Scanshell OCR Driver’s License Scanner

This article covers how to install, configure, and troubleshoot ScanShell OCR Driver’s License scanners. If your company has remote locations, they should be on a secure virtual private network (VPN) with the location where the Remote Desktop Server hosting the Point of Rental software resides.

Topics in this article include

• Configuring your Point of Rental Server to Share the Pictures Folder

• Installing the OCE Scanner Software

• Configuring Scanshell Application and Folder

• Running Updates

• Troubleshooting an OCR Scanner

• Credentials Manager

Configuring your Point of Rental Server to Share the Pictures Folder

1. From the Point of Rental server, share the \POR\Pictures folder and allow “authenticated users” write access.

2. Obtain the network path from the shared window before you close the Properties window. You can even go by the server's IP address, for example, \\192.168.1.5\Pictures\. Write this down, as you will need this later during the workstation installation process. 

Installing the OCE Scanner Software

1. Install the software on the counter PC (outside of the POR system).

2. Download the OCR Installer (IdScan) and IdScan supplemental files from http://www.porhelp.com to the workstation that will have the driver’s license scanner plugged into it.

3. Install the OCR Installer (IdScan) program. Please note that you must be logged in as an administrator.

4. Follow the installation procedures in the installation wizard. 

5. Once the SetScan Installer opens up, click the Install button.
   
   
   

6. After you click on Install, the following window will open up. Click on the Scan Shell option on the left.
   
   
   

7. Once that is complete, click Done on the scanner setup.
   

Configuring Scanshell Application and Folder

1. Open File Explorer on the local computer and enter the address that you wrote down earlier. Navigate to the pictures folder on the server. You may need to authenticate in order to access this folder.

2. Open the IdScanHelp program.

   
    

3. Under Server File Methods, select On Server and click the Create IdScan Profile button.
   
    

4. Give a unique name for the current workstation.
   
    

5. Next, insert the share path from Step 1 and press OK. If you are prompted for user account credentials, enter an appropriate user account for the server.

   

6. Double-click on the New Text Document file.

   
      

7. Close the IdScanHelp program and start the IdScan program. 
    

8. Remote into the Remote Desktop Server hosting your Point of Rental software from this computer and update the OCR scanner path in Printer Selections > Advanced. Exit the Point of Rental program and log back in. 
    

9. Test by scanning a license, and you should see it arrive in the \POR\Pictures\ folder on the server. If it does, then go to open a new contract in POR and select From License on the customer selection window. The license should be recognized. Open a new customer record showing the license picture and populating the customer record OR asking if you want to update the existing customer record. 
    

10. Finally, you must check whether any other workstations can share this OCR.  If so, then their Point of Rental OCR scan path in Printer Selections should match the one you just configured.

Running Updates

After the main installation is complete, click Unzip on the IdScan supplemental files you installed earlier from PORHelp.com.

Update to 10.11

1. Open the 10.11_key text file and copy the license key it contains. You will be pasting it inside the 10.11 installation wizard.

    

2. Once copied, close the text file.
   

   ℹ️ Installing 10.11 and 10.16 can sometimes cause the computer to shut down unexpectedly. To avoid this inconvenience, open Notepad and type something like ‘test’ and then minimize the Notepad window. Now, if Windows decides to shut down during the 10.11 or 10.16 installation, you will have a chance to cancel it. It will say something like ‘a program is preventing windows from shutting down… shutdown anyway? Or cancel.' Since Notepad is open, we can click Cancel and continue the installation.

   
   

3. Run the 10.11 installation wizard as Administrator, keep clicking Next, and agree to the User’s License. Do not change any settings or check/uncheck any boxes, just keep clicking Next, until the software finishes installing.

    

4. Once the wizard is done, close it by clicking on Finish. Run the IdScan software to verify that it is updated to 10.11. Once verified, close it by right-clicking the icon in the taskbar and selecting Exit, just as before.

