SoapMaker 3 Knowledge Base

Knowledge Base and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

(Last updated March 5, 2010)

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Click this topic:	For answers to questions about...
Initial Purchase and Download	Questions or problems about purchasing, downloading and installing SoapMaker
Updates and Recovery	Getting the latest update, recovering from system problems, and re-installing SoapMaker after replacing or repairing your computer
Initial Setup	Setting up your database
Recipes and Blends	Recipe groups and types, units of measurement, resizing, costing, organizing, ingredients
Inventory Management	Recording purchases and sales, creating invoices, exporting data
Error Messages	Error messages, what they mean and what to do about it
Known Problems	Description of known problems and how to work around them

Known Problems

If you choose Print while previewing an invoice, an error occurs. To avoid this, close the Print Preview window, then click the Print Invoice button again in the Sales Registers/Invoices window and select Print instead of Preview.

There are no other known problems in SoapMaker 3 at this time

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Initial Purchase,Download and Installation

Q: How do I upgrade from SoapMaker 2.x to SoapMaker 3?

A: If you currently own SoapMaker 2, you can purchase an upgrade to version 3 at a special price. You will be able to import your database of recipes, ingredients, etc. into the new version once you have installed it. See Upgrade to SoapMaker 3 for details.

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Q: Where should I put SoapMaker when I download it?

A: You can download the installer to your desktop and then run it from there. It will install the SoapMaker program and related files in Program Files/SoapMaker3. It will also make shortcuts in your Start menu and on your desktop.

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Q: I downloaded your SoapMaker software and now I can't find it on my computer...

A: The SoapMaker installer program you downloaded is called SM3installer*.*.exe. When you downloaded it, there should have been a dialog showing the destination folder, and giving you a chance to change it if you wanted. It's probably either on the Desktop, or in the Downloads folder, depending on how your browser preference is set. Try using the Search or Find tool in your Start menu to look for SM3installer*.*.exe.

If you still can't find it, perhaps the download did not complete successfully. You can try again.

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Q: Does SoapMaker 3 have Lite and Professional editions?

A: There is no 'Lite' edition of SoapMaker 3. The features are too tightly integrated to separate out a subset. Even if you choose not to track your inventory, you will find many 'professional' features of value.

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Q: I have two computers; can I install SoapMaker on both of them?

A: The SoapMaker licence agreement entitles you to install SoapMaker on one or two computers for your own use. Note: If you run SoapMaker on two computers, the databases will be inconsistent unless you regularly copy the database files between computers using the Backup Data and Restore Data commands.

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Q: Can I run SoapMaker on my Mac or Linux system?

A: You may be able to use SoapMaker on your Mac or Linux by also running Windows. Click here for more information...

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Getting the latest Update; Recovering from System problems

Q: How do I backup and restore my database of recipes and ingredients?

A: Your database of recipes, ingredient costs and inventory could be lost forever if you experience a computer failure! To guard against this, you should make a regular backup copy of your database. See the HELP topic Preserving Your Data in the Reference section.

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Q: I've had system problems and now I need to re-install SoapMaker. What should I do?
OR
My computer was repaired/replaced. How do I get my SoapMaker back?

A: If you do not have a copy of the SoapMaker installer, you can download the latest version from Updates.
You will need to log in with your email and password.

If you have a new computer, or your hard drive has been replaced or reformatted, run the SoapMaker installer. Then open SoapMaker. You will need to register it again using the Registration Number you received when you purchased it. Restore your database from your latest backup copy using the Restore Data command.

If you have not lost your hard drive contents, but want to re-install SoapMaker, then run the installer and select the Repair option. If you still have problems, uninstall SoapMaker (Go to your Start menu and select Programs/SoapMaker3/Uninstall SoapMaker3) and then run the installer to re-install it from scratch. Open SoapMaker, and if you no longer see your database content, restore your database from your latest backup copy using the Restore Data command.

NOTE: You cannot re-install SoapMaker simply by copying the program file from the previous location. You must run the SoapMaker installer to install the program.

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Q: How do I know my registration number, and what version of SoapMaker I have?

A: Open SoapMaker, and choose About SoapMaker under the Help menu.

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Q: How do I uninstall SoapMaker?

A: To uninstall SoapMaker 3, go to your Start menu and select
Programs/SoapMaker3/Uninstall SoapMaker3.

To uninstall SoapMaker version 2.5 to 2.8, go to your Start menu and select
Programs/SoapMaker/Uninstall SoapMaker.

