Frequently Asked Questions

Comparison charts are very misleading and can be easily tailored to bias consumer opinion. It's just as easy to create a different chart with a completely different perspective. Comparison charts aren't a useful way to compare programs and don't really show the true value of a software package and how it benefits your unit/data management needs. Instead, we prefer to tell you who we are and what we can offer to help you and your unit.

One of the big differences you will see with our software is in the reports that we offer. Tracking your information is one thing but being able to get your data back out of the system in a useful/meaningful way is a huge benefit (and not something that you can easily describe through a simple comparison chart). We offer over 120 detailed reports and help analyze your data to provide the most useful feedback for your unit leaders and scouts. Our Individual History and Individual Progress reports really help keep scouts on track and motivated so they can continue to advance in a timely manner. But, reports are only one piece of what sets us apart...

Click here to see why so may units have chosen Troopmaster Software as their data management solution.

Our regular office hours are Mon-Fri from 9AM-5PM EST but we do understand that some of our customers may not be able to call during these hours. We now have a new after-hours support service which is available for a small fee ($10 for a standard support call, up to 20 min). If you would like to arrange for after-hours support, please give us a call at (434) 589-6788 so that we can set up a mutually convenient time to take a look at this with you.

We accept personal and unit checks. Please include applicable S/H (VA residents also add 5.3% sales tax) and make your check payable to Troopmaster Software. Send that along with a written or printed copy of the products you would like to order. To generate a printed copy of your order from our website, simply add the selected products to your shopping cart, select the 'Printable Order Form (Postal Mail)' option at the bottom of the screen and click 'Check Out Now' to print out your order for submission.

TroopMaster fully supports Venturing crews. It tracks the Venturing awards and there's a corresponding set of Venturing reports. Also, since male Crew members who earned at least the 1st Class rank with a troop can continue working on advancement, we're not sure how different a separate Crew version would actually be.

The Venturing awards are listed on the Individual Advancement dialog, and the reports are under Reports>Venturing. You can change the unit type to Crew through a field on the Unit General Information dialog.

TroopMaster has full support Varsity Teams, Venturing Crews, and Sea Scouts. TroopMaster has specific award entry dialogs and associated reports for each type of unit. You can change the unit type to Crew, Ship, or Team through a field on the Unit>General Information dialog.

Yes! We now have girl scout versions of TroopMaster and TroopLedger. Please take a look at our Product Listing for more information and free demos!

Yes! We now have special versions of TroopMaster and TroopLedger for the American Heritage Girls (AHG). Please take a look at our Product Listing for more information and free demos!

Mac users have several options they can choose from to use our software. If you also have Windows users with the unit, using one of these options also provides a significant advantage. Since our software comes with a site license for the whole unit, running our software using an emulator (or with Windows directly) enables everyone with the unit (PC and Mac users) to use the same program and to share the data files between the separate machines.

Web-based Solutions

Our web-based solutions can be accessed by any internet-connected machine allowing Mac users to view or update your unit database directly through the web. Please take a look at our Product Listing for more information on either our TroopMaster Web or PackMaster Web solutions.

Windows Emulators

We also have a number of Mac users who run our Windows products under various Windows emulators. Also, many of the new Mac's can run the Windows O/S directly in addition to OSX.

For more information on these options, please visit the following sites:

Bootcamp (dual boot system by Apple) - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4818

Parallels (Windows emulator) - http://www.parallels.com/

VM Ware Fusion (Windows emulator) - http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/overview.html

CrossOver (Windows emulator) - http://www.codeweavers.com/

Linux users have several options they can choose from to use our software. If you also have Windows users with the unit, using one of these options also provides a significant advantage. Since our software comes with a site license for the whole unit, running our software using an emulator (or with Windows directly) enables everyone with the unit (Windows and Linux users) to use the same program and to share the data files between the separate machines.

Web-based Solutions

Our web-based solutions can be accessed by any internet-connected machine allowing Linux users to view or update your unit database directly through the web. Please take a look at our Product Listing for more information on either our TroopMaster Web or PackMaster Web solutions.

Windows Emulators

We also have a number of Linux users who run our Windows products through an emulator. The following emulators have been reported to work properly with our program:

Wine - Wine is an Open Source implementation of the Windows API on top of X, OpenGL, and Unix. For more information on Wine, please visit their website at: http://www.winehq.org/. You can also click here for more details of implementation under Wine.

