Setting Up eBay Blackthorne

Before you can run eBay Blackthorne, you must subscribe, download it and install it on your computer.  The first time you launch the program, you will be presented with the Setup Assistant.  The Setup Assistant will help you migrate from Seller's Assistant if you are an existing user or import your listings from eBay if you are a new user.

Subscribing

eB is offered on a subscription basis.  You subscribe to either the Basic or the Pro version on eBay.  When you run eB, it checks your subscription level and shows you the version of the program that you have subscribed to.

To subscribe/unsubscribe to the software:

  1. Go to the Blackthorne Basic or Blackthorne Pro home page on eBay.

  2. Click the Subscribe Now button.

  3. If you are not currently subscribed, you will be prompted to choose the subscription level and click Continue.  If you are already subscribed, you will be given the option to unsubscribe instead of choosing a subscription level.

  4. Read the terms and conditions and click the "I agree to these terms" if you agree.

  5. Click the Subscribe button.

Downloading the Software

eBay Blackthorne is available for download from:  http://www.blackthornesw.com/download/InstalleBayBlackthorne.exe

To download the software:

  1. Click on the above link to start the download.

  2. When prompted, click Save to save the file to your hard drive. This is recommended over running the installation directly from the server.

  1. Save the file in a location where you can locate it later.

 

If your internet connection is by dial-up modem, the 35 Megabyte (approx) download might take an hour or more. If your connection is broadband (cable, DSL, etc), it will take just a few minutes.

Installing the Software

When the download finishes, use Windows Explorer to navigate to the folder that it was saved in. Double-click on the file to start the installation process. Follow the on-screen instructions.

 

If you are running Windows XP Operating System or later, you must install eBay Blackthorne using a Windows account that has Administrator privileges.

 

Launching the Software

To launch eBay Blackthorne:

  1. Double-click the eBay Blackthorne icon on the desktop.

 

OR

 

  1. Select Start | Program Files | eBay | Blackthorne Software | eBay Blackthorne  from the Windows Start button.

  2. When eBay Blackthorne starts for the first time, the Setup Assistant will step you through configuring the software for your business, and importing data from the previous version of the program.

 

If you want to run eBay Blackthorne from a Windows Limited Access account, you must first set up permissions for the limited access account as described in HOWTO: Running eBay Blackthorne on a Windows Limited User Account.

 

Testing Your Connection to eBay

eB performs many interactions with eBay.  Therefore, it must be able to communicate with the internet.  If you are running a firewall or other security software, it may be blocking eB from reaching the internet by default.  The first thing you should do after launching is to test eB to see if you can get to the internet.

To test your connection to eBay:

  1. Select Help | Support from the main menu.

  2. Select the 2. Connection tab.

  3. Click the Test Connection to eBay button.

 

If the test is not successful, then verify you are online by opening your browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc. ) and making sure you can view web pages.  If you can view web pages, but eB cannot connect, then the problem is most likely a firewall or some other program on your computer blocking access.  The following topics should help you troubleshoot the problem.

 

KCON001 - Common firewall settings

KCON002 - DirecWay Satellite user connection problems

KCON003 - Blackthorne Cannot Send or Receive Data to/from eBay