Replacement For PhoneValet on Lion 10.7.5

[dakrejci]

Hello! First time poster, but long time reader!

I recently upgraded from 10.6.8 to 10.7.5 and one of the programs that doesn't work anymore in the process is Parliant's Phone Valet - which I really liked for the sole purpose of recording my outgoing phone calls locally to my computer. It could do incoming too, but I could never get that to work.

Why I would want this is that in my state, Iowa, the phone recording laws allow businesses to record without announcement. This tool was particularly helpful in helping me to settle some lawsuits.

I can't seem to find a replacement product. There are some "services" that will record your phone calls for a monthly charge, but not keep them on your hard drive locally.

Can anyone please give me an idea of a phone recording program for Mac that allows the recording of both incoming and outgoing phone calls to your local mac drives?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[GaryATtmi]

According to Paliant, you need version 6.0.5 to run PhoneValet reliably under Lion. My recommendation is that you get a refurbed MacBook Pro, (Less than $500), and install Snow Leo, and use that exclusively as your phone answering machine recorder.

As PhoneValet development is now Dark, you will never get support from Parliant.

I have PV running on an older PowerMac, and do not have any issues recording incoming or outgoing calls. Were you able to get incoming call recording working?

As for recording your calls without announcing that you are recording, I assume Iowa is like Canada, and that the law allows recoding with single party consent. Which means,

1. At least one person participating in the conversation knows that the call is being recorded.
2. If the person that knows the call is being recorded, passes the call to a person that does not know that the call is being recorded (no one participating in the call knows that the call is being recorded) that portion of the call becomes illegal.

Legality, in this context, is the legal right to use the recording in court. Otherwise, there is no "legal" issue, and calls can be recorded for your own personal use. However, if you decide to publish, or release portions of a call for financial gain, or to embarrass someone, then that is a whole other can of worms, and the term "legal" has no bearing.

You need to be VERY careful as laws vary.

Personally, I have found PV invaluable, and record ALL calls. Especially handy when calling banks, or credit card companies to dispute charges. If they are recording me, then I will be recording them!!

I have been very tempted to call Parliant to get permission to start a community forum to assist existing PV customers. It is a fantastic product that, unfortunately, did not have a large enough customer base to make further development financially feasible.

I will continue using PV until my last compatible Mac dies!

Doing a Google search for "phone recording answering mac", gives several results, but I can not attest to the usefulness or reliability of any of the products.

 

[chrisandersen]

I am using Phone Valet with the latest release of OSX, 10.8.5.
I can't say there are not issues, as I curse it every time I have to reboot. Tricks I use are: update open base, re-index open base, re-install phone valet, unplug USB. It's just too good of a program not to go through this much trouble.

 

[LWks]

There's just nothing like PhoneValet

GaryATtmi [and others] - I thought I was one of the last remaining cheerleaders for this beautiful application and I'm thrilled to see that I'm not alone. I don't know what all is involved in setting up a public forum in support of this powerful, elegant, stellar, one-of-a-kind, application or what permissions would have to be granted by Parliant but I'd sure love to see one, too. Anyone that uses PhoneValet, really uses it, definitely LOVES it. I've completely resisted updating my Mac's OS because of the fear of the loss of the use of PhoneValet. Many people have done exactly what you've suggested, set up a separate mac, running an older OS, just to be able to keep using it and it's probably the next thing I'm going to consider. Unfortunately, in the mean time, just yesterday, I've lost some of PV's functionality and it's driving me nuts (it was searching for some solutions that brought me to find this MacRumors' posting). I'm running PV 6.0.3 under, don't laugh, OS 10.5.8. The app launches, the Recording and Activity Monitor works fine, the Caller ID works fine, the outgoing messages work fine, the incoming messages work fine BUT I cannot get the main Call Log window to open and, although the tool bar icon correctly displays the correct number of new calls, they do not appear in the New Calls window and the only way to listen to them is to locate them in the finder and listen to them outside of PV. It's a mess. I've considered reverting to a PV back up but have hesitated (again, fearing the loss of the parts of PV that ARE working). My entire business revolves around the use of PV. I'm losing lots of sleep over this. If anyone has any troubleshooting suggestions or would be willing to talk this through with me, on the phone, I'd sure be very grateful.

