You can also view our installation and troubleshooting videos:
For more videos on getting started using the software applications, please visit our
Download site.
OUR PRODUCTS' COMPETITIVE POSITION (Top)
1. How does Risk Simulator, Real Options
SLS, Modeling Toolkit, and ESO Valuation Toolkit compare with other products?
It is our corporate policy not to badmouth or criticize other competitors or their software. Therefore, we will not provide a direct product comparison. However, the following are key items and characteristics of our software that other comparable products do not posses:
-
25 probability distributions (we have more distributions that our competitors)
-
An advanced Modeling Toolkit with over
300 Excel
and SLS templates and about
800 advanced analytical models,
tools
and functions (accessible via C++ or Excel as an
add-in function)
-
Our ESO Valuation Toolkit was the same software used
by the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board
when writing the revised FAS 123R
-
Advanced forecasting techniques including ARIMA (Box-Jenkins Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average) and nonlinear extrapolation,
cubic spline interpolation and extrapolation, GARCH
volatility models, Markov Chains, stochastic
processes (Brownian motion random walk, mean
reversion and jump diffusion models) and many more.
- Distributional fitting for all continuous and discrete distributions
- Statistical hypothesis testing, advanced data
diagnostics (heteroskedasticity, multicollinearity,
autocorrelation, micronumerosity, and so forth) and
statistical analyses (fitting, normality, randomness
test, stochastic parameter calibration) that are all
automatic
- Stochastic forecasting capabilities
(mean-reversion, random walk, Brownian Motion,
jump-diffusion, mixed processes)
- Integrated reporting capabilities for all of our methodologies (these reports provide detailed explanations of the results and analyses performed)
- Super-fast optimization capabilities
- Truly stochastic optimization techniques, and not simply simulation-optimization as some of our competitors
- A truly customizable options modeling software
with the ability to solve thousands of real options,
financial options, and employee stock options
valuation problems
- Created by the same person who has written 10 books on the subject, a professor around the world, and the same person who teaches the live training seminars and Training DVDs
- We complement our products with books, Training DVDs, live training seminars, and consulting services, providing a comprehensive service and product package
- Our models, analytics and algorithms are
vigorously tested and retested with each release, to
ensure the highest level of accuracy and precision,
and has been vetted by external third-party
professors and experts in the area
- Integrated with the
Certified in Risk Management
(CRM) certification program
- If you are still not convinced, please
click here to download our more detailed competitive
analysis!
VISTA COMPATIBILITY (Top)
1. Are the software
compatible with Windows Vista and Excel 2003/2007?
Yes, all of our products are Windows Vista and Excel
2007 compliant. Due to the new Vista operating system, a
few quick reminders are noteworthy:
a. Please first uninstall all previous
versions of Risk Simulator before installing the new version for Vista/Excel 2007.
b. You will need to turn off User
Access Control before installing the Risk Simulator's
permanent
license: in Vista, click on Start l Control Panel
l Classic View l User
Accounts l Turn on User Access Control On or Off, and
uncheck
Use User Account Control) and then reboot the computer.
Then, you can install the Risk Simulator license as usual (Start
Excel l Risk Simulator l License l
Install License and browse to the license file you
received when you purchased the software).
b. When using Excel 2007, Risk Simulator
has its own menu item and with three new icon ribbon bars.
For the Modeling Toolkit software, the menu items are now
located under the ADD-INS group. Everything works exactly
like it did in the previous Excel versions.
c. For the Modeling Toolkit software, ESO Valuation Toolkit software,
and Real Options SLS software, just download and install as
usual, from the
Download page. No
special requirements or actions are required.
d. One last warning is that Windows
Vista + Excel 2003 (or Excel XP) is not a recommended
combination by Microsoft and might pose some issues with
running certain software, including Risk Simulator. This
combination is not stable (many online blogs have posted
issues on Excel problems) and is not recommended.