VirtualBox - VirtualBox (by Oracle) is another Open Source application which allows you to host several different versions of Windows and will allow you to run our software in a Linux environment. For more information, please visit their website at https://www.virtualbox.org/.

CrossOver (Windows emulator) - http://www.codeweavers.com/

If you no longer have the original CD that was shipped with your package, replacement CD's are available for $10. To order, please visit our website at: http://www.troopmaster.com/replacement_cd.html

Instructions for generating the Advancement and Recharter reports along with creating these export files for your council can be found on the Scoutbook Export Instructions page of our website.

You just need to email us with the name, mailing address, and email address of the new point of contact for the software. Please also mention the previous owner's name.

We offer a full 30-day trial for both our desktop and Web 2.0 programs so you can try them out completely free. This allows you to use the software to see how everything works and the benefit it can provide to your unit for record tracking. We even offer free technical support during the trial period in the event that you have any questions about specific features in the system. At the end of your trial period, you can choose to purchase a license for the software. Or, if you find the software doesn't meet your needs, you can simply stop using it. Either way, we would appreciate any feedback on the software and any new features or enhancements that you might like to see in the future. And, we appreciate you taking the time to give us a chance.

If you are using our TMWeb system. you don't have to start with an empty database. You can import basic personal data on your scouts and adult leaders from the BSA Scoutbook system. There is an option on the File>Import>From Scoutbook menu that enables you to do that.

Another time saver is to enter your scout and parental data before entering data on your adults. You can then use the family links feature to create records in the adult leader, merit badge counselor, and POCs areas for parents who also serve in one or more of those functions.

In the advancement area, if you don't have or don't wish to enter all of the details for each of the early ranks, you can just enter the Board of Review/Rank Completion date. TroopMaster will then credit the rank and blanket-fill all of the open requirement dates with the word Complete. The same approach will work for senior ranks except that you must also enter all of the merit badges for the rank. There are also shortcuts for entering dates--please see section 2 of the PDF users manual, which can be accessed through the Help pull-down menu.

Yes, we offer several solutions to allow multiple leaders to make updates from separate computers.

Our TroopMaster Web 2.0 is a fully web-based system that allows your entire unit to view and/or update data directly though the web. TroopMaster Web also includes our free TM-Mobile app for smartphones and tablets so your leaders can update data directly on their phone and submit these changes to your database on the website.

This allows you to divide up the database responsibilities and, since the database is centralized, all of these updates will be made in the SAME database. No special settings required. Please take a look at our Product Listing for more information on Web 2.0.

The advancement rules in the Boy Scout Handbook and the Boy Scout Requirements book are different for Star/Life than they are for Eagle. The categories do not apply until the Eagle rank. For example, on page 445 of the Boy Scout Handbook it states that the scout must earn 6 merit badges of which 4 must be from the required list for Eagle. The footnote states that, A scout may choose ANY of the 17 required merit badges in the 13 categories to fulfill requirement 3.

The Individual Progress Report lists Eagle badges that the scout can apply toward his next rank. If the scout is working on Star/Life, it lists any open Eagle badges. After he earns Life, the report just lists badges from the open categories.

Once a rank is completed and you have entered a BOR date, that rank becomes locked and you cannot make changes to any of the merit badges on it. To edit these badges, you should temporarily demote the scout by removing the BOR date for this rank and any successive ranks. Then, you can edit the dates for these merit badges. Once the corrected dates have been entered, re-enter the BOR dates to credit these ranks back into the scout's record.

The software automatically adds these changes for you through our regular program updates. Please bring up the Help>About dialog and compare the version you're running to the one listed on our web site. If the version on our web site is newer, please run the free update.

The purpose of the "R" (reported) flag is to provide a way of tracking awards that were earned during the time period for your previous Court of Honor, but were not reported to you until after the close out date of the Court. These awards can optionally be included on the next Court of Honor and on the associated Unit Advancement Report (4403) for your council.

The purpose of the "P" (presented) flag is to provide a way of handling the case where a scout misses a Court of Honor. If that happens, you can go to his Individual Advancement records and turn off the "P" flags for the awards he was to receive. These awards can then optionally be included on the next Court of Honor report. These awards will not be included on the next Unit Advancement Report (4403) because they have already been reported to your council.