Any ideas, suggestions or comments are extremely welcome.

Thank you !

- L -

 

[dakrejci]

Answering The Phone Problems

Hello!

I got Phonevalet up and running in 10.6.8, and it records every incoming and outgoing phone call. I'm very happy with that.

However, on incoming phone calls, it does not allow the phone to ring (4 times is what I have it set at under preferences > voice mail > settings).

I don't need a tree, I just want it to answer after the 4th ring, play my outgoing message, and then record the message from whomever if I don't pick it up.

Right now, it answers after one ring and does not play the outgoing message, but immediately begins recording.

I did have Page Sender (for faxes) installed, but I removed it in case of interference of Phonevalet.

Does any of you who have phone valet have any suggestions as to how I can get Phonevalet (6.0.3) working properly?

Many thanks,
Doug

 

[LWks]

PhoneValet feature not working properly

Hi Doug,

I've been using PhoneValet and PageSender, together, successfully for years and have not experienced any conflicts between them so I don't think it was that. I'm also aware of one PhoneValet quirk that can cause incoming messages to be cut off (it has to do with the way the outgoing message is actually recorded) but I also know that's not what you've described as what's happening to you.

But, if you'd like, I'd be happy to try to help you to figure it out. (I like solving these kinds of mysteries and I also feel that everything I can learn about PhoneValet now will help me solve things, for myself, in the future).

If you're interested, maybe you can send a screenshots of your Pref > voicemail > settings and some of the other prefs to this forum or to me directly. I'd be happy to take a look and to see if anything jumps out at me as a setting that could be changed to fix the problem.


All the best,

LWks

 

[DXBLaw]

PhoneValet email not working properly

Hi I was using PhoneValet very happily for 10 years or so. Now I am running 10.7.5 and I am facing a problem. PV answers the incoming call and shows the correct Caller ID information - no problem there - but all of a sudden it will not successfully email the call data. (This is the most important feature of PV for me - the ability to have my calls and voicemails emailed to me).

I get an error message telling me that I have incorrectly configured the email account - wrong port or wrong user name - but I know I have configured it correctly. I've checked and rechecked multiple times. And (since I run my own mail server and created a dedicated email user ID just for PV) I've checked the logs on my mailserver software and there is no evidence that the PV user has been trying to log in to send the mail.

Does anybody know why this might be? Is anybody successfully using the email function of PV on 10.7.5?

Thanks

 

[LWks]

Phone Valet Parts

Hello again,

If anyone on this forum has decided that they have to abandon Parliant's PhoneValet (or if you know anyone else who has) and still has the working parts, I'd be keenly interested in purchasing any units and licenses you may have available.

Wishful thinking, with fingers crossed and many thanks,

LWks

 

[EliInBethesda]

If you changed your Apple Password you need to change the preference settings in Phonevalet as well. I stopped getting the emails with my phone messages recently and then--Doh!--realized I had changed my Apple password. I snooped around the prefs in Phonevalet and found the setting, changed it, and all is fine now.

Not sure if that's YOUR problem, though.

Hi I was using PhoneValet very happily for 10 years or so. Now I am running 10.7.5 and I am facing a problem. PV answers the incoming call and shows the correct Caller ID information - no problem there - but all of a sudden it will not successfully email the call data. (This is the most important feature of PV for me - the ability to have my calls and voicemails emailed to me).

I get an error message telling me that I have incorrectly configured the email account - wrong port or wrong user name - but I know I have configured it correctly. I've checked and rechecked multiple times. And (since I run my own mail server and created a dedicated email user ID just for PV) I've checked the logs on my mailserver software and there is no evidence that the PV user has been trying to log in to send the mail.

