eVSM Technical Support

Note eVSM v9 and earlier versions are not supported in Windows 10/11. It may run OK under some configurations but may stop any time with a Windows update or a disk re-image. To run eVSM in Windows 10/11, you must upgrade to a current version of eVSM.

The two main considerations for eVSM performance tend to be CPU clock speed and RAM available. We recommend using a machine with at least 16GB of RAM available at a minimum. Having 32-64GB should provide better performance with eVSM, as long as you are running the 64 bit editions of Microsoft Visio and Excel. A machine running dual core processors with around 2GHz per core should perform sufficiently.

As long as you have a 64 bit system with 64 bit Office/Visio, the more RAM and CPU speed you have, the better the performance will be. Also, having a solid state hard drive will help with loading and saving large Visio files.

Avoid working on files while they are on shared drives. Instead, copy the file to the local drive to edit.

Yes, eVSM v10 (and later versions) is 64 bit compatible for Windows, Visio, and Excel. Microsoft Excel and Visio must BOTH be either the 32 bit version or the 64 bit version. Full 64-bit configuration is recommended for best performance.

If your eVSM toolbar is not showing, please check the following.

1. Check that your macro settings comply with https://evsm.com/visio-macro-settings.
2. Add the eVSM installation folder to the trusted locations in Visio. See how at: https://evsm.com/visio-trusted-locations.
3. Make sure the Automation Events are enabled in Visio. See how at: https://evsm.com/enable-automation-events.

If the above do not resolve the issue, please contact support@evsm.com.

All eVSM software code is signed with a digital signature issued by DigiCert to confirm our identity and show our users the software is from us. By design the digital signature will get corrupted if the code is tampered with by anyone who does not have access to our signature.

Unfortunately, the digital signature can sometimes get corrupted if the PC or Visio crashes during normal operation, or if the file is edited in older versions of Visio. If this happens, you can use the Restore File, Map Clean, or eVSM Repair function to re-establish the genuine signature.

The eVSM End User License Agreement (EULA) can be viewed at https://evsm.com/EULA

The eVSM Privacy Policy can be viewed at https://evsm.com/privacy

Click here to view the eVSM license return policy.

You would see this if you open a Visio 2010 or earlier file in Visio 2016 or later. The eVSM v11 (and earlier versions) startup template is in Visio 2010 format, so you may see this when starting new maps.

You can ignore this and continue working as normal. To eliminate the message, you can save your map file in the current version of Visio (*.vsdm format) through "File > Save As".

The eVSM software is an add-on for Microsoft Visio and runs anywhere the desktop version of Visio is supported.

It can also run on a Mac, provided Windows is installed via Bootcamp or Parallels. Currently, Visio—and by extension eVSM—is not supported on iPads or smartphones. However, eVSM is fully supported on Windows tablet PCs, including the Microsoft Surface Pro.

Note also that eVSM is required to create and edit eVSM maps. These maps can be exported to PDF format, which can then be viewed on any device or platform.

You may encounter this issue if Visio is not installed on your machine or if Visio is not set as the default program for .vstx files.

If Visio is installed and you're still experiencing the issue, follow these steps to associate Visio with .vstx files:

1. Close Visio, if it’s currently running.
2. Right-click the "Start eVSM" icon on your desktop.
3. From the menu, select “Open With” > “Choose another app...”
4. In the dialog box, select Microsoft Visio.
5. Check the box labeled “Always use this app to open .vstx files”, then click OK. 

This should ensure Visio opens template files correctly going forward.

If you open an eLeanor lesson file and don't see the eLeanor control panel, then check:

1. Make sure your eVSM toolbar is visible (if not, see note #3 above).
2. Make sure the panel is not on a second screen or hidden behind other windows.
3. You mak be able to re-instate the panel with the "eLeanor Panel" command in the eVSM toolbar as shown below.

To access the full eLeanor functionality, you need to:

1. Log onto the evsm.com server through a browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc.) to access the eLeanor lesson files.
2. Log in through the eLeanor control panel to record your grades.