For earlier versions, use the Control Panel Add/Remove Programs to remove SoapMaker. You can then delete the folder C:\Program Files\SoapMaker.

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Q: I own SoapMaker version 2 and now I need to re-install it. What should I do?
OR
I re-installed SoapMaker version 2, but it says my serial number is invalid. What should I do?

A: This knowledge base is for the new SoapMaker Version 3. Please see the old Version 2 Support pages...

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Q: I downloaded SoapMaker to my Mac but I can't install it.

A: Make sure you are running in the Windows environment on your Mac before you download and install SoapMaker.

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Q: Whenever I try to run my newly installed SoapMaker, the Windows Installer keeps running instead.

A: This is a known problem with Windows which can occur if the initial installation was aborted or interrupted for some reason. See this for a possible solution: Windows Installer CleanUp Utility

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Initial Setup

Q: How do I begin entering my own ingredients and costs?

A: See the HELP topic Inventory Management: Initial Setup for step-by-step instructions.

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Q: The program came with ingredients I use, but the costs are wrong. How can I correct them?

A: See the HELP topic Q and A: Changing unit costs.

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Q: How do I delete example ingredients I don't want?

A: In MySupplies you can delete any or all of the example Additive and Packaging ingredients that came with SoapMaker. See the HELP topic Q and A: Deleting example data.

The Base Oils provided with SoapMaker cannot be deleted. Instead, you can customize the list of oils available in recipes and displayed in MySupplies by clicking the More Oils... button.

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Recipes

Q: Why do the recipe costs seem to be slightly off for ingredients I purchase by volume?

A: When converting between weights and volumes, SoapMaker considers the specific gravity (SG) of each ingredient. When you create a new Additive ingredient in MySupplies, you are required to enter its SG. If you use an incorrect value, conversions between weight and volume will be off.

See the HELP topic Specific Gravity in the Reference section for more information and a list of SG values for some common ingredients.

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Q: Can I use SoapMaker for lotion recipes or for melt and pour soap?

A: SoapMaker is intended to be used for all your recipes, including lotions or M&P soap. When you open a new recipe you can set it's type to "non-soap". The recipe form is different for non-soap recipes; there is no lye area, water is handled like any other ingredient, and percentages are calculated across the whole recipe, not just the base oils. (The "Qualities Graph" only applies to soap recipes, as it's based on the properties of various oils when saponified.)

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Q: I don't see goat milk in the oil list. How can I add it to a recipe?

A: Whole goat milk contains only about 4% fat, so even if you replace all the water in a recipe with goat milk, it will have a very small effect on the amount of lye. For this reason, we did not include goat milk in SoapMaker's list of base oils. For example, if you made a tallow recipe and replaced all the water with goat milk, it would require only 1.6% more lye.

You can define goat milk as an Additive, and include it in your recipes in the Additives section. Check the Adjust Water box to reduce the calculated water amount accordingly. Goat milk can be used to super-fat, or you can reduce the lye discount by one or two percent if you prefer.

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Q: What do the graph numbers mean?

A: The Predicted Soap Quality numbers displayed on SoapMaker's Qualities Graph depend on the characteristics of the base oils which make up the recipe. The base oil characteristics, and the resulting soap qualities, include:

Hardness - the degree of hardness of the soap
Fluffiness of lather - the ability to form lots of large bubbles
Stability of lather - the ability to maintain a long lasting creamy lather in use
Moisturizing (Conditioning) - the degree to which the soap will prevent dryness and leave skin feeling soft

The Soap Quality numbers are intended only for comparing recipes with different base oil combinations, so they do not reflect lye discount (super-fatting) or additives, even though these may affect the resulting soap qualities somewhat. The numbers are relative, and have no absolute meaning.

Each base oil's soap-making characteristics arise from its unique composition of different fatty acids. The base oils are rated, for each property, according to the proportion of fatty acids which have that property. For example, the base oil which has the highest proportion of fatty acids contributing to hardness is given a hardness rating of 10. An oil with half that amount of those fatty acids will have a hardness rating of 5.

The rating numbers are derived from each fatty acid's molecular weight, carbon chain length, number of unsaturated double bonds, and iodine value. SoapMaker's proprietary algorithms have been verified by comparing the predicted qualities for many base oils with the actual subjective experience of dozens of soapmakers.

For more discussion about fatty acids, see this...

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Q: How can I size a recipe to use exactly 6 oz. of lye?

