Hardware Queries

back to top

Marketmaker is running slowly

Try reducing the number of charts and prices you have saved on your layout. Additionally installing more RAM will benefit the performance of Marketmaker. We recommend a minimum of 512mb of RAM.

back to top

I have Vista and I am experiencing some problems within Marketmaker?

Please ensure you set Marketmaker to run in Windows XP compatibility mode. To do this, exit Marketmaker. Right click on the Marketmaker desktop icon and select properties, select the compatibility tab and tick the option to run in compatibility mode for “Windows XP Service Pack 2”. If you still experience problems please contact the Helpdesk.

back to top

What is the optimum screen resolution?

You can set your display to either 800x600 or 1024x768. With the higher option, your computer will more display more on the screen, so you will be able to view more open windows. A resolution of 640x480 is going to limit how much you can view at any one time.

To reset your resolution:

Windows XP users:

  • Click the Start button then Control Panel
  • If Windows XP is displaying in Category View, click Appearance & Themes, then click Display at the bottom
  • If Windows XP is displaying in Classic View, double click Display
  • Click the Settings tab
  • Then slide the resolution 'slider' on the left to the desired resolution
  • Click OK to accept the changes
  • Windows might ask you to confirm that you are happy with the new view. If you are, click Yes
  • Your screen resolution should now be reset
  • You can now close down the Control Panel window

Windows 98/ME/NT/2000 users:

  • Click the Start button, then Settings, then Control Panel
  • Double click Display
  • Click the Settings tab
  • Then slide the resolution 'slider' on the left to the desired resolution
  • Click OK to accept the changes
  • Windows might ask you to confirm that you are happy with the new view. If you are, click Yes
  • Your screen resolution should now be reset
  • You can now close down the Control Panel window
back to top

Does Marketmaker run on Macintosh or Linux?

Presently it does not, but we will consider developing a version of Marketmaker for Macintosh OS and Linux if there is sufficient interest from clients. It is possible to run Marketmaker using emulators on Linux and Mac, but we cannot officially support these installations and offer no warranties/guarantees.

back to top

Will I need a new computer to run Marketmaker?

If you bought your computer within the last two years, the most likely answer is 'no'. The most crucial element is the amount of memory (RAM) installed in your computer. To run Marketmaker as designed, your PC ought to have at least 256MB RAM installed, preferably more. The system will run on a PC with 128MB RAM but just not as smoothly, as there is simply less memory to deal with our software, Microsoft Windows and anything else you may have running. With the new charts release we strongly recommend 512 mb of RAM.

For information on system specifications, please go to our System requirements page.

If you are unsure what specification your computer is, please contact the Helpdesk.

back to top

What are the minimum requirements for Internet connection speed?

Marketmaker will run on a standard 56Kb dial-up modem but will work much more smoothly on internet connections with a higher bandwidth such as 512Kb/s or 1MB/s. 512Kb/s is sufficient bandwidth if not using any other programs. The response time or latency is what is important. Broadband is superior to dialup in this respect. Satellite is inferior to dialup in this respect and we don't recommend satellite if an alternative is available.

back to top

What are the system requirements for Marketmaker?

For information on system specifications, please go to our System requirements page.

back to top

How will my access to Marketmaker be affected by my firewall?

Marketmaker shouldn't be troubled by any corporate or personal firewall software you may have to go through, as it will happily use port 80, just like all other standard web traffic. Marketmaker can also use port 1057 but you will need to open this port manually on your firewall as it is normally closed by default.

If you are running any personal firewall software on your PC, you may be prompted to give two programs (iiAppStart.exe and iiDownloader.exe) permission to access the Internet. These are the core Marketmaker applications that start and run the program.

For more information on Firewalls please go to the Firewalls section.

back to top

Will I need to configure Marketmaker to negotiate through a Proxy Server?

Yes. Ask your Network Administrator to tell you the type of Proxy server you have (SOCKS5, SOCKS4 or HTTP), it's IP address, the port number and the Proxy server's username and password if one is required. If your Network Administrator has any questions, feel free to get them to contact the Helpdesk and they will explain what needs to be done and answer any queries they may have.