Item 1 is required for all users. Item 2 is optional, but if you skip it, your grades will not be recorded on the server.

To skip Item 2, simply ignore the login prompt when eLeanor starts. You will still be able to use the Grade-It button to check your answers to the quiz questions. However, the Feedback button will not function without logging in, so any questions or problems will need to be sent by regular email to support@evsm.com

Yes, eVSM essentially creates Visio files. These can be viewed in Visio without eVSM. However to edit the file, you need eVSM. You can also save your maps in PDF format which can be viewed even without Visio.

See https://evsm.com/evsm-toolbar-missing

Message "This file was created in a newer version of eVSM...". Unable to open file.

This means that the file was created in a newer version of eVSM than the one currently installed on your machine. You will not be able to make any changes to the file unless you upgrade eVSM to the file was created in, or a newer version of eVSM.

If you only need to view or print the file, ask the author of the file to send you a PDF version of the map.

To restore the default stencils, use the "Restore File" button (previously called Map Clean) in the eVSM toolbar.

If you are on eVSM v10 or earlier, then the restore steps have to be performed manually. See https://evsm.com/VidStencils

Shut down any open Visio files. Backup a copy of the old map file. Open the old file and click the "Migrate" button in the eVSM toolbar. When the migration run is complete, your old file as well as the migrated copy will be open. In the old file you will see highlighting on any items skipped by the migration.

Migration is not a 100%, so you will need to do some manual work to finish. See https://evsm.com/evsm-v11-migration for a list of the additional actions to complete.

The eVSM stencils (*.vss files) are stored in the "C:\Program Files (x86)\eVSM\Setup\Solutions" folder. You can open these in Visio by clicking "More Shapes > Open Stencil..." at the top of the shapes pane on the left.

If the stencils on the right side of your eVSM session are missing then you need to open all the stencils with the name starting with "eVSM_". These will open on the left, so you need to drag them over to the right.

A key of variable names used on a map can be generated when needed. Just drop the "Var Key Creator" shape from the "eVSM Title and Keys" stencil on the page. The key will show descriptions for all the variables in current use on the map. The key will update automatically as new variables are added/deleted on the map.

Just save the file in PDF format (Save As.. > File Type = PDF).

The following reference materials are available in PDF format.

• eVSM Toolbar Reference Manual
• eVSM Common Functions Reference Manual

Additionally, all of the eLeanor files are available in PDF format.

Go to Academic licenses.

You may see this message if Visio is not the default program for .vst files on your machine.

Try these steps.

1. Exit Visio if running.
2. Right-click on the "Start eVSM" icon on your Desktop.
3. In the right-click menu, select "Open With>Choose Program..."
4. In the Open With dialog box that comes up, select Visio, check the box labeled "Always use the selected program...", and click OK.

This should associate Visio template files to Visio rather then anything else.

It does, but we do not recommend editing or solving an eVSM map directly on Sharepoint. Two reasons for this:

1. eVSM needs to create additional files in the Visio file folder. If you have restrictions in your login you will run into problems.
2. Performance will suffer because some operations will be slowed by network bandwidth/traffic (for communication between your CPU and the SharePoint server), automated backups, and possibly automated security checks.

The best way to work with SharePoint is to check the file(s) out for local processing and upload when you are done.

If you see the message below, you will need to request assistance from your IT or Microsoft support. It is related to the Windows installation and setup.  It's also possible that your antrivirus is preventing Visio.exe from accessing the Kernel32.dll API, which can be fixed by whitelisting Visio.exe.

eVSM is supported on local language versions of Windows and Visio. eVSM allows you to create drawings in any local language available on your Windows machine. The Help resources and Icon names for eVSM however are not localized, they are available only in English.

