If you open Comp Manager and recieve the error "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" twice, your computer's display settings are triggering an issue where Comp Manager cannot correctly render its search screen.
If you click OK on each error, the Comp Manager will open, but the search screen will appear jumbled, rather than the correct orderly grid:
If this does not describe your issue in relation to an Object Reference error, please contact Technical Support for further assistance.
Please note: This is simply a display issue -- Comp Manager will still function correctly. If you do not wish to change your computer's display settings, you can ignore the errors when opening Comp Manager and do your work as normal. A future update to Appraise-it will resolve this issue.
However, if the errors and/or display glitch are too troublesome, you can adjust your computer's DPI settings; take the following steps to make the necessary adjustments for your operating system.
Windows Vista, 7, and 8
If you are running a modern Windows OS and experiencing this problem, your display DPI is not on the Windows default setting and your computer is using Windows XP-style DPI scaling. You can either set your DPI to the default (which will alter the size of the text and icons on your screen) or disable Windows XP-style scaling.
1. Right-click on your desktop and select Personalize.
2. The Windows Personalization dialog will open; click Display under See Also at the lower left corner of the window.
3. If your DPI is not set to 100% and you wish to use the default Windows setting, select Smaller - 100% (default) and skip to step 5. If you wish to retain your current display size, do not change the DPI setting here; click the Set Custom Text Size (DPI) link on the left of the window.
4. Uncheck the Use Windows XP Style DPI Scaling option at the bottom left of the Custom DPI Setting dialog and click OK.
Note: This option is disabled if you are using a non-Windows Aero theme (i.e. Windows Classic or Windows Basic). If this is the case, you can either cancel out of the Custom DPI Setting dialog and set your DPI to Smaller - 100% (default) or return to step 2, selecting an Aero theme in the Personalization dialog before continuing to step 3.
5. Click Apply. You will be prompted to log off your Windows account to apply the changes. Make sure your work is saved in any open programs, then do so.
When you log back in to Windows, your monitor(s) will reflect the new DPI setting, and Comp Manager will display correctly.
Windows XP
If you are running Windows XP and experiencing this problem, your display DPI is not on the Windows default setting. This may have been done to make the icons and text on your screen appear larger. To set your DPI to the Windows default:
1. Right-click on your desktop and select Properties.
2. Go to the Settings tab at the top of the dialog.
3. Click Advanced at the bottom right of the dialog.
4. A new dialog will open, showing the General tab. The top half of the dialog contains your DPI setting. "Normal size (96 DPI)" is the default; select it from the drop-down.
5. If you are prompted to restart your computer, do so (make sure your work is saved in any open programs first).
When the computer restarts, your monitor(s) will reflect the new DPI setting, and Comp Manager will display correctly.