Does anybody know why this might be? Is anybody successfully using the email function of PV on 10.7.5?

Thanks

 

[chrisandersen]

My Phone Valet has stopped. Not sure when, maybe when I upgraded to 10.9.2 Have tried all of my usual tricks, re-install, re-index, etc. to no avail.
Couple of things I have noticed:
1. The light on the USB box does not come on immediately anymore
2. I sense that it is an Openbase error. Keep getting the waiting for database. I am running open base 12.0.5 and when I check the license it says I can't use a version 11 license with version 12. ??
Any suggestions?

 

[chrisandersen]

I totally removed it from my iMac. I think it was a licensing issue with V12. Did a new install on a little Mini I have and everything came back fine. V11 of Openbase. Did a restore from a back-up and now I am back up and running.

 

[Bob555]

Phone Valet full system for sale

To everyone who has been posting about Phone Valet:
-I have an answering service now-miss using Parliant Phone Valet-but I am selling my complete system, dongle, software CD, with its registration information and number, for full install on Ebay.
If anyone needs a complete system you can go to my post on Ebay and buy it. It is listed for $99.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=171382454135&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123

 

[John Baughman]

Works in Yosemite for me

I have been able to use PhoneValet with Mavericks all this time by every time I had to restart or after a shut down, always booting into safe mode, followed by a normal boot . Otherwise PhoneValet would hang trying to start and slow the whole system down.

I upgraded to Yosemite yesterday and PhoneValet started right up. No problem connecting to the database and no delays. Continues to work great today.

Don't know if anyone is keeping track of this thread, if so you should give PhoneValet a try again if you abondoned it with Mavericks.

***Correction: I think after the install it was like having booted in safe mode. Still works like before, Safe mode before nornal boot. I noticed now, however, that I have to wait about 30 mins before opening PhoneValet. If I try too soon after a reboot it will freeze.

John

 

[dtich]

I have been able to use PhoneValet with Mavericks all this time by every time I had to restart or after a shut down, always booting into safe mode, followed by a normal boot . Otherwise PhoneValet would hang trying to start and slow the whole system down.

I upgraded to Yosemite yesterday and PhoneValet started right up. No problem connecting to the database and no delays. Continues to work great today.

Don't know if anyone is keeping track of this thread, if so you should give PhoneValet a try again if you abondoned it with Mavericks.

***Correction: I think after the install it was like having booted in safe mode. Still works like before, Safe mode before nornal boot. I noticed now, however, that I have to wait about 30 mins before opening PhoneValet. If I try too soon after a reboot it will freeze.

John

any more info on this? really trying to get pv running on yosemite. i'm hanging on the open base connection.. any thoughts here? love to get this going. thanks!!!!

 

[chrisandersen]

I have it running on 10.10.1 Keep trying.

 

[John Baughman]

It is still working for me in 10.10.1. Again, if I have tor restart the computer, I always first start the computer in safe mode going all the way through login. Then restart as normal, then wait at least 30 mins before attempting to startup phone valley... works every time.

 

[chsnyder]

Yosemite working well

It is still working for me in 10.10.1. Again, if I have tor restart the computer, I always first start the computer in safe mode going all the way through login. Then restart as normal, then wait at least 30 mins before attempting to startup phone valley... works every time.

I have been using Yosemite 10.10.1 on a MacMini Core 2 Duo for several months now and it is more reliable than any version in the past several years. Make sure that you fix permissions in OpenBase. And occasionally I need to unplug and then plug in the adapters, but that happens much less often than previously.

 

[chrisandersen]

10.10.2 and working better than ever

 

[LWks]

Still interested in purchasing PhoneValet parts

Hello,

Just thought I'd note that I'm still looking to purchase PhoneValet hardware and their paired PhoneValet 6 licenses. If anyone has decided to abandon PhoneValet and is interested in selling, I'd be really really happy to know about it.