A: You can use the "Resize Recipe" command in SoapMaker to make a recipe using a particular quantity of lye.
For example, if you have a recipe using 100 oz of base oils that requires 15 oz of lye, and you want to resize it to use 5 oz of lye, then you'll want to reduce your recipe to 33.3% of its original size. (5 divided by 15)
Click the Resize button on the Recipe toolbar, and set the Percentage of original size to 33.3%.

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Q: What's the difference between recipe groups and recipe types?

A: Recipe groups are like "folders". You can create any group names you want to help you classify and organize your recipes. The groups provided with SoapMaker are just for illustration purposes; you can use them or replace them with something meaningful to you. (Note: You cannot delete or rename the Archive group).

Recipe types determine the behaviour of the recipe form. There are 4 recipe types:

Solid soap (the default when you open a new recipe)
Liquid soap - the lye section uses potassium hydroxide (KOH) instead of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). A handy calculator in the Additives section will help calculate neutralizing agent for making transparent soap, and extra water for dilution.
Cream soap - both KOH and NaOH lye are used. A handy calculator in the Additives section will help calculate glycerin and supercream agent.
Non soap - the lye section is disabled, and water can be entered directly like an Additive. Use the "non-soap" type for lotions, salves, etc. as well as 'melt and pour' soap using an already saponified soap base.

You choose the type when you open a new recipe. You choose the Group, as well as the recipe name, when you first Save the recipe. You can save any recipe type in any group. MyRecipes shows the type of each recipe by displaying an icon next to each recipe name.

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Q: I'd like to input my additives as a percentage of the base oils. Is there a way to do this?

A: SoapMaker 3 provides a handy Fragrance Calculator built in to the recipe form. On the Options page, set the Suggested Fragrance Amount to the desired percentage of base oils. Then on the Additives page, you will see at the bottom the Suggested Fragrance Amount based on the percentage you have specified.

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Q: How can I include my labor costs?

A: Define a "Packaging Item" called labor_hour or something similar, and then use it in your recipes. Type "labor" in the HELP index for more information.

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Q: The lye amount recommended by SoapMaker is slightly different from another calculator I've used. Which is right?

A: The quantity of lye recommended for a particular recipe is calculated from the Saponification (SAP) values of each base oil in the recipe as determined by industry research. However, the SAP values for different oils can vary slightly between different manufacturers and even between different batches from the same manufacturer. The SAP values used by SoapMaker are averages of the data from a number of sources. (The values used by other calculators probably are too.)

There is no way of knowing the exact SAP value for your particular oils except to actually measure them, and this is beyond the capability of most home-based soap makers. So don't be concerned about minor discrepancies between different calculators - there is no absolute "bible" of SAP values. We recommend using a lye discount of at least 4% to ensure there is some margin for error.

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Q: I purchase lye in liquid form. Can SoapMaker handle this?

A: SoapMaker supports the use of pre-mixed lye solution. However, it assumes that you do your own pre-mixing of lye and water, so there is no "pre-mixed lye" category in the ingredients database. When you enter your lye purchases into the database, you will have to make adjustments. For more information, see "lye, pre-mixed" in the SoapMaker HELP index.

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Q: I use a base oil which is not in SoapMaker's database. How can I add it?

A: You can add a new oil yourself if you know the SAP value and specific gravity. If you want the Qualities graph to reflect the new oil's propeties, you will also need to enter the fatty acid composition and iodine value. These data should be available from your supplier, or online.

Note that suppliers often provide SAP values stated in grams of potassium hydroxide (KOH) per kilogram of oil, whereas SoapMaker makes use of SAP values stated in grams of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) per gram of oil. To make sure you know how to deal with SAP values, please see the HELP topic Understanding SAP Values in the Reference section.

If the new oil you are adding is similar to one already in SoapMaker's database, you can use the Copy Properties From... feature as a starting point.

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Q: If I enter a water discount in a recipe, what is it discounting from?

A: In soap recipes, SoapMaker calculates the recommended water at 2.33 x the lye amount. If you like your mixture a bit thicker than that, you can reduce the water amount by some percentage. For example, if you specify a water discount of 10%, then the water amount will be calculated as 90% x 2.33 = 2.1 x the lye amount. If you like a wetter mix, you can specify a negative "discount".

If you generally use the same discount in all your recipes, set your Preferences so that new recipes will open with that water discount by default.