FAQ ISSUES FOR RISK SIMULATOR (Top)
1. What are the system requirements for installing Risk Simulator?
The system requirements are:
- Windows XP with SP2 (Service Pack 2)
or Windows Vista 32 and 64 bit
- Excel XP or 2003 or 2007
- Pentium IV with 512MB RAM minimum (Dual Core/1GB RAM
recommended)
- Administrative rights for installing the software
- Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
Try our
Troubleshooter tool and
see if your system is correctly configured with all the
required prerequisites.
2. How do I install the software?
Make sure that you have administrative rights
to install the software, and that your system
requirements match or exceed those required in Item 1
above. In addition, make sure you have .NET Framework
2.0 already installed on your computer. Then, simply download the trial or full version of the software, double click on the exe file, and follow the instructions.
Make sure to first uninstall any older versions
of Risk Simulator before attempting to install a new
version.
3. How do I know I have .NET Framework
2.0 installed on my computer?
Most newer computers have .NET Framework
2.0 and 3.0 preinstalled. Risk Simulator (as well as many newer software available in the market) require .NET Framework
2.0 and above. To check if you have it installed, simply click on START, CONTROL PANEL, ADD OR REMOVE PROGRAMS and look for MICROSOFT .NET FRAMEWORK
2.0. If it is not there,
download and install .NET Framework
2.0
before you start to install Risk Simulator. You
can also run our
Troubleshooter tool
and see if your system is correctly configured with all
the required prerequisites and if .NET Framework 2.0 is
preinstalled.
4. What if I have .NET Framework
1.1 or 3.0 or 3.5 instead?
Typically, when you install .NET Framework
2.0 or 3.0 or 3.5, the system still has .NET Framework 1.1 installed.
All versions work together side by side. Please note
that 2.0/3.0/3.5 are on a different platform than 1.1.
This means that if you only have 1.1, you will need to
have any of the other versions (2.0/3.0/3.5). If you
have these 2.0/3.0/3.5 versions, you do not need 1.1.
5. How long will my trial version last?
The trial version will last for 10 days, upon which the license will expire. You will be unable to use the software unless you purchase a full license
or contact us for an extended trial license (you will
need to send us your Hardware ID for Risk Simulator
installed on your computer).
6. How do I obtain and install the new license I purchased?
Simply install Risk Simulator, start Excel, and click on
Risk Simulator and select
License and you can see an
11 to 20 digit Hardware ID
that is specifically generated for your computer (we
locate the serial numbers from 5 to 8 hardware
components of your computer and apply our encryption
algorithm to generate this unique ID specific for your
computer). E-mail
admin@realoptionsvaluation.com your
11 to 20 digit Hardware ID number and we will e-mail you a permanent license file. Simply copy the license file we send you to your computer, start Excel, click on
Risk Simulator and License, then click on Install License. Browse to the location and select the license file we e-mailed you and click OK. Restart Excel and you are now permanently licensed to use the software.
If you are using Windows Vista, please make sure that
you turn off the User Access Control first, before
installing the license. That is, in Windows Vista, click on
Start l Control Panel l Classic View
l User
Accounts l Turn on User Access Control On or Off, and
uncheck
Use User Account Control) and then reboot the computer.
Then, you can install the Risk Simulator license as
usual (Start Excel l Risk Simulator l
License l Install License and browse to the
license file you received when you purchased the
software).
7. Can Risk Simulator work on international operating systems?
The current version of Risk Simulator 4 works well in foreign operating systems. In fact, we
Risk Simulator and Real Options SLS are now available in
English, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese!
8. Why does Risk Simulator
not start when Excel starts when in the past it used to
work correctly?
Sometimes, if Excel freezes or has some
errors due to opening a corrupt Excel file or computer
instability, Excel automatically disables all add-ins.
Sometimes, it is a hard disable (for serious problems) or
soft disable (for less serious issues). This is an Excel
security issue and not a Risk Simulator software issue.
You can download and run the
Risk Simulator Restore Tool
(RS
Restore Tool) here or follow the detailed instructions
below. Also please see the next FAQ item below for an
alternative issue.
To re-enable an add-in that has been hard
disabled by a Microsoft Office 2003 application, On the
Help menu, click About Microsoft Office, click
Disabled Items, select the mscoree.dll add-in for
Risk Simulator and click Enable.