The Visio "Developer" ribbon contains some very useful functions. If the Developer tab is not visible at the top of your Visio ribbons, follow these steps: 

1. Right-mouse click anywhere on the ribbon
2. Select the Customize Ribbon command

In the Customize Ribbon dialog, check the Developer checkbox

eVSM v11 is fully supported on Windows 10, but needs .NET Framework 3.5 enabled. If not, you will see Error Number:-2146232576 issued at eVSM start-up and will not be able to proceed further. In this event, follow these steps.

1. Close all applications on your PC.
2. Go to Windows Start, and type 'Turn windows features on or off', and pick that from the list.
3. In the Windows Features dialog box, tick all three dialog boxes highlighted below. 
   
   
   
   
4. Click OK, follow any prompts, and re-start your PC.

eVSM requires direct communications from VB code to the evsm.com server for:

• User authentication
• License activation
• eLeanor (training) score keeping

If the company firewall or proxy server blocks this communication then these functions cannot work. Following is a list of URLs eVSM needs access to. If you see problems with any of the above or other server communications problems, please "whitelist" these URLs.

• evsm.com/auth
• evsm.com/noauth
• evsm.com/elearning/API/AuthCheck
• evsm.com/elearning/API/ExerciseEvent
• quicklicensemanager.com/evsm

 eVSM sends the information in HTTP POST method.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Login to the eLeanor panel is required only to record exercise grades and track progress. However, the courses can still be completed without logging in. You may simply ignore the login prompt and continue with the exercises.

If you see a message like the following pop-up while using eVSM, you can click Yes and continue.

To eliminate the pop-up, here are the recommended steps:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click Tools.
3. Click Internet Options.
4. Click Security.
5. Click Internet.
6. Click Custom Level...
7. Scroll down to the Miscellaneous section.
8. Select Enable under Access data sources across domains.
9. Click OK.
10. Click Yes to Are you sure you want to change the setting for this zone?
11. Click OK.

The eVSM license is locked to the PC and to user account. You can install eVSM with an admin account, but the license activation should be done with the end-user login.

Some operations (eg. Restore File, Kaizen Export, Create Template, etc.) require eVSM to automatically create new files in the folder your Visio map file is saved in. If you see errors similar to this:

Your Visio file is most likely located in a remote folder that has some privilege restrictions (perhaps on One Drive, Sharepoint,  Dropbox, etc.). Try bringing the file to your local drive and execute the operation again. Generally, you should always work with eVSM files on a local drive. The functions will work faster and you will be less likely to see privileges issues.

Excel related operations include Create XL, Import XL, Kaizen Export, etc. The message displayed is:

This would come up if Excel is currently busy with another process. Here are things to check:

1. Make certain that no Excel file is open in which a cell is currently being modified. Specifically, in Edit mode. If it is, simply submit the change and try again.
2. If the above does not resolve the issue, then Exit any open Excel sessions, and try again.
3. If the problem persists, restart the PC and try again.

The above problem can also happen if Microsoft Excel Sensitivity labels are enabled. Unfortunately, this is usually a corporate setting and the user will not be able to disable. To work around this, open a blank Exel file before running Create XL. This allows you to switch to Excel, choose a sensitivity label, and then proceed with the eVSM operation.

Working with eVSM on a shared drive, such as SharePoint, OneDrive, Dropbox, or iCloud, is not supported. While some functions may appear to work, others may not perform reliably. Shared drives often require additional permissions, performance depends on network traffic, and file open/save times are usually longer. There is also a greater risk of file corruption or other unexpected behavior.

If your map files are normally stored on a shared drive, please make a local copy before editing, then upload the updated file back to the shared location when you are finished.

On some PCs, folders such as Documents, Desktop, or Downloads may also be redirected to a shared drive. In that case, create a folder directly on C:\ and copy your files there before working on them.

How can I check whether my files are on a shared drive?

In Windows File Explorer, navigate to the folder that contains your eVSM map files, then click on the address bar. If you see terms such as SharePoint, OneDrive, or a network path, it usually means the folder is on a shared or redirected drive.