Depending on the option selected, the program includes awards earned earlier than the From-To period if the Reported/Presented (R/P) flags are not set. Please see your PDF users manual for more details. You may need to regenerate the Court of Honor/4403 for the time period of your previous Court to get these flags initially set; if so, you don't need to print the report--just answer Yes when asked if you wish to update the R/P flags.

For scouts, service stars are based on the Joined Unit date. For adults, they are based on the Became Leader date. Each of these is then adjusted by any Leadership History or Prior Service dates in his record. For example, a scout with a Joined Unit date of 08/01/14 and no prior service would be listed for a 2-year service star for an awards report with From-To dates of 07/01/16 thru 08/30/16. If the same scout had 6 months of prior service, he would be listed for a 2-year pin for a report that included the date 02/01/16 (i.e., 6 months earlier than in the first example). In computing service stars, the software is careful not to double-credit overlapping periods of service.

Here is what the program is looking for when determining OA eligibility:

• For scouts (and adults less than 21 years old), 1st Class or higher
• 15 nights total camping since the date you specify
• The 15 nights must include one (and only one) long-term camp of 6 days and 5 nights.
• The remaining 10 nights of the 15 total must be short-term camping.
• Four-night and additional long-term campouts can also be credited for up to three nights each toward the short term camping requirement.
• BSA has stated cabin camping may be counted. TroopMaster will count those nights if you select that option on the report generation dialog.

The default settings for the Award Cards and Merit Badge Blue Cards should work fine for most printers. However, if you are having trouble, you may need to adjust these settings.

For more information on generating your cards and for help aligning the report for your specific printer, please see our Card Alignment Guide.

When we originally introduced this feature into our system, we did draw our own images to use on the award cards. The problem is that the images we included too closely resembled the official BSA trademarked insignia and they contacted us to request that we remove these images from our program. With the new system, you must now choose your own images for the cards as we can no longer provide specific images within the software. If you were using images with the previous version, you may still be able to browse to the old location and choose these images for the new cards as well.

If you do not already have any of these images on your computer, you can run a search for 'scouting clipart' on the web to find many high quality images that you can use for the cards. We have also been given a link from one of our customers where you can get sample images to use for your cards:

The program is flexible in marking attendance for activities. Typically, if some scouts camp a different number of nights than others, you simply use the number of nights camped as the Attendance Marker for those scouts. For example, if a scout leaves after the first night of a two-night campout, you mark attendance for him by putting a "1" next to his name--that will override the nights camped for just that scout.

Similarly, if scouts work varying numbers of hours on a service project, you enter the number of hours/tenths next to each of their names in the attendance area.

You may have certain situations where a member is physically unable to attend a particular activity. For example, you may have a campout and a high adventure trip planned during the same timeframe where members will only be able to attend one of the two events.

In this case, you can use an asterisk (*) as the attenance marker to excuse any scouts from the second activity. Excused absences are not considered when computing attendance percentages for the Unit Participation Summary report.

The program stores adult training by course code, not by course name, so a code is required in order for you to add a new course to the system. If the course is taught by BSA, you should be able to get the official course code from your council office. If not or if the course is taught by another agency (such as the Red Cross), you'll need to create a course code. We recommensd that you use a code that is not likely to be used by BSA in the future (e.g., ZZ1, ZZ2, etc.).

That's part of the delete/archive process. If the scout is 17 or older, TroopMaster offers to create an adult leader record for him when you delete and or archive him as a scout. There's a checkbox for that on the delete/archive dialog.

If you are working with multiple units on the same machine, you don't need to run two separate programs. To add the second unit, simply hold down the SHIFT key while starting starting the program. You will see a Create New Database option to create a new set of files for the other unit. Once you have created the second set, you will automatically be prompted each time you start the program so you can select which unit you would like to work with.

The default settings for your program would have used the word 'admin' (all lower case) for the administrator password and would not have specified an encryption password. If these defaults have been changed and you do not know/remember the new settings, please see our Password Recovery Form.

The Encryption Password you have entered is incorrect. This is a separate password setting from any Data Access Passwords your unit may have set up in the database. All users connecting to the files will use the same encryption password even if they have been assigned different access passwords. Your administrator can check this setting through the File>Database Management option on the main menu in their copy of the software. Click the Encryption Password button on this screen to view the password setting. All passwords are also case-sensitive so upper/lowercase must exactly match how they have been set up by your administrator.

Your Data Access Password is entered incorrectly. Please check with your database administrator to get your data access password. Your administrator can check this setting through the File>Database Management option on the main menu in their copy of the software. All passwords are also case-sensitive so upper/lowercase must exactly match how they have been set up by your administrator.