Update to 10.16

1. With the IdScan software closed, right-click on 10.16 and run as Administrator. 

    

2. Just as with the 10.11 installation wizard, keep clicking Next and agree to the User’s License.

    

3. When you reach the following screen of the installation wizard, click on Change near the top. A small window should appear for you to navigate and select the correct path.

   

    

   4. Scroll down until you find Card Scanning Solutions, expand that folder, and click on the folder labeled ScanShell.

   5. The directory at the top of this small window should match the one from the picture: C:\Program Files (x86)\Card Scanning Solutions\ScanShell.

   6. Click OK, and you should be back on the 10.16 wizard. Click Next.

   7. The following window should look like the following image:

   

    

   8. Make sure to check all the boxes for Driver's License, ID & Passports, Business Card, Check, Medical Cards, Receipt, and Vehicle Insurance.

   9. Click Next, and then Install.
   
   

Update to 10.19

1. After the 10.16 installer finishes and you have ensured the IdScan software is not running, right-click the 10.19 installer and select Run as Administrator. 
   
   
2. Since the 10.19 is like the 10.16 installer, this installer will auto-update the software just by clicking next through the wizard. 
   
   
3. Wait for the installer to finish before proceeding.

Troubleshooting an OCR Scanner

1. If an OCR scanner suddenly stops working, the first thing to try is to verify that the scanner is plugged in. 

2. Next, reboot the computer to see if it starts working again. If not, it may give an error message when scanning a Driver’s License. 

3. If it does, check whether the error matches any of the errors below, and use the provided solution.
    

No Pathway Selected Error

 Sometimes the folder on the server being shared is changed, or the server's permissions are edited, causing an error when transmitting the scanned files to the server. This requires remapping the IdScan program to deliver the scanned files to the server share again.
 

1. The first error you will run into is “IDScanOCR”: "The destination folder to the auto-saved license images is Invalid. Please correct the patch by clicking on the button “AutoSave file naming” and selecting the image destination folder path.” 

   

    

2. When you select OK, you will be prompted with the following screen.

    

    

3. Open Task Manager, highlight IDScanOCR.exe from within the processes tab, and select End Process to kill the program. If you are on Windows 8, you will need to end the process labeled “ScanShell MFC Application (32 bit)” in the Apps section of Task Manager.
   

   1. Windows 8

      

   2. Windows 7
      
       
      
      

4. Next, determine the hostname (LAN IP address) the terminal is using to remote into the server.

   

    

5. On the local computer, the scanner is plugged into open C:\OCR\Help\ and double-click SetScan. 

   

    

6. Select the Save On Server method, then click 1. Create IdScan Profile button. 

    

7. You will be prompted with a window asking you, “Are You Sure?” Click Yes to continue. This is the name of the file that will be created on the server in the \POR\Pictures folder. 
   

    

8.  A warning message will pop up. Select OK.

   

    

9. In the top address bar, navigate to the server’s IP address.
   

10. When you attempt to navigate to the server’s IP address, you will be prompted to enter valid server credentials. Use the username and password this workstation uses to remote into the server. Be sure to select the Remember my credentials checkbox.

    

11. After successfully inputting the credentials, you will be taken to the server’s \POR\Pictures folder from the local terminal. Select the pictures folder.

    

     

12. Select New Text Document file. If there is no file there, then create it.

    

     

13. Start up the program and perform a test by scanning a driver’s license.
    

Now you are going to want to be on the local side of the terminal the scanner is physically plugged into, and modify the settings of the remote desktop icon like so.

Credentials Manager

Sometimes credentials for accessing the server folder share are saved even though they are incorrect. Then all you get is an error message stating you are using the wrong credentials.

1. In order to edit the saved credentials, open Control Panel > Credential Manager. Note: Credential Manager is available on Windows PCs running Windows XP Professional (not Home Edition). 

    

2. Once Credentials Manager is open, click Windows Credentials to display your network share credentials. 

    

3. Maximize the saved Windows Credentials window, then click the edit link to change the username and password.