To re-enable an add-in that has been hard disabled by Excel
2007. In Excel 2007, click the Microsoft Office Button
(top left corner of Excel), click Excel Options,
Add-ins. In the Manage drop list box at the
bottom, click Disabled Items, and then click Go.
Select Risk Simulator and click Enable, then
click Close.
To re-enable an add-in that has been soft disabled by Excel
2007, click the Microsoft Office Button (top left
corner of Excel), Excel Options, Add-ins. In
the Manage box at the bottom, click COM Add-ins,
and click Go. In the COM Add-Ins dialog box, select
the check box next to the disabled Risk Simulator
add-in, and click OK.
To re-enable an add-in that has been soft disabled by Excel
2003, on the View menu, point to Toolbars, and
then click Customize. Click the Commands tab.
In the Categories box, click Tools. In the
Commands box, select COM Add-Ins and drag
it to a toolbar. Click Close. On the toolbar, click
COM Add-Ins. Select the check box next to the
disabled Risk Simulator add-in and click OK.
9. Why does Risk Simulator
not start when Excel starts when in previous versions or
in the past it used to
work correctly?
There is also another possibility why
Risk Simulator does not start with Excel. This is when you
have too many Add-Ins installed and some of them have
altered the Excel startup behavior. For example, look at the
Excel installation path and see if you can spot a file
called Excel.exe.config, that is:
Excel XP C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Office\OFFICE10\EXCEL.EXE.config
Excel 2003: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE.config
Excel 2007: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE12\EXCEL.EXE.config
If so, one of your software add-ins has
altered Excel. We suggest you make a backup of this file to
a different location and delete this file in the Office
folder above. Then, uninstall and reinstall Risk Simulator
and it should start normally. You will need to uninstall and
reinstall because Excel has been changed.
Also, do try our
Troubleshooter tool and
see if your system is correctly configured with all the
required prerequisites.
10. Why does Risk Simulator refuse
to start when I start Excel despite successfully installing
the software or I receive some weird error about License
date string cannot be read?
Sometimes RS does not start after it has been
installed successfully because your computer probably has
some weird combination of Regional Settings…. For instance,
someone in France installing a Chinese Excel/Windows and
running on German language settings with Swahili dates and
numbering system (actually, our QA team had tested this
combination and it works
J) but the point is, it is impossible to test all
possible combinations and there might be a combination where
Excel actually has some internal conflicts with Windows,
thereby creating a component call issue with Risk Simulator,
and the software does not start or you cannot install your
license… The way to fix this is to change the regional
settings to a regular country like Chinese (PR China) or
English (USA) with the default settings and restart Excel to
start Risk Simulator. Regional Settings is available under
Start/Control Panel.
11. I get an "Error: Object
reference not set to an instance of an object." What happened?
If you logged in as an administrator and
installed Risk Simulator, then subsequently logs in as
someone else and try to start the software, you will get
this error. This is Windows' security control preventing
one user from accessing another's files. If this occurs,
please uninstall Risk Simulator and reinstall on the
correct login and the software will run normally.
12. I get an ERROR 1155 stating that the MSIINST30.exe is missing. What happened?
If you get this error, your Windows XP is not updated and your computer may be vulnerable! Some critical security files that are required are not installed on your computer. This is a Windows error and not a Risk Simulator error. To solve this problem, we highly suggest you visit the Microsoft site to
Download SP2
(Service Pack 2) for Windows XP before proceeding. Alternatively, you can download SP2 at a later date but
Download a Temporary Patch
right now for fixing this problem such that you can install Risk Simulator. If the patch does not work, try installing the latest
Windows Installer
here.
13. I get an ERROR 1321
stating that the installer has insufficient privileges
to modify the file. What happened?
If you get this error, contact your IT specialist to log you in as an Administrator so that you can install the software. This is a common problem for most software where administrative rights and privileges need to exist before certain software products can be installed. Most home computers' default settings will automatically have administrative rights and you should not have any problems.
