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RETS Connector FAQ

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Installation

Q: Do I have to uninstall my current version of RETS Connector before I can download and install the new version?

A: No, you do not have to uninstall previous versions of RETS Connector to upgrade to the latest version. The new version of RETS Connector should begin installing over an existing version without the need to remove any user configuration.

Be sure that you extract all files from the installation zip file, and then install RETS Connector using the Setup.exe program; do not run the MSI installer directly.

Q: Will I lose the tasks I have already created when I upgrade to the latest version?

A: No, tasks are saved on your disk and are not removed when a new version is installed.

Q: Does the RETS Connector run under Windows 8?

A: Yes. RETS Connector has been tested with Windows 8.1 and is has proved to work.

Q: When I try to install, I receive the error message, "The event log file is full." What should I do?

A: You need to clear your Windows Event log. You can do this by following these steps:

  • In Windows Explorer, right-click on Computer and select Manage.
  • Drill down to (Local) > System Tools > Event Viewer > Windows Logs > Application. If you want to save your log, right-click Application and select "Save All Events As..."
  • Right-click Application and select "Clear Log".

Q: I have installed RETS Connector on a new computer. Instead of recreating all my tasks, I would like to locate the user configuration files on my old computer and import them into the new computer.

A: If you can still access files on your old computer, you can find the RETS Connector user configuration files in the following folders:

  • Tasks are stored in the %allusersprofile%\Application Data\Marketlinx\ConnectorTasks folder.
  • Email settings are stored in the %allusersprofile%\Application Data \Marketlinx\ConnectorSettings folder.

    NOTE: The %allusersprofile%\Application Data\Marketlinx\RetsClient folder stores cache files; you do not need to copy these, as the folder will be recreated if missing.
  • User-specific configuration, including server list, is stored in %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Marketlinx\RetsConnector.exe_*\*\user.config. Locate the latest folder with "RetsConnector" in its name. From that folder, copy the user.config file to the matching folder on the new machine.

    NOTE: The passwords are encoded and visible only for the user who registered the servers; if you are copying for a user with a different name, you will need to reset all the passwords.


User-Agent

Q: Can I use the RETS Connector with servers that require a unique User-Agent?

A: To prevent RETS Connector from being used to mimic other RETS clients, which poses a security risk, version 1.0 disallowed customization of the User-Agent credentials.

Recognizing that some servers require a unique User-Agent, however, we enabled a partial change of the User-Agent value in versions 1.2+. You can change the User Agent name in versions 1.2+; however, the token identifying RETS Connector must be part of the name. If you don't specify the "RETS-Connector1.2_" token in your User-Agent value, it will be added to the beginning.

This solution allows each installation of RETS Connector to have a unique User-Agent and password, while still identifying itself as the RETS Connector application.

When I try to set up a new RETS service and I enter a custom User-Agent name, RETS Connector adds "RETS-Connector1.2_" to the beginning of the name. Is this a bug?

No. RETS Connector is designed to do this. Please see the previous question/answer for an explanation of this behavior.

Q: Does this mean that I cannot use the RETS Connector if my server provider requires a specific User-Agent that does not include the "RETS-Connector1.2_" token?

A: Some users have reported that their server vendor requires them to use a specific User-Agent name provided by the server. The free version of RETS Connector is not designed to communicate with such a server. You may purchase an upgrade, however, that allows you to use any User-Agent name without limitations. For more information, consult the Online Help/User Guide.


Incremental Download

Q: Why is the Incremental Download function disabled?

A: The incremental download function is operational only if a date type (e.g., "List Date" or "Modified") is displayed in the "Incremental modification field" in the General tab for each search. This field should be populated by RETS Connector, which reads the metadata from the server to pull the date fields for the drop-down menu and then selects a default date type. If the drop-down menu is empty, or if the default date type shown for the search is not the correct one, then the incremental download is not enabled.

Q: How can I enable the incremental download function?

A: Make sure that a date type is displayed for your search in the "Incremental modification field" in the General tab, and that it is the field in which the RETS server communicates time when a record has been changed. If the field is not populated or if you need to choose a date type other than the default, please contact your Listing Service support staff.

Q: The results of an incremental download run are incomplete. What should I do?

Check the "Maximum Records Returned" limit on the Data Format tab. If this limit is set too low, it can prevent you from receiving all the records requested in your incremental download.

NOTE: The first time a task runs in the incremental mode, it attempts to download all matching records. For this initial run, make sure that the "Maximum Records Returned" limit is sufficiently high. If you do not need all the records that are returned, you can select the "Incremental Download Since" radio button on the Download Schedule tab, and specify a date in the date field that will eliminate older, unneeded records. When you have received the desired initial results from the task, remember to return to the Download Schedule tab and select the "Incremental download since last loaded modification" radio button.


Feature Upgrades

Q: What feature upgrades are available, and how do I request them?

A: Check the information on the RETS Connector Upgrade Request page.

Q: Once granted, are the upgraded features immediately available to my RETS Connector?

A: Once the upgrade is granted, you should select Check Upgrade from the Help menu to force the Connector to pick it up. If you don't, your Connector will pick up the upgrade within 12 hours after they were granted.

Q: Is there a free trial for the feature upgrades?

A: Yes. The first time you request an upgraded feature, it is granted immediately without waiting for you to send the order form with the payment info. If your order with payment is not received and processed by CoreLogic, the feature will be disabled in 7 days.

Q: I have bought the upgraded features, but now I have to use RETS Connector on a different machine. Can I transfer the upgrades to the new machine?

A: Yes. Please send a transfer request to retsconnectorbilling@corelogic.com, mentioning the Machine IDs of both the old and new machine. For security reasons, the mail should be sent from the email registered on the old machine, or one used to get the original upgrades.


Other Topics

Q: I am using the Metadata Browser to examine a portion of the metadata. Is there a way to print, cut-and-paste, or export the part I am viewing?

A: Yes. Click anywhere in the table and use Ctrl-A to select the entire table. Or click the top left portion (left of column headers and above row headers) to select the entire table. Then use Ctrl-C to copy the selected table. Use Ctrl-V to paste the table into another program as follows:

  • Paste into a spreadsheet (e.g., Microsoft Excel)
  • Paste to a plain text file (e.g., Notepad, rows will be tab-delimited)
  • Paste to a Microsoft Word file (data will be formatted as a table)

Q: I am using the new version and something does not work the way I'd like it. What now?

A: Your experience is very important to us. Please email retsconnectorsupport@corelogic.com and explain in detail what are you trying to do, what you expected, and what happened. If possible, attach a copy of your task. (Keeping the UserName and Password while exporting the task will allow us to follow your steps more closely; we will only use your credentials to assist in reproducing your issue.) If you can produce a Fiddler's log of the client-server communication, please attach that as well.

While we cannot promise to address all issues, we will examine your comments and make every effort to use them to improve the RETS Connector user experience.