Heatseek

Frequenty Asked Questions

• General Questions

  • I forgot my password, and the password hint isn't helping me remember. Can I still get to my collections?

    If you are a HeatSeek Gold user, we can reset your password if you can send us your secure database file. Please send us a support email and we can walk you through the steps to do this. Note that this is the only way to reset your password, since your password is only stored securely on your computer, not on ours.

  • Is there a panic mode to immediately close the program in case my [wife/girlfriend/kid/friend] comes in unexpectedly?

    Yes! Hit either F10, F11, or F12 at any time and the program will immediately close. You can also edit the program preferences so that panic mode will only minimize Heatseek instead of closing it.

  • How do I un-install HeatSeek if I forgot my password?

    When you un-install (via Add/Remove Programs), HeatSeek will prompt you for your password. You can use the password "uninstallme" (without quotes) if you do not remember your original password.

  • Is there a way to backup my HeatSeek library if I am going to format my hard drive, move to a new computer, or reinstall the operating system?

    The proper way to do this is to first Export your entire library (right-click on your All collection, and select Export) out to your hard drive. This will remove the encryption from your files, but you can then safely copy them or back them up while you format/reinstall. Once you have formatted your drive, just re-install HeatSeek, enter your registration key again, and then Import your files back into the program. This is the only way to properly "backup" your library. Any other way looks to HeatSeek like you are on a new computer, and for security reasons it won't work on more than one computer if you just copy the files.

  • My registration key for HeatSeek Gold is not working. Please help.

    If you are getting the message 'The registration key you entered was invalid...', then either you typed in the key wrong, or the key has already been activated. Keep in mind a HeatSeek registration key is valid for installation on a single computer. If you plan to use HeatSeek on multiple computers, you'll need a key for each one. If you are trying to re-install HeatSeek on the same computer, you may contact us via our support email to reset your key.

    If you are getting the message 'A network error is preventing Heatseek from activating your registration key...', this is likely due to Windows Firewall blocking Heatseek from accessing the Internet. Please see this answer on how to fix this problem.

  • Why do I get a message saying a copy of the program is already running?

    This may happen if HeatSeek was improperly shut down. Open windows Task Manager, and in the Processes tab, look for "htskapp.exe". Select "htskapp.exe" and click End Process.

  • Does Heatseek contain spyware or anything evil?

    Not at all! Heatseek is even Certified Spyware Free by Softpedia.

  • What file types does Heatseek allow me to view?

    Heatseek can view all standard image and movie formats, including JPG, GIF, WMV, MPEG, and AVI. Most websites use these standard formats for all of their content. Also, any non-standard formats that play in Windows Media Player will also work in Heatseek. So if you have installed a codec to view xVid movies, you can view them in Heatseek too!

  • How do I install HeatSeek on a USB drive that doesn't have U3?

    Simply download and run the HeatSeek installer, and select to install it to your regular USB drive. You can then run HeatSeek from the key by navigating to where it is installed and running "htskapp.exe". Remember that if you need to upgrade HeatSeek, you'll have to do the upgrade on the computer where you install it, since the upgrade looks for the original install location.

  • What are the minimum system requirements for Heatseek?

    Heatseek requires at least Microsoft Windows^® 2000/XP, Windows Media Player 9, and Internet Explorer 6. We also recommend DirectX 9.0 for best performance.

  • Can I share my Heatseek collection with my friend, or on another computer?

    Not directly. We respect that your files are your own, so if you want to transfer them to another computer, you should first Export your files and then copy/send them. Remember that exporting will create an unencrypted, easily viewable file, so you probably want to remove it when you are done!

  • I have an idea for a great new feature; will you guys put it in the next version?

    We would love to hear it! The best place to tell us is the HeatSeek Forum!

• Privacy Questions

  • Does Heatseek send any information about me or my files to anyone?

    No! Heatseek never sends any personal information about you, your files, or your browsing activities to anyone, ever. We respect your right to privacy.

  • How secure is Heatseek?

    Heatseek is designed so that you don't have to worry about spouses, children, significant others, friends, roomates, etc, discovering your adult content or activity. All your files are automatically encrypted and kept safe from view outside of Heatseek. We use industry standard 128-bit encryption for everything. All information about your collections, browser history, cookies, etc, is also encrypted in the program's database. We never use the windows registry or any other un-secured storage for any files or information about your collections.

    Heatseek is not designed to be used for illegal means, including child pornography, violating copyrights, or similar. Heatseek cannot guarantee any protection of your content in the event of a law enforcement seizure of your computer or hard-drive. You should be aware there are some things the program cannot make any safer. Heatseek does not secure the actual bytes of data transmitted over your internet connection, so if someone was monitoring your browsing activity by sniffing the packets on your network, they would be able to see the sites you visit and the files you download (unless you only visit sites that use SSL). Only after Heatseek encrypts the files and adds them to your library are they safe from discovery.

    To summarize, Heatseek is great to keep your adult content private from family members, friends, and other users of your computer. Do not use Heatseek if you intend to do something illegal.