14. Why do I get an ERROR 1722 indicating that there is a problem with the Windows Installer Package?
You get this error during installation because you do not have Administrator Privileges to install software on your computer. Log off the current user and log on as the administrator and reinstall the software. If you work for a corporation with IT controls on administrator rights, contact your IT personnel to help you install the software, use it at least one time to make sure it works, and then log on again as usual. The administrator rights are required as there are certain files that need to be installed into your c:\windows directory for the software to work, and only administrator privileges are allowed to do so. Typically, this is not a problem for most personal computers as administrator rights are automatically assigned.
15. Why do I get an ERROR 1935 or 1722 indicating that there is a problem with the installation?
You typically get this error if you do not have Microsoft .NET Framework
2.0 installed. Exit the installation and
install .NET Framework 2.0
first, then reboot and try installing Risk Simulator again. Most newer computers with Windows XP or older versions of Windows with frequent critical updates installed (e.g., Service Pack 2), should already have .NET Framework
2.0 preinstalled and not receive this error. Please check to make sure you have .NET Framework
2.0 installed by going to Control Panel, Add/Remove
Programs and scrolling down the list or try our
Troubleshooter tool
and see if your system is correctly configured with all
the required prerequisites.
16. Why do I sometimes get a grid error with a large red X?
This is a known Microsoft bug where if you install say Portuguese Windows 2000 with Excel 2003, you will get such errors on almost half of the Excel-based software in the market. We recommend upgrading to Windows XP. There is no available patch at this time from Microsoft that we are aware of.
17. Why did I get a System Clock Back Error?
Shame on you! You are getting this error because you have finished your
10-day trial period and attempted to change the system clock back in order to keep using the software for free! The software has caught you playing with the system clock. In order to continue, you will need to purchase a permanent license from us, and at that time, we will provide you a license to take care of the problem plus unlock the software permanently.
18. Uninstalling Risk Simulator
Here are some tips on uninstalling Risk
Simulator and its effects of whether it is permanent or
temporary:
-
You
can uninstall the software by using Start, Control
Panel, Add or Remove Programs (Programs and
Features in Vista). Make sure you are uninstalling “Risk
Simulator” and not some other similar sounding software.
Start Excel and Risk Simulator should no longer be
available. If this does not work, try the next step:
-
Re-download Risk Simulator and install it. If there is a
previous version of Risk Simulator on your computer, it
will ask that you Uninstall it first. Select the
Uninstall option and follow the onscreen instructions. If this does not work, try the next
step:
-
In
case you do not wish to uninstall the software but only
detach it from starting when Excel starts, here are a few
things you can do:
-
Start Excel, click on Risk Simulator, Options,
and DESELECT Start Risk Simulator when Excel Starts. The
next time you start Excel, Risk Simulator will not
start. You can start Risk Simulator by going to the
Start, Programs, Real Options Valuation menu item.
-
If you are using Excel XP/2003, click on View,
Toolbars, Customize, select the Commands
tab, in Categories select Tools, COM Add-In.
Click on this COM Add-In and drag it to your icon toolbar
in Excel, then close the user interface. Click on the icon
COM Add-In and deselect Risk Simulator.
Restart Excel and Risk Simulator will no longer start with
Excel.
-
If you are using Excel 2007, click on the Office
icon (top left corner) in Excel, select Excel Options,
Add-Ins and on the Manage drop list, select
COM Add-Ins, click GO, and turn off Risk
Simulator. Restart Excel and Risk Simulator will no
longer start with Excel.
-
In
the event that your software license has expired and you
have problems uninstalling the software using the approach
above, e-mail us with your name and Risk Simulator version
number and we will send you a temporary 1 day license file.
Save the attached temporary license files to your hard
drive. Start Excel, click on Risk Simulator,
Install License, then browse to the license file you
just saved. Restart Excel and you are temporarily
licensed and can access some tools. Then click on Risk
Simulator, Options, DESELECT Start Risk
Simulator when Excel Starts. Restart Excel and
Risk Simulator will no longer be bothering you when Excel
starts. If this does not work, try the next step:
-
Try
to download some third-party uninstallers to clean up Risk
Simulator. We do not recommend any products specifically but
there are many freeware tools out there that will do the job
(do a quick Google search).