Enter a deposit to checking for the amount of actual cash you collected -- do not include this scout's payment in the transaction amount. Use 599-Dues as the support account. Do a Passbook Split and list all cash payments in the Cash column next to the appropriate scouts' names--the total in this column must match the transaction amount. Then, switch to the Account column and enter the amount that the scout wants credited from his personal account in that column. When you save the transaction, all of the scouts will be credited with paying dues, and the amount entered in the Account column will be subtracted from that scout's account.

When you created the Dues Payment Schedule, you probably entered amounts in the Initial Owed column on the Participants tab. Amounts entered there will be added to amounts the scout owes for this year. The only amounts you should enter in Initial Owed are amounts, if any, that the scouts still owe you from the previous fiscal year.

Reserve accounts (700-series) are used to earmark funds for specific purposes. For example, if you deposit pre-payments for summer camp, you will probably want to reserve the funds for that purpose. In that case, enter both a summer camp income account and a summer camp reserve account on the deposit transaction. Of course, when you later charge the scouts for going to summer camp, you must also list the summer camp reserve account on the withdrawal transaction.

When you enter the deposit transaction, use the fund raiser income account as the support account and do a Member Split. Enter the amount that you want each scout to get in the Cash column next to his name. When you close the Member Split, TroopLedger/PackLedger will ask if you want to carry the members' total back as the support account amount--answer "No".

Let's again take the example of summer camp. You probably wrote several check to cover the expenses, but you don't want to do a Member Split on each check--you just want to charge each scout $150. Enter a transaction withdrawing zero dollars (i.e., use $0.00 as the transaction amount) from checking, use the summer camp expense account as the support account, and do a Member Split. Enter $150 in the Account column next to the name of each scout who went. When you close the Member Split, Troop/PackLedger will ask if you want to carry the members' total back as the support account amount--answer "No". Mark the transaction as cleared (since it will not appear on your bank statement) and post the transaction. Each selected scout's account will drop by $150 but your checking balance will remain unchanged.

Yes. You can perform periodic updates of your membership data in the Ledger program. First, in your TroopMaster/PackMaster program, you should select the File>Create Ledger Import Files option to create the transfer files. Then, in Leger, select the File>Import option to load this data into your Ledger software. This process will allow you to initially populate your Ledger database as well as to perform periodic updates to your membership and keep your rosters in sync between the two programs.

ADMS can import data from ScoutNET unit export files and also from the Scout trained/not trained export files, but currently there is no way to transfer data from ADMS back into ScoutNET. We hope that BSA eventually will allow that but at this time they have no plans to do so.

Yes! Our DotNet add-on for ADMS allows you to centralize your district database on an FTP site so that you can share data entry tasks with other leaders. District leaders who have passwords are able to log on, make updates, and log off. Every leader is able to see everyone else's changes. There is of course protection to help keep two leaders from updating the database at the same time.

To protect your data, the DotNet database can be fully encrypted using a password that you define. To further enhance security and to facilitate user-support. ADMS DotNet comes with a free site on our FTP server but if you prefer, you can store the database on your own server.

Take a look at our Product Listing for more information.

DotNet now comes with an FTP site on our server but you may use your own server if you wish. However, support for users who elect to do that may be limited as we would not have direct access to your server to check certain settings that we can see on our own server.

Getting set up with DotNet for your unit is quick and simple. Click here to view our DotNet Getting Started Guide for more information.

There are only six possible causes:

1. Either the user ID and/or FTP password are mistyped.
2. You were given the wrong FTP password or the password has changed.
3. Something is interfering, probably a firewall or a router. Most firewalls have a way for you to specify certain programs as "exceptions" that should not be blocked.
4. You have Use Passive Mode selected on the DotNet dialog and your FTP site requires active mode.
5. You haven't installed the latest program update
6. The site is down.

Problem #3 is by far the most common. Please see our DotNet Troubleshooting FAQ's for information on some of the more common issues related to DotNet login/transfer problems.

Yes. With the latest versions of TroopMaster and PackMaster, we now provide the ability to limit which area(s) of the database can be modified by individual users. TroopMaster allows you to assign one or more database areas to a user while PackMaster allows you to limit the user to access either the entire pack or a single den.

Yes. With the latest versions of both TroopMaster and PackMaster, you can now protect sensitive fields from other members of the unit. These include such items as social security number and dates of birth as well as other fields which might be considered private.