• Browsing Questions

  • I am unable to access any web pages inside Heatseek! Why?

    Usually this is due to Windows Firewall blocking Heatseek from accessing the internet. Make sure you tell Windows to allow Heatseek to use the internet by going to Windows Firewall, clicking on the Advanced Settings button, then add Heatseek to the Allow list.

  • The HeatSeek Start Page always asks me to verify my birthday. How can I fix this?

    Check your regular Internet Explorer settings, and make sure you are allowing cookies (at least temporary cookies). It is ok to allow cookies since HeatSeek automatically encrypts and stores the cookies it uses inside the program, keeping you safe.

  • My favorite website doesn't work well with Heatseek! (can't download images, can't view images, etc)

    Heatseek has been tested with lots of different sites, but there are always some which do things a little differently and don't work so well with the program. If the site requires a popup window to appear, try holding down the CTRL key when clicking on the appropriate link. If the site uses javascript to open windows, it may be a problem for Heatseek, since javascript is often used by malicious websites to spam you with annoying popups. We are always trying to improve Heatseek to work with as many sites as possible, so if your favorite site currently doesn't work, please let us know by submitting a bug report form (Help->Report a Bug from within Heatseek).

  • Sometimes images/movies I save from a website don't show up in my collections. How come?

    Occassionally websites will try to obscure their files by linking to a server-side script which then returns the image/movie file to the browser. Sometimes Heatseek will end up downloading the script file instead of the actual content, which then will fail to be imported because it's just a text file. Try right-clicking on images/movies you want to save and selecting "Save Target To Heatseek", which may solve the problem.

  • Site [insert malicious site] spawns annoying popup windows! How come you don't block these?

    Try going to the Preferences->Privacy tab, and under Browser Security check the box about "Block website scripts...". We make every effort to stop unwanted popup windows from ruining your browsing experience. Rarely, a site will figure out a way to get around the popup blocker (even Internet Explorer doesn't stop every site from popups!), but if they do, we want to know about it. Please submit a Bug Report and tell us which site gave you the popup (in the program, go to Help->Report a Bug).

• Downloading and Importing Questions

  • Sometimes items in the Downloader show as "Import Failed". What is this?

    You will get this message if the file downloaded by Heatseek cannot be added to your collection. Reasons may be:

    - The file already exists in your library, and you have duplicate file checking turned on (Tools:Options:Organizer).
    - The file may be a corrupt image/movie.
    - The file may be the result of a server-side script which prevents Heatseek from downloading the correct file.
    

    If you suspect the files are corrupt, you should contact the webmaster of the site you are getting them from.

  • When I import a bunch of files from my hard drive, the number of items in my collections only update after a bunch of files have been added. Is this a bug?

    No, it is not a bug. When Heatseek imports image files (not movies), it only updates the number of items in your collections in "batches". This makes the import process go a little faster.

• Viewing and Playback Questions

  • Videos do not play properly inside HeatSeek. Why?

    Usually this is because you need a video codec to play the movie file. You can verify this by trying to play the same movie with Windows Media Player. If you get the same problem in Windows Media Player, then you should install or update your video codecs so it plays properly. The basic rule is that if the file plays with Windows Media Player, it should play with HeatSeek as well.

  • How do I make HeatSeek play Flash FLV files?

    HeatSeek version 1.3.4.0 (and later) now supports playing FLV videos natively. You only need to have Adobe Flash already installed on your system and it should work. To play downloaded Flash videos on earlier HeatSeek versions, or to burn Flash to DVD, you will need to install both an FLV "splitter" and a "codec" that adds FLV playback support. We recommend the Gabest FLV Splitter ( download from here or here ), and the FFDshow codec pack (download from here). After installing these, and you should be able to import and play Flash FLV in HeatSeek!

  • How do I burn videos to DVD?

    To create a video DVD, first place the movies you want to burn into a Collection (either by drag-and-drop, or use the copy feature in the organizer). Put a blank DVD in your drive, then just select the Collection and click the "Video DVD" button in the Organizer. HeatSeek will walk you through a few steps to create a video DVD. Note: To burn Flash videos to DVD, you will need to have two video codecs installed on your computer: 1. FFDshow and 2. FLV Splitter.

  • Does Heatseek support playback of DRM protected files?

    Yes, in most cases if you can play the file in Windows Media Player, then it should play in Heatseek. Preview images will probably be the "No Preview Available" image, since that image is usually created without using the DRM license. However the movies should still play. There are a lot of different DRM systems in use, and all of them have their own pros and cons, so please let us know if you are unable to play DRM files from a site.

  • How is the Viewer thumbnail column different than a regular Collection?

    Whenever you play a collection or a group of items, they always get copied to the Viewer thumbnail column so you're always working on a copy instead of the original. So it's like a "scratch playlist" -- you can reorder or delete any of the images or movies in this playlist without affecting your original collections at all. Use the "Save To New Collection" button to copy the order of the thumbnail column back to a permanent collection. This feature lets you test and create different viewing orders (i.e. playlists) quickly and easily.