I can be contacted at typetome[at]earthlink.net

Fingers always crossed and optimistically yours,

 

[SteveRoberts]

Not sure if anyone is still following here, but I had Phone Valet working well under Mountain Lion, now it's a no-go under Yosemite 10.10.3. I get 'waiting for database' every time I try to start it. I'm looking for someone who could help me get things running again, and I'm willing to pay for your time. Please let me know if you can help.

Thanks!

SR

 

[John Baughman]

Not sure if anyone is still following here, but I had Phone Valet working well under Mountain Lion, now it's a no-go under Yosemite 10.10.3. I get 'waiting for database' every time I try to start it. I'm looking for someone who could help me get things running again, and I'm willing to pay for your time. Please let me know if you can help.

Thanks!

SR

Make sure that PhoneValet is NOT set to start at login. Restart your computer in safe mode, hold the shift key down as soon as you hear the startup bong. Log in and let it completely start up. Restart again normally, but wait an hour or so before you try to open PhoneValet.

It's a pain in the ### but it works for me every time and I am at OS 10.10.3. Sometimes after going through this routine PhoneValet will start up ok when I am subsequently forced to restart and I just restart normally. So I always give that a shot first. Either way, I always wait an hour or so after restarting before opening up PhoneValet. Once you get the 'waiting for database' alert you have to restart in safe mode as I have found that no amount of waiting will work.

John

 

[LWks]

I'm thrilled to read that many people are reporting success using PhoneValet on the the later versions of Apple's OS (even if it occasionally involves some frustrating moments) . But, I just wanted to post, again, that if you ever decide to give up, I'll always be looking to purchase PhoneValet hardware and paired PhoneValet 6 licenses IF anyone ever decides to stop using it.

L

 

[SteveRoberts]

Make sure that PhoneValet is NOT set to start at login. Restart your computer in safe mode, hold the shift key down as soon as you hear the startup bong. Log in and let it completely start up. Restart again normally, but wait an hour or so before you try to open PhoneValet.

It's a pain in the ### but it works for me every time and I am at OS 10.10.3. Sometimes after going through this routine PhoneValet will start up ok when I am subsequently forced to restart and I just restart normally. So I always give that a shot first. Either way, I always wait an hour or so after restarting before opening up PhoneValet. Once you get the 'waiting for database' alert you have to restart in safe mode as I have found that no amount of waiting will work.

John

John,

Thanks for your post; I greatly appreciate your assistance.

I reinstalled Phone Valet and then restarted the computer in safe mode. When it finished, I re-booted normally, then reinstalled Open Base 12.02 (the last working version I was using). After 90 minutes or so, I tried to start PV and the screen went immediately to "Waiting for Database."

Not sure what to do or try at this point as all of my old "tricks" no longer seem to work. I've been without PV now for over a month, and it has been very inconvenient!

SR

 

[John Baughman]

I cannot remember if I ever installed or reinstalled anything. Since you reinstalled Open Base after going through the Safe mode routine, have you tried going through the process again?

 

[SteveRoberts]

I cannot remember if I ever installed or reinstalled anything. Since you reinstalled Open Base after going through the Safe mode routine, have you tried going through the process again?

I went through the process again. First, booted into Safe mode and something interesting happened, the light on my PV unit lit up and stayed lit, like it used to when working. (Presently, it lights up when booting or when plugged in and then goes off). But, when I rebooted back into my regular profile, and then waited hours before trying to start PV, got the dreaded "database" warning again. Other thoughts?

Thanks for your continuing help, John.

SR

I went through the process again. First, booted into Safe mode and something interesting happened, the light on my PV unit lit up and stayed lit, like it used to when working. (Presently, it lights up when booting or when plugged in and then goes off). But, when I rebooted back into my regular profile, and then waited hours before trying to start PV, got the dreaded "database" warning again. Other thoughts?

Thanks for your continuing help, John.

SR