Note that if you are accustomed to calculators where you had to discount your water to allow for liquid additives, you no longer have to do that calculation. You can have SoapMaker adjust the water for you by checking the Adjust Water box next to any additive ingredient. Also, note that SoapMaker uses the undiscounted lye amount to calculate water. This enables you to vary the lye discount in different recipes without being surprised with a mix that's wetter or drier than usual.

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Q: Why does my recipe cost per bar go up when I increase the water discount?

A: As you discount the water amount in a recipe, the cost per unit weight of the recipe increases because the proportion of water (the cheapest ingredient) is less.

Since the recipe with discounted water has a higher cost per unit weight, the cost per bar of a given weight (uncured) will be higher. You can compensate by reducing the recipe bar size, since the bars will shrink less as they cure compared with a recipe using no water discount.

Whenever you make a batch, adjust the Expected Shrinkage in MyProducts to match your experience with this water discount. Or set the default value in MyPreferences.

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Q: My supplier of oils provides SAP values which are very different from those in SoapMaker. Can you explain?

A: There is no universal standard in the way industry sources state saponification (SAP) values. However, it is fairly common to see SAP values stated in grams of potassium hydroxide (KOH) per kilogram of oil. SoapMaker makes use of SAP values stated in grams of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) per gram of oil. The conversion between the two methods is given by the formula:

SAP for NaOH in grams/gram (as used in SoapMaker)	=	SAP for KOH in grams/Kg

		1402.5

For example, a supplier may provide a Palm oil SAP of 197.8 (for KOH in grams/Kg).
This is equivalent to SoapMaker's Palm oil SAP of 0.141 (for NaOH in grams/gram). For more information, see the HELP topic Understanding SAP Values in the Reference section.

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Q: Why doesn't the graph include a cleansing quality?

A: We removed the "cleansing" attribute because people found it confusing ("Doesn't all soap cleanse?"). The harder oils do make a harsher soap which "cleanses" more oils from the skin. They also produce the fluffiest lather, so you can use the "fluffy lather" quality as an indicator of "cleansing". Note also that the more "cleansing" the soap, the less moisturizing.

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Q: What blend of oils does SoapMaker use for Shortening properties?

A: Shortening manufacturers consider their recipes to be trade secrets, so we have used an educated guess to determine the properties. For US shortening, we used an equal blend of Palm, Soybean, and Cottenseed oils. For Canadian shortening, we used a 30/70 blend of Palm and Soybean.

Crisco no longer uses palm oil, just hydrogenated cottonseed and soy. 100% soy shortening is made from partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

If you know the proportion of different oils in the shortening you use, you can easily calculate the properties, and add a new oil as follows...

Say you use shortening which is 25% Palm and 75% Soy. You can add a new oil called "my shortening" and calculate the properties from those which SoapMaker shows for each of the constituent oils.
For example, to calculate the SAP value for your shortening:

my shortening SAP = (0.25 x Palm SAP) + (0.75 x Soy SAP)

Do the same for all the other properties.

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Q: The volume of a drop in SoapMaker does not agree with the drop size of my pipette...

A: The drop unit of measurement is intended for very small quantites. The exact size of a "drop" depends on the viscosity of the particular liquid being measured, as well as the tool used to do the dropping. If you are using more than just a few drops in a recipe, then it would be more accurate to enter the amount in a different unit such as milliliters instead.

For example, if your pipette makes 20 drops per milliliter, and you want to use 15 drops in a recipe, calculate (15/20 = 0.75) and enter 0.75 ml. You could record the number of drops in the notes section of the recipe as a reminder when you are using the recipe.

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Q: Why isn't Lanolin included in the base oils list?

A: Lanolin is a waxy substance, with only a tiny percentage of the fatty acids we normally use to calculate the numbers for SoapMaker's graph. The SAP value is 0.075 which is only about half of that for a typical soap-making oil. For these reasons, we suggest Lanolin be treated as an additive rather than a base oil in your recipes. If you prefer to add it to your base oils list, you can use the SAP value above, but it will not contribute to the graph numbers. The specific gravity of lanolin is 0.9.

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Q: I want to enter a recipe which calls for 15% superfat. Do I simply set the lye discount to 15%?

A: Percentages can be tricky unless you're very clear what you mean...

If you use a lye discount of 15%, this means the amount of lye is 85% of that needed to fully saponify the oils, and the unsaponified (superfat) oil will be 15% of the total oil amount.

However, if you want to end up with 15% more oil than the amount that would be fully saponified by a given amount of lye, then the total oil amount will be 115% of the saponified amount. In this case you would need to use a lye discount of:

15

x 100 = 13.04%
115

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Q: How can I make a layered soap with different oils for each layer?

