SECTION 1. INSTALLATION
The program CD in your package contains the SETUP.EXE file for your new program. SETUP will create the necessary folders and install the software. If you are upgrading, SETUP will also convert the data from your previous version of the program.
1.1 Registering Your Software
During the installation, SETUP will ask you for your unit number (i.e., troop, team, crew, or pack number), license key, and license expiration date.
If you purchased the software directly from Troopmaster Software, you are already registered. Your unit number, license key, and license expiration date are on a label inside the case that contains your program CD.
If you purchased the software from your council office, you must register the software with Troopmaster Software to obtain a license key. You can install the software without this key but if you do, you will only be allowed to run the program 10 times. After that you must complete the registration process in order to continue using the program. Registration can be accomplished using either the "Registration" form on our web site or by mailing in your Software Registration Card. NOTE: Only one leader with your unit should register this package.
If you obtain your license key after installing, you can enter these license details through the Help>License Details option on the main menu.
1.2 Installing The Program
SETUP will ask you to specify folders for your new software and database. We recommend using the default folders but you can modify these, if desired.
If you are upgrading from an earlier version of the software and have existing data that needs to be converted to the new file formats, please read section 1.3 before proceeding.
To install the program, insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive to start the installation menu. If this menu does not launch automatically, use Windows Explorer or My Computer to browse to the CD and then double-click the SETUP.EXE file to start the installation.
Follow the instructions provided on the screen. When the installation is complete, remove the CD and store it in your CD case. You should also keep your license information in a safe place as you will need these settings each time you install the software.
1.3 Upgrading from a Previous Version
During the installation, SETUP will ask if you are a new user or upgrading. If you have data from an older version of the program, you should specify the "upgrading" option so that SETUP can convert these files to the new file formats used in this version.
If two or more leaders with your unit were running the old version, only one of them should select the "upgrading" option during installation. The others should install as "new users" and then restore a backed up copy of the converted database created by the one leader who upgraded and converted the data from the old version. The only reason to select the "upgrading" option during program installation is if you have earlier version data to convert. Archived data is also converted at the same time as the active unit data.
If your unit has been using the distributed database feature and you are the system administrator, you must first upload/merge all of the data from your other leaders before installing the new program and converting your files After converting, you will also need to define new passwords for your other leaders using the File>Database Management/Passwords dialog. Your other leaders should install the program as "new users".
If your unit was using the older version of DotNet, all users should bring up their DotNet dialogs and uncheck the "Activate" or "Enable" checkbox at the top of the dialog. The administrator should then install the new version, convert the existing data, and initialize DotNet in the new program to upload the converted data. The other DotNet users should install as "New Users".
If you have different archive files located on separate computers, the installation program will convert these archive(s) as well as your active data but in order to be fully successful, all of the archives must be on the same computer where the conversion takes place. You should therefore consolidate all of your archive(s) onto one computer before installing.
You should not install this new program into the same folder you used for the previous version. We recommend that you retain the earlier version for several months until you are certain that all of your previous data was converted properly. After that, you can safely uninstall the earlier version. However, we recommend that you retain backups of your previous data and archive files.
If your data has already been converted to the new formats (i.e., you or another leader converted the data during a previous installation), you should install as a "new user" and then restore the database through the "File>Restore Database" menu option.
1.4 Starting The Program/Data Access Passwords
If you are the administrator, you can define data access passwords on the File>Database Management/Passwords dialog. An administrator password can be created by replacing the word ‘admin’ with your own password. If you are not the administrator you may be prompted for your data access password when you restore data files or while downloading from DotNet. NOTE: If you do create separate passwords for your other leaders, you must also define your own administrator password for the database. All new installations of the program will default to this ‘admin’ password and will have administrator access to the database unless you change it. You should be sure to write down your administrator password and keep it in a safe place. Without a valid password, you will not be able to restore files, download from DotNet or access the Database Management dialog in the future. If you lose this password, we can recover it for you but there is small fee for this process.
SECTION 2. GETTING STARTED WITH THE PROGRAM
Chapter 2 of the PDF User's Manual (Help>View User’s Manual) covers the "basics" you need to operate your new unit management system. The program is intuitive and very easy to use but reading this chapter first will save you time. There’s also a separate chapter in the manual for each of the main menu options. After reading the manual, if you need further assistance, please see the "Technical Support" chapter located in the back of the manual. Also, if you are upgrading from an earlier version, you should read the "What's New" section of the User's Manual. This new version contains many new features and user-suggested enhancements but you can't take advantage of them if you don't know what they are.
NOTE: For new users just getting started and who and are not converting data from a previous version, you don't have to start with an empty database. Your local council office can create an export file for you that contains the basic data on the scouts and adult leaders in your unit. This data can be imported into your program using the "File>Import>From ScoutNET" menu option and will help you get up and running with your new system quickly.
Thank you for your purchase and we hope you enjoy using our software.
Troopmaster Software, Inc.
P. O. Box 416
Palmyra VA 22963
434-589-6788
http://www.troopmaster.com