Yes, if you hold the SHIFT key down when you click the program icon, the program will offer to open with your local data files instead of downloading the web database. However, this option should ONLY be used when you just want to review data or print reports, or if you need to reinitialize your web database. Otherwise, if you update your local data files and exit the program, your changes will be overwritten the next time you log on and download the web database. There is no way to merge your local database with the web database.

This refers to the way DotNet interfaces with your FTP site. Most FTP sites allow you to log on in passive mode, so that is the DotNet default. If your site uses active mode, turn the Use Passive Mode checkbox off on the DotNet dialog. If you're not sure, try it with passive mode first and if you can't log on, uncheck the box and try again. NOTE: The FTP sites available from Troopmaster Software will generally use passive mode.

The database file on your FTP site is damaged. You should try to determine which computer has the most current data and then reinitialize from that. To reinitialize, start the program bypassing DotNet by holding the left SHIFT key down when you click the program icon. Then, go to the DotNet dialog and click the Initialize button. Doing this will overwrite the damaged file with the local database from that computer.

Yes, just go to the DotNet dialog and click the Unlock button. Of course, this is an emergency procedure we provide in case someone inadvertently left the database locked. You should never do this while another leader is making changes.

No, each user should enter his or her own name, phone number, and email address. DotNet uses this information to determine who has the database in use and who is logging on and must be unique for each machine connecting to DotNet.

Yes. The latest versions of TroopMaster and PackMaster now support the transfer of the archive files as well as the active data through the DotNet interface.

With DotNet, your database is stored on your private FTP site. No one can browse to your site with a web browser and no one can log into it without your unique user ID and password.

TroopMaser, PackMaster, and ADMS also allow for the data to be fully encrypted using an encryption password that you define. This security feature is implemented using 256-bit AES encryption technology that we purchased from Polar, a leading provider in the encryption industry. Once you've defined an encryption password, no one can access your data without that password no matter how they obtain a copy.

For all of our versions of DotNet, security is further enhanced if you rent your FTP site directly from Troopmaster Software because we don't release the actual location of the server to anyone. The site can only be used by and for DotNet.

No, each unit requires a separate FTP site.

If you have a security issue within your unit and need to have the FTP password changed, we can manually reset this password for you for a small fee. Please give us a call to arrange to have your password reset on the site.

For security reasons, we can only provide the user ID and Password to the same person who originally set up the web account with us. If that person's email address has not changed, we can email the information to that address. Otherwise, we can only send the User ID and Password to the postal mailing address on the sales record. If that person is no longer with your unit, please contact us for more information.

Usually not, most FTP providers do not backup your data for you. However, if you use the free FTP site from Troopmaster Software, we do make regular backups of all customer files to help protect your data. You should also be making your own backups locally (using the File>Backup option) but our backup files are a good second option if you were to lose your local data.

On the File/TroopMaster DotNet dialog, you will select the "Prompt to upload/unlock" setting in the "Unlock database when exiting program" section.

Before going to your meeting, logon to DotNet to download the latest data. When you exit the program, it will ask you if you want to upload and unlock the files. Select "Exit program without uploading database and leave web database locked."

When you open the program at your meeting, click Yes at when prompted to start with the current database located on your hard drive. You will then continue to use the local copy of your files.

When you exit the program after the meeting it will again ask if you want to upload/unlock the database. Again, specify that you would like to exit without uploading/unlocking the files.

When you are home (and connected to the internet), open the program and again specify that you would like to start with the files on your hard drive. This time when you exit the system, you can specify to "Upload and unlock web database" to upload the changes you made at your meeting.

DotNet

• DotNet requires the installation of TroopMaster on everyone's computer that needs access to the database.
• Your leaders will have access to full copy of TroopMaster and all of it's features, reports, etc. They will need to run the main TroopMaster program which is installed on their computer.
• You can limit users from being able to update the following areas: Activities, Advancement, Duty to God, Fundraisers, O/A, Adults, MBCs, POCs, and Scouts.
• One person can make changes to the database at a time, while many can view the data.
• Main TroopMaster database is updated each time the program is opened.

TroopMaster Web

• TroopMaster Web requires the installation of TroopMaster on just the Administrator's computer.
• Leaders, Parents, and Scouts will have access to TroopMaster Web and can log in from any PC/MAC via the internet.
• You can limit users from being able to update or view the following areas: Activities, Advancement, Duty to God, MBCs, Adults, Scouts (with the option of only allowing access to individual scout records)
• Multiple users can update and view the data at the same time.
• The Administrator will need to click the sync button in the main TroopMaster program to update his database.