A: This can be done - it will just require an extra step. Say you are making a 3-layer soap, and want to use a different oil mix for each layer - the problem is that you need 3 separate component recipes to get your lye calculation, but you want a single combined recipe for recording batches, making sales and tracking your product stock.

Here's how to do it:

Create the 3 component recipes to get your lye and water calculations. Use these recipes when you make the soap.
Create a combined recipe, which includes ALL the ingredients of the 3 component recipes.
(Note: If you don't use the same lye and water discounts for all 3 component recipes, you will have to fiddle with the combined recipe discounts to get the right total amounts of lye and water.)
When you use the Make Batch command, use the combined recipe.
Save all 4 recipes in a special group to keep them together.

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Q: When I make an oil infusion, how do I account for oil waste in the Blend formula?

A: When you make an infusion, some of the liquid will be lost when you strain out the solid material. Here's how to handle this in your Blend formula to make sure your inventory is correctly adjusted...

Let's assume you want to make an infusion of 10 oz of Calendula petals in 100 oz of Olive oil, and that you expect to waste 15% of the oil:

Choose the Enter by Percent option, set the Blend's total weight to 100 oz
Enter Olive oil twice in the blend formula, once to cover the oil that will remain, and once for the expected waste.
Set the percentages to 85% and 15%
Check the Exclude Weight box for the 15% waste oil.
Now change back to Enter by Amount, and add your Calendula 10 oz (also checking the Exclude Weight box).

This will give you the correct final weight for the infusion, and when you make the blend it will adjust your inventory correctly for the Olive oil used, including the waste.

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Q: How should I include loofah sponges in a soap recipe?

A: Some users have asked what's the best way to handle sponges embedded in soap...

You can simply treat them as 'packaging' items, but this will give an incorrect value for the recipe weight and volume.

Perhaps a better alternative would be to treat them as additives. In this case you would have to do some experiments:

Weigh a typical piece of the sponge (e.g. a 10 inch piece) and make a note of the weight per inch (or cm).
Determine it's specific gravity (See the Help topic 'Measuring Specific Gravity of solids' in the Reference section)

Now create a new additive called 'Loofah' and enter the specific gravity you just measured. In the Notes section of MySupplies, enter a note to say what the weight per inch (or cm) is. Or better still, make a little table showing the weight of the various lengths you use in recipes.

When you purchase Loofah, either calculate the weight using the notes in MySupplies, or just weigh the piece you purchased and record the quantity in ounces (or grams). Based on your cost, SoapMaker will record a unit cost in $ per ounce or gr.

When you use Loofah in a recipe, either weigh the piece, or calculate the weight based on the length and enter the quantity in ounces or grams. The recipe's weight and volume will be more accurate than if you used the 'packaging' option.

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Inventory management

Q: How do I change MySupplies to show the units I use in recipes?

When I add a new purchase to my stock I input the purchase in lbs because that's how I buy it. But my recipes use ounces. How do I change MySupplies to show ounces?

A: MySupplies always tracks your ingredients inventory using the units in which they were purchased. There's no need for you to change the units from lbs to ounces, just because you use the ingredient in ounces. SoapMaker will do the necessary conversions to figure the cost for your recipes and to adjust your inventory in fractions of a lb.

If you prefer, however, to track your stock in ounces rather than lbs, then when you record a new purchase you can specify, for example, 80 ounces instead of 5 lbs.

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Q: When I Edit a purchase record to change the quantity, I'm unable to change the units...

A: The units in a purchase record are based on the units you specified when first recording the purchase. The only way to change them is to record a new purchase and delete the old purchase record.

Also see the previous question...

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Q: How do I record the price of an ingredient I bought on sale while remembering my regular price?

A: SoapMaker saves each purchase in the Purchase History for that ingredient or supply item. So you can see how much you bought and what you paid for it. However, the unit cost used in calculating recipe and product costs is always based on the most recent purchase, even though the stock being used to make batches is still from a lot purchased earlier.

So if you bought an ingredient at a one-time special price, and do not want this price to be reflected in all recipes and new batches using that ingredient, you may want to define a new ingredient name for this special purchase, and create special copies of any recipes that will use it.

When the special ingredient is all used, the recipes referring to it can be deleted or moved to the Archive group. If you delete them, you can also delete the special ingredient from MySupplies, otherwise you might want to create a category for one-time special ingredients.

