?
The anti-virus scanner F-Stopw, included with F-Prot, has been reported to cause this setup program failure. The problem can be worked around by temporarily turning off this virus scanner before...

I hear unwanted high pitched notes on my Audigy soundcard. How can I fix this?
Some Notation users have reported that they hear high pitched notes on their Creative Labs Audigy soundcard at approximately 3 or 4 second intervals. The known cure for this problem is to go to...