Possible Causes:

1. The first thing to check is the specific version number of your program which is located on the Help >About dialog in your program. If the version listed there is earlier than the current version listed on our web site, please run the free update from our web site. Always check to see if the latest update solves the problem before proceeding with the rest of this troubleshooting guide.
2. The user ID and/or FTP password are mistyped. Re-enter your UserID and Password. The UserID and Password is assigned by us and must be the same for everyone connecting to DotNet. If you're not using an FTP site provided by TroopMaster Software, then you must obtain this information from your site provider.
3. Something is interfering, probably a firewall or a router. See below for a list of known issues.

Problem #3 is the most common but you should first check items 1 & 2 before attempting to troubleshoot a firewall. Many people may also have more than one firewall installed. Most firewalls have a dialog where you can specify "exceptions"; i.e., programs that should not be blocked. Assuming your FTP user ID and password are entered correctly, you should find that dialog and add our program to the list. Procedures vary with the different firewalls.

The problem could also be caused by a central firewall which commonly exists at businesses, universities, hospitals, etc. If you are operating in this type of environment, please check with your IT department.

Marking our program as a firewall "exception" is far preferable to disabling the firewall. If you're not sure how to designate an exception, contact tech support for the firewall developer.

If you are using a router, try bypassing it.

One possibility is that you have Use Passive Mode selected on the DotNet dialog and your FTP site requires "active" mode. If a Passive Mode option is available on your DotNet dialog, try turning it off. If that doesn't solve the problem, please turn Passive Mode back on.

However, this problem is usually the result of something interfering with the file upload/download process. Generally this would be a firewall or a router, but other programs can also interfere with the transfer process. Most firewalls have a way for you to specify cetain programs as "exceptions" that should not be blocked. Please see below for a list of programs that we know can interfere as well as possible solutions.

The problem could also be caused by a central firewall, which commonly exists at businesses, universities, hospitals, etc. If you are operating in this type of environment, please check with your IT department.

Marking our program as a firewall "exception" is far preferable to disabling the firewall. If you're not sure how to designate an exception, contact the technical support department for the firewall developer.

If you are using a router, try bypassing it.

This can occur if the last user had difficulty uploading the web database or if he exited without unlocking the database. If you cannot get the database unlocked, you should have your database Administrator manually unlock the files using the Unlock button on the DotNet dialog.

However, if all of your DotNet users are experiencing this same problem, then the files on the FTP site are probably damaged. If this case, you should have your database Administrator replace the damaged files by reinitializing the database from whichever computer has the most current data.

The Encryption Password you have entered is incorrect. This is a separate password setting from any Data Access Passwords your unit may have set up in the database. All users connecting to the files will use the same encryption password even if they have been assigned different access passwords. Your administrator can check this setting through the File>Database Management option on the main menu in their copy of the software. Click the Encryption Password button on this screen to view the password setting. All passwords are also case-sensitive so upper/lowercase must exactly match how they have been set up by your administrator.

Your Data Access Password is entered incorrectly. Please check with your database administrator to get your data access password. Your administrator can check this setting through the File>Database Management option on the main menu in their copy of the software. All passwords are also case-sensitive so upper/lowercase must exactly match how they have been set up by your administrator.

This can be caused by Cybersitter and other child-protection software. If you are using Cybersitter or a similar program, try temporarily disabling it.

In the main program go to File>TroopMaster Web. Then, enter in your Administrator settings (Server, Web UserID and Password) from the email sent for your purchase.

Select Automatic Upload/Download then click the Upload New Web Database Button.

First check your Web UserID and Password and make sure they are typed in exactly as shown in the original email we sent. If that doesn't work then you most likely have a firewall blocking the main program from uploading your database. If you do not know how to configure your firewall to allow the program to upload your database you should use the Manual Upload/Download option (see 'How do I manually upload my data?' below).

1. If the Automatic option is not able to complete properly, you can Select the Manual Upload/Download option.
2. Click the Upload New Web Database Button. TroopMaster will then save your Web.mdb file to your WebData folder in your TroopMaster installation folder and display a message on your screen.

   
   NOTE: This message will tell you the exact location where your file was saved. You should remember this location