-------------------------------------------------- Action Track Detailed Installation and Upgrade Instructions -------------------------------------------------- (C) Copyright TQS Associates, Inc. -------- Contents -------- Note for ALL installation types Setup on Standalone Machine (Single-User setup) Setup on a Network (Multi-User setup) Upgrading a previous version of Action Track and converting from a single-user user installation to a multi-user installation. ------------------------------------------- Note for ALL installation types ------------------------------------------- When installing Action Track, you must use 8 characters or less for all folder names - for the installation folder, and for shared data folders (which may reside on servers). ------------------------------------------------ Setup on Standalone Machine (Single-User setup) ------------------------------------------------ System Requirements: Operating System: Windows 95 or better 128 MB RAM 15 MB Hard Drive Space 1. Close any applications which may be running before beginning installation. 2. Launch the Action Track setup program, either from the CDROM menu (if you have a Demo CD) or from the self- extracting zip file (if the Action Track demo was downloaded from our website). 3. A message will appear as a reminder that all applications should be closed. Choose OK. 4. Setup will prompt for the installation directory (or folder). Choose OK to install Action Track in the default folder '\action'. If installation is desired in a different directory/folder, choose the change directory button and follow the prompts, providing the requested information. 5. After the next prompt, select the large button labeled 'complete' (with the computer on it) to continue installation. 6. Setup will prompt for the program group in which to place the icon. Choose continue to install the Action Track 1.4 icon in the Action Track program group. Do not select a different program group. 7. After files are installed, you will be prompted to select the installation type - either single-user or multi-user installation. Click the option button next to "single-user Installation", and then click the Finish button near the lower right. 8. The setup program will signal you when setup is complete. Click OK. The three icons Action Track 1.4, Repair and Compact Data, and Backup Data are now present in the Action Track program group. You are now ready to run the program. Start Action Track by choosing the Start menu, then programs, then the Action Track program group, and clicking the "Action Track 1.4" icon. (See the sections titled 'Repairing and Compacting data' and 'Data Backup' in the User's Guide for an explanation of the other two icons. The User's Guide can be accessed from the main switchboard or help menu after starting Action Track). -------------------------------------------- Setup on a Network (Multi-User setup) -------------------------------------------- System Requirements: Action Track can be setup on servers or peer-to-peer networks. Almost any Network Operating System will work, but the PC operating systems must be Microsoft Products - Windows 95 or better. 128 MB RAM on each PC 12 MB Hard Drive Space on each PC (note: the Action Track application must be installed on each PC's hard drive - even when installing the multi-user version. The application on each PC will be setup to read shared data or the "back-end" from a server or shared folder.) 3 MB Space for shared back-end database - initially (this will grow as data is entered) 1. BEFORE running the setup program, create the folder for the shared data file or "back-end". The actual data file will be placed in this folder by the setup program - after prompting you for this folder/ location at the end of the setup program. When creating this folder consider the following: a. If installing multiple databases/applications, each shared data file (for each database/application) must reside in its own folder. Do not plan to use a pre-existing folder already used for another database. b. Use short folder and subfolder names (8 characters or less per folder/sub-folder), with no spaces. c. Ensure each PC (that is to have access to Action Track shared data) has FULL network permissions for the shared folder that will contain the data, including read, write, and even delete permission (security restrictions can be set within Action Track menus). d. As an example of creating a folder for shared data, assume a server share is mapped as an "S" drive. You could create the following folder/location for shared Action Track data: s:\ISODATA\CORRACT Again, the actual data file will be placed in this folder by the setup program - after prompting you for such a folder/location. e. Note: the setup program will also install shared security system files in the same folder as shared data files/back-ends. 2. Choose a PC on which Action Track will be installed, and close any applications which may be running before beginning installation. 3. Launch the Action Track setup program, either from the CDROM menu (if you have a Demo CD) or from the self- extracting zip file (if the Action Track demo was downloaded from our website). 4. A message will appear as a reminder that all applications should be closed. Choose OK. 5. Setup will prompt for the installation directory (or folder). Choose OK to install Action Track in the default folder 'c:\action' (we strongly suggest you accept this default location - yes, even for the multi-user installation). CAUTION: If YOU CHANGE THE LOCATION, YOU MUST SELECT A LOCATION ON THE PC HARD DRIVE - NOT ON A SERVER. At the end of the setup program an opportunity is presented to select single-user or multi-user installation, and if multi-user is selected, you will be promted to select the location or desired location of shared data (or the "back-end"). 6. After the next prompt, select the large button labeled 'complete' (with the computer on it) to continue installation. 7. Setup will prompt for the program group in which to place the icon. Choose 'continue' to install the Action Track 1.4 icon in the Action Track program group. Do not select a different program group. 