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Q: Why does the cost/bar shown on a recipe differ from the same recipe's batch cost/bar?

A: When you "make a batch", the number of bars made is intitally calculated from the bar size specified in the recipe. However, you can then specify exactly how many bars you make, and SoapMaker will re-calculate the cost/bar.

Also, see the question below...

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Q: Why does the total cost shown on a recipe form differ from the cost of batches made with that recipe?

A: The batch costs in My Products are archival - they reflect your costs at the time each batch was made. If you have since changed the price you pay for some ingredients, or altered the recipe, then the current recipe cost may differ from the older batches made with that recipe. When you make a new batch, its cost should match the recipe cost exactly.

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Q: When first setting up my inventory, how can I record batches made before SoapMaker?

A: The HELP topic Initial Setup in the Inventory Management section provides set-by-step instructions for setting up your inventory of supplies and products.

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Q: Is there a way to copy my SoapMaker record of purchases and sales to a spreadsheet program?

A: You can export the contents of MySupplies and MyProducts as CSV (character-separated-variable) files for importing into spreadsheet or accounting programs. With MySupplies or MyProducts as the front-most window, choose Export...as CSV under the File menu.

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Q: When I buy more stock, should I enter the new price right away, or wait until I use up the old stock?

A: It may help to understand how SoapMaker calculates the unit cost of each ingredient...

When you record a new purchase, the total Quantity in stock becomes the newly purchased quantity plus what was already in stock. The unit cost is calculated from the new price. The total Value becomes the new unit cost multiplied by the total quantity in stock - this reflects your stock value at current prices.

It's your choice whether to use up your old stock (at the old costs) before entering the new purchase, or to enter it now and have your recipes (and future batches) immediately reflect the new unit cost as soon as they are updated.

Note that batches already saved reflect the costs at the time they were made. If you repeat a batch, however, the new batch will reflect current costs if your recipe has been updated.

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Q: I buy supplies in bulk, and then resell them. How can I track them in my inventory?

A: See the HELP topic Reselling Supplies in the Q and A section.

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Q: When I delete a batch, why can't I re-use the batch number?

A: Batch numbers are assigned automatically and can't be changed because this would affect the integrity of the database.

If you delete or cancel the most recent batch, the number will be re-used. However, if you delete an earlier batch, you cannot re-use the number.

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Q: How do I handle different local sales tax rates when I sell at different venues?

A: You can change the rate each time you record a new sales order. Just click the Setup Taxes button on the Sales Order form. After saving the order, remember to change the tax rate back to whatever is appropriate for your supply orders.

Note that if you edit an existing sales order, the tax will be recalculated at whatever the current rate is set to in your Preferences.

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Error messages

Q: I just purchased SoapMaker, but when I try to register it says my registration number is not valid. What do I do?

A: The most likely reasons for your registration number not being accepted are:

You may have typed the letter "O" instead of the number "zero", or vice-versa
You have entered your name differently from when you purchased SoapMaker.

If you still have problems, submit a problem report at Contact us....

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Q: I downloaded SoapMaker, but when I try to install it I get an error. What should I do?

A: The installer file may have been corrupted during download. Try downloading again. If you are using accelerator software, it may help to turn it off first. Or, try using a different browser, such as FireFox.

Also, Make sure you are logged in to your computer on with Administrator privileges.
(If you don't know, check START menu/Control Panel/User Accounts)

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Q: I'm unable to backup my database to an external medium (CD, DVD, Flash drive, etc.)...

A: In order to backup to a CD or DVD, you must have a drive capable of writing, and a writeable disc.

If you cannot save the backup to the external media directly from within the SoapMaker program, save it to your desktop instead, then drag the file onto the writeable media (or use a CD/DVD writing utility).

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Q: I got an error message saying SoapMaker has encountered an error. What should I do?

A: Report the error by submitting a problem report at Contact us...
Explain what you were doing at the time the error occurred, and copy the contents of the error log.

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Q: I got a system error message. What should I do?

A: Report the error by submitting a problem report at Contact us...
Explain what you were doing at the time the error occurred, and provide the contents of the error message. Tell us whether the error is repeatable or not.

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SoapMaker 3 Knowledge Base

Knowledge Base and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Initial Purchase and Download

Updating and Recovery from System Problems

Initial Setup

Recipes and Blends

Inventory Management

Error Messages

Known Problems

Initial Purchase,Download and Installation

Getting the latest Update; Recovering from System problems

Initial Setup

Recipes

Inventory management

Error messages