VitalSource FAQs
The following list of Frequently Asked Questions is provided as a first step in helping you solve any issues you may encounter. If your question is not addressed here, please contact our Support Team at 1-800-610-5382
To learn how to use the key features of Bookshelf®, please visit our Bookshelf Learning Site. (Flash required)
Software Questions
Q. What are Bookshelf’s minimum software specifications?
A. VitalSource Bookshelf® requires Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (32-bit) or Microsoft Windows Vista (32 or 64 bit). Bookshelf for Windows requires .Net 3.0 in order to run. Bookshelf will also work on Mac OS 10.3.9 or later. (For Mac OS 10.3.9 users, please make sure all software updates are loaded to avoid an error during start up)
Q. Where can I find the version number for my copy of VitalSource Bookshelf?
A. We use the standard locations for this information specified by each platform vendor. Mac OS X - In VitalSource Bookshelf, select "About VitalSource Bookshelf..." from the Bookshelf Menu. Windows - In VitalSource Bookshelf, select "About VitalSource Bookshelf..." from the Help Menu. You can always download the most current version of VitalSource Bookshelf by going to http://www.ingramdigital.com/software/downloads/
Q. Do you have Technical Support? How much is it?
A. VitalSource is pleased to provide its customers free, 24/7, US-based telephone support. Our support center’s phone number is 1 (800) 610-5382
Usage Questions
Q. My computer is registered and the license download says it's completed, but no books show up under "All Titles".
A. It is possible that when you purchased your book you used a different email address than the one you signed into Bookshelf with. The solution to this is to sign in, choose "My Account..." from the help menu and uncheck the "Save password for automatic sign-in" box. Restart VitalSource Bookshelf, and again choose "My Account..." This will allow you to edit the email address. Change it back to your "old" email address.
If you would like to move the account from your old address to your new one, please contact our support center and they will be able to merge your accounts for you.
Q. I downloaded one of your books from the internet. How do I back it up?
A. Unlike many other electronic content providers, books in the VitalBook format can be downloaded as many times as needed. Two computers can be active on the account, and either of those may download a book if the original file is lost, accidentally deleted, or corrupted. You bought the rights to use the contents of the book for your use, not just the single file.
Your notes and highlights can also be sync’d to our servers incase something happens to your computer and you need to restore them. You can turn on notes syncing by going to the preferences in Bookshelf and choosing the sync tab. Click the check box to turn on Notes Syncing and the next time you are on the internet your notes will sync safely and securely to our servers.
Q. I was wondering if there is a way to delete older versions of books that I don't need anymore because they take up a lot of space on my hard drive. If so, how do I go about doing it?
A. Removing book files is a fairly straightforward matter. It involves discovering the filename, and then searching your computer for that file. A book's filename is usually the ISBN of the book, followed by the ".vbk" extension. There are two ways to find out the ISBN of the book.
1) Open the book. Click on the cover (or "Front Matter section, if there is one.) In the area that contains copyright information, the ISBN will be listed. For School-specific (i.e. course manuals and the like) this number is usually something like M-###-#### (where # is a number).
2) The second way to discover the ISBN is to right-click the book in the Bookshelf and choose "Show Book Info" from the contextual menu. In that info sheet, there is a URL line. That is the book ISBN with "vbk:" added to the front. Remove the "vbk:" and it's the ISBN. Once you have the book's number, search in your OS just as you would for any file. (Windows, the "Find..." command in the start menu; Mac OS, the find box in the upper right of any Finder window.) Delete that file, and you will free up the disk space.
Q. I am trying to print a book, and when I look under the "File" menu, "Print..." is greyed out. How can I print?
A. Please update to VitalSource Bookshelf 5.1.x. 5.1 introduced stream lined printing to all users. You no longer have to highlight the text you want to print. With 5.1, you can go to the print command, choose and preview the pages you wish to print, and then print them.
Q. How do I go about loading my content onto a second computer?
A. Here is how you can install your content on a second computer:
-Please go to http://www.ingramdigital.com/software/downloads/ and download the latest version of Bookshelf for your computer and run the installer.
-Open up bookshelf.
-Go to the help menu and select the "Update License" option from the list.
-Here you will enter your email address and your password you made when you initially set up your account. -Once you have done this, click on the "Sign-In" button in the lower right side of the primary window.
-This will download the license file that shows you what books you have access to.
-Now click on the "All Titles" Link in the Collections pane. This will show you all of your books. If you see books with a yellow triangles in front of it you can double click on them and they will download to your machine.
Q. I went to install my books on my second computer and I received an error saying “I have reached the maximum number of activations” what do I do?
A. Please call our support desk at 1(800) 610-5382 and they will be able to assist you in resolving your issue.
Q. I installed the application, but when I try to register, I get an error that the connection times out. What's going on?
A. This could be a problem with a firewall, either on your computer or on your network. Please contact support for assistance.
Q. Can I use the Bookshelf application after I graduate?
A. Yes! Since you have paid for the content and the rights to use the application, you will be able to continue to use the application to access the materials that you have purchased.
Redemption Codes
Q. I was given a redemption code how do I redeem it?
A. If you received a redemption code, when you register for the first time you can enter it there. If you didn’t enter it there, go to the help menu and choose “Activate new content...” and sign in with your email address and password and then you can use your code.
Should you add additional content in the future, that content will come with it's own redemption code. Once you have added any content to your account with the code, that code will no longer be valid. There is no need to record the code for future use.
Q. Do I have to enter my redemption code in all caps?
A. No, the registration server will accept caps or lower case.
Q. I registered, or activated new content, and the download of my new license file failed. Now when I try to do it again, the application says my redemption code has expired. What do I do?
A. Select "Update License" from the help menu. When you are given the chance to "log in" or "register", enter the email address and password you used during the earlier registration attempt. This will download a new copy of your license file, allowing access to all of the content you have registered to your account. If, after the new license downloads, you still do not have access to your content, select "Activate New Content" from the help menu, and reenter your redemption code. If this fails, please contact our support group. If you purchased your title from the VitalSource Store you will not need a redemption code to load your books, you will want to download Bookshelf and then sign in with the email address and password that you used when you purchased the book.