8. After files are installed, you will be prompted to select the installation type - either single-user or multi-user installation. Click the option button next to "Multi-User Installation", and then click the 'Next>' button near the lower right. 9. You will then be prompted to select the folder for the database "back-end". Use the 'Browse to Existing Folder...' button to browse to the folder created in step 1. You may need to map this folder as a drive letter before selecting it with the browser. Choose the drive first, at the bottom of the browser and then browse to the folder above. Click OK to enter the back-end path at the bottom of the form. Finally, click the 'Finish' button at the lower right. At this time, if no back-end files are yet included in the folder created in step 1, the setup program will copy the correct files from the CDROM to that shared folder. If the back-end files already exist in this shared folder (e.g. because you've already installed Action Track on one or more PC's), then the setup program will simply ensure that the application on the current PC is correctly pointed to that shared folder. 10. The setup program will signal you when setup is complete. Click OK. The three icons Action Track 1.4, Repair and Compact Data, and Backup Data are now present in the Action Track program group. You are now ready to run the program. Start Action Track by choosing the Start menu, then programs, then the Action Track program group, and clicking the "Action Track 1.4" icon. (See the sections titled 'Repairing and Compacting data' and 'Data Backup' in the User's Guide for an explanation of the other two icons. The User's Guide can be accessed from the main switchboard or help menu after starting Action Track). 11. Repeat steps 2-10 for each PC that is to be connected to the Action Track database/back-end. GENERAL NETWORK INSTALLATION NOTE: After having installed Action Track on the first PC, you may want to enable security before performing more PC installations. To do this, on the first PC, double-click the Action Track 1.4 icon in the Action Track program group. After the Switchboard appears, choose 'Change Password...' from the security menu. (You are by default logged in as the 'admin' user with no password. Setting the admin password enables security for all PC's.) Don't enter anything in the 'Old Password' text box. WRITE DOWN SOMEWHERE a password you will use to enter in the 'new password' and 'verify' text boxes. You must remember this password to continue use of the database later on. Choose OK. Then choose 'Stop' on the Switchboard to exit Action Track. Security is now enabled. You can now install Action Track on several PC's, and the users will not be able to start the database until an account is assigned to them at a later time. For more details on security, consult the Action Track User's Guide (available from the main Switchboard screen or the help menu). ---------------------------------------------------------------- Upgrading a previous version of Action Track and converting from a single-user user installation to a multi-user installation. ---------------------------------------------------------------- WARNING: BEFORE BEGINNING UPGRADE OR COVERSION, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST ONE CURRENT BACK-UP OF THE DATABASE FILE 'act_tabs.mdb'. IF YOU SKIP THIS STEP, ALL DATA YOU HAVE ENTERED IN THE PAST WILL BE LOST DURING THE UPGRADE/CONVERSION. ALSO, IF YOU HAVE SETUP ACCOUNTS AND/OR PASSWORDS WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO PRESERVE, BACK-UP THE FILE 'system.mda'. USE THE 'BACKUP DATA' ICON TO HELP YOU SAVE A CURRENT COPY OF 'act_tabs.mdb'. THE system.mda FILE IS LOCATED IN THE SAME FOLDER, BUT MUST BE COPIED MANUALLY (e.g. with copy and paste). WE SUGGEST YOU BACK-UP THESE TWO FILES TEMPORARILY TO A FLOPPY DISK OR TO YOUR DESKTOP. THESE TWO BACK-UPS SHOULD BE HANDY, BECAUSE YOU WILL NEED THEM LATER IN THE UPGRADE/CONVERSION. NOTE: IF MORE THAN ONE TQS DATABASE IS IN USE, DO NOT CONFUSE system.mda FILES. EACH DATABASE HAS ONE AND ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE THE SAME NAME, THEY ARE DIFFERENT. THE system.mda file YOU MUST BACK-UP IS IN THE SAME FOLDER AS THE FILE 'act_tabs.mdb'. Upgrade/Conversion Summary: Now that you've backed-up your data, upgrading/converting is simply accomplished by deleting the old installation, installing the new Action Track 1.4 application (either the single-user or multi-user version as desired, per instructions in this text file), and then copying your backed-up data to the appropriate location - replacing the empty data files that were installed by the setup program. 1. After backing up your existing data, delete the 'Action Track' program group and all its icons. This can be done by choosing the start menu, then programs, highlighting the whole Action Track program group (not just one icon), right-clicking, and choosing 'delete'. 2. Delete the old installation folder and its contents. If the default was originally selected, this will be the 'c:\action' folder. 3. If a multi-user version is currently installed, delete all existing files from the current shared data location (or server). If a new shared folder/location is desired, then delete the folder as well. 4. Install the new Action Track 1.4 version as if this was the first time you were using Action Track. Use either the single-user or the multi-user instructions provided in this text file. Test your setup by starting Action Track before proceeding to the next step. 5. Confirm the new location of your data by choosing the 'back-up' data icon. When the back-up form appears, it will show the full path/location of the data file being read. Note the full path/location, and then close the back-up form. Restore your pre-existing data you backed-up earlier by simply copying your back-ups of 'act_tabs.mdb' and 'system.mda' to the noted path or location. When asked, choose to overwrite the existing copies of these two files (which are empty). The update/conversion process is now complete. Double-Click the 'Action Track 1.4' icon to start Action Track, and confirm your data and accounts are present again.