Technical tips

This page lists some useful technical tips for getting the most out of the program.

System tray

MBS Item Browser is designed to minimize to the system tray at the bottom left of the computer screen. It can then be restored by double clicking on the tray icon with the left mouse button. There is also a tray menu which can be obtained by a right click on the tray icon.

Restore user data

There is an option to restore default user data. This refers to the aliases, bookmarks, comments, folder contents and folder notes which are created when the program is installed for the first time. The option is found in the User menu.

Program settings

Program settings are saved separately for each user on a given computer. For a given user, settings can be varied from one computer to another.

Display alias

The maximum size allowed for a display alias is 128 characters. All items with a display alias can be seen at once by clicking on the special folder called Display alias.

Print alias

The maximum size allowed for a print alias is 58 characters. All items with a print alias can be seen at once by clicking on the special folder called Print alias.

Item comment

The maximum size allowed for an item comment is 1024 characters. All user comments can be seen at once by clicking on the special folder called Commented which is near the bottom of the folder tree.

Transfer user data

Aliases, bookmarks, comments, folder contents and folder notes are saved separately for each computer user and can be transferred from one computer to another via a USB stick or over a network. This is done using the export and import options found under Tools in the main menu.

Web browser

Web links in the program will normally launch the default browser as set in the system registry. If this setting is absent, Internet Explorer will be used unless a custom browser is selected from the Settings dialog (Settings II section).

Proxy server

If a proxy server is used to access the internet, you should log in before starting MBS Item Browser, as otherwise web functions in the program will be unavailable. You will still be able to browse or search the MBS, as this is not dependent on internet access.

Portable version

The portable version is fully functional but can be used without any special permissions on the host computer. In contrast, a standard installation may require the assistance of a computer administrator.