QUICK TIPS ON RUNNING RISK SIMULATOR (Top)
1. Making Overlay Charts.
You can make your own overlay charts, that is, overlay one distribution on another to compare their graphical similarities or differences. First, run a simulation with multiple forecasts, make some of the forecasts 'Semi-Transparent When Inactive' and 'Always On Top' (you can find these options on the forecast chart by clicking on Options), then drag another forecast chart over it and you can compare both distributions. You can replicate for multiple distributions as well. As long as the axes line up with the same number of bins and chart size, the distributions are now visually comparable.
2. Making Forecast Charts' Axes Visible.
You can resize the forecast charts to make the axis more legible in case you have large values on the x-axis.
3. Navigating in Forecast Charts.
You can navigate between the forecast chart and statistics by simply depressing the space bar.
4. Changing Confidence Intervals and Probabilities in Forecast Charts.
You can change the values of the left-tail, right-tail, two-tail, or probability levels on forecast charts by entering the desired value and hitting TAB on the keyboard.
5. Handling Large Values.
Sometimes, Risk Simulator does not like high values (say, multiple billions with 10-12 digits and above, and so forth). To avoid this issue, simple use smaller values and denominations. For instance, instead of using $1,000,000,000 as one billion dollars, use $1.00 (in billions), $1,000 (in millions) or $1,000,000 (in thousands). Besides, using denominations is good modeling practice.
INSTALLATION ISSUES FOR REAL OPTIONS SLS SOFTWARE (Top)
1. What are the system requirements for installing Real Options SLS?
The system requirements are:
- Windows XP or Windows Vista
32 bit and 64 bit
- Excel XP or 2003 or 2007
- Pentium IV with 512MB RAM minimum
(Dual core with 1GB RAM recommended)
- Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later
2. What do I do when asked for a license key?
Use the following temporary trial license key:
Name = 30 Day License
Key = 513C-27D2-DC6B-9666
This license will allow you to freely use the software for 30 days, upon which the software will stop functioning. You can keep using the software only if you have a permanent license key. You can purchase a permanent license key from Real Options Valuation, Inc.
3. Why did I get a System Clock Back Error?
Shame on you! You are getting this error because you have finished your 30-day trial period and attempted to change the system clock back in order to keep using the software for free! The software has caught you playing with the system clock. In order to continue, you will need to purchase a permanent license from us, and at that time, we will provide you a Fix-Clock license key to take care of the problem plus unlock the software permanently.
4. Will Real Options SLS work on international computers?
Yes it will, on one condition, that you set the regional settings to English (USA). To do this, first exit Excel and go to START, CONTROL PANEL, REGIONAL AND LANGUAGE OPTIONS, and select ENGLISH (UNITED STATES) and restart Real Options SLS. The results will now be valid and accurate.
OUR RETURN POLICY (Top)
1. What is your return policy on software?
We have a typical software return policy where once opened, it cannot be returned. For instance, if you purchase an off-the-shelf software at CompUSA, Fry's, Best Buy, and so forth, once you open the software box, it is not returnable. The reason is that there is no guarantee that you have not already installed the software or made illegal copies of the software prior to returning. So, to reduce such risks, we highly suggest that you download the
TRIAL VERSIONS
of our software, test it to your heart's content, and then make the final decision to purchase. We are not responsible if you decide not to test the trial version first (for applicability, installation, compatibility, and other evaluation issues). Also, for Risk Simulator, you have to first install the software and have it functioning before you can install the license anyway
(that is, you would first need to successfully install
and run the software before you can send us your
Hardware ID, and for us to send you a permanent license), so, there is no excuse that the software does not work as you have 30 days to test drive it. So the short answer is, once you get the permanent license, the software is not returnable, similar to it being already opened and out of the box and all sales are final.
2. What is your return policy on Training DVD?
The same no return policy applies to Training DVDs as with the software (see Item 1 above). That is, once knowledge has been imparted, you cannot return learned knowledge. So, all sales are final. However, we will be glad to exchange or replace any defective parts in the Training DVD set. Again, you may view our
sample getting started videos
to make a decision if you wish to obtain the Training DVDs.
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