iTWO costX Student Forum

Student FAQ

Got a question? Check out our Student FAQ and it might already be answered!

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  • How can I get an educational licence?

    Just go to this page, fill in the details (making sure you use your educational email address) and you should receive your licence in just a few days!

  • Which version of iTWO costX® should I apply for/download and what are the differences?

    Generally speaking, you should install the version your institute is on. Ask the appropriate contact from your institute and determine which version of iTWO costX® is currently being deployed. The differences vary from version to version, this may include but is not limited to additional functionalities, removed functionalities and bug fixes. It is crucial to use a corresponding version as there may be compatibility issues if you don’t.

  • Why didn’t I receive my licence details yet?

    It can take up to 5 days to receive your licence details. If you haven’t received your licence details by then, please check your junk mail. If they are not there, you may have typed in your email address incorrectly- please try to apply again.

  • Can iTWO costX® run on Mac OS?

    While the construction industry is still predominantly Windows based, you can run Windows on a Mac by either booting to Windows using Apple’s Boot Camp or running in a virtual machine using Parallels or VMWare. Please ensure you leave lots of time to arrange this before your course starts.

  • I almost finished downloading iTWO costX® before this error message shows up: “[1557] Setup was unable to set up the database cluster successfully”.

    If you encountered this database cluster issue, you need to ensure that you delete the Exactal folder from:
    C:\ProgramData\Exactal (the programdata directory is hidden by default).

    Once deleted, empty the recycle bin, then proceed with the new installation.
    If you don’t delete the Exactal folder the old database will still be there.

  • I’m receiving an error message: “This Database is from an older version of iTWO costX®. It needs to be upgraded before being used with this version of iTWO costX®.”

    This is a database error where you have kept the old database from the previous version of iTWO costX®. To upgrade to a newer release of iTWO costX® you will have to completely uninstall the current version of iTWO costX® including selecting “No” when prompted if you wish to keep the database.
    CostX Database error message

  • I couldn’t activate my iTWO costX® licence? When I enter the serial number it says “Activation failed cannot be re-activated, please contact your distributor. Serial Number: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX”

    An educational serial can only ever be activated once, on one computer. Simply apply for a new serial at the following link here then run iTWO costX® again with your new serial.

  • I installed iTWO costX® but I’m getting an error message: “Educational restriction failed (Requested non-educational, licence requested is educational)”.

    The error prompt “Educational restriction failed (Requested non-educational, licence requested is educational)” is most commonly due to an installation error where you may have ran the “Network” option instead of “Standalone / Educational (Run with a local standalone database)”. Firstly, completely uninstall iTWO costX® from your current computer, including selecting ‘No’ when asked if you wish to keep the database. Then apply for a new serial. Finally reinstall iTWO costX® with the “Standalone / Educational (Run with a local standalone database)” option, which appears during the installation process.
    CostX educational restriction failed

  • When I run iTWO costX® it is asking for my username and password?

    You will only be prompted to provide login credentials if you are trying to run the “iTWO costX® (Client)”. For Educational licences, you should be running the “iTWO costX® (Standalone)”. Make sure you select iTWO costX® (Standalone) from the installation location to run the program.
    Run CostX Standalone or Client

  • I installed iTWO costX®, however, it says it is unable to connect to the database when I try to open it?

    Primarily, there are two common reasons for this error. Firstly, you should check if the CostX Database service is running. Open your Services windows and scroll down to “CostX Database” and check the Status. If it is not running, right click and select “Start”. If you have done this and still get the unable to connect to the database error, then this may be due to a firewall or antivirus software assuming that iTWO costX® is a malware. In this case, you will need to either add the RIB program folder to the AV exclusions list, disable the AV scan and run iTWO costX® installer again to repair iTWO costX® services.
    Unable to connect with database

  • If screenshot says “Activation failed: Invalid activation server. Serial number: XXX”

    There may be times where a proxy server may be blocking activation of the serial number from taking place. The activation process contacts the RIB Licence Server to validate the serial number.
    To activate the software manually, you will require to fill out the information on the Activate Product form (shown below) and click Manual and follow the on-screen instructions.

  • If iTWO costX is lagging

    Please try to change the graphic drivers first.
    iTWO costX Start button –> iTWO costX Options –> Drawings –> Graphic Drivers –> Change to Direct3D and click OK –> restart iTWO costX and try again

  • I almost finished downloading iTWO costX® before this error message shows up: “[1557] Setup was unable to set up the database cluster successfully”.

    If you encountered this issue, you need to ensure that you delete the Exactal folder from:
    C:\ProgramData\Exactal (the programdata directory is hidden by default).

    Once deleted, reboot the machine then proceed with the new installation.
If you don’t delete the Exactal folder the old database will still be there.

  • Can I install iTWO costX® onto two computers?

    Technically speaking, a student may only have one licence during the academic year, however, if there is a valid reason for having two licences, you could apply for a second licence here while noting the reason in the “Message/Comments” section of the application form. Alternatively, you could write an email request to education@rib-software.com. Do note you need a second serial number for running on two computers as one serial number cannot be installed on more than one computer.

  • What is the Student deal and am I entitled for it?

    The student deal allows students to purchase a commercial licence with a discount of 75% off the licence price while enjoying free maintenance for the first year. To be entitled to this offer you will need to provide your name, institute, academic email address and your iTWO costX® educational serial. This offer strictly expires one year after expiry of your serial code and is limited to one licence per student. To find out more please send an enquiry to sales.int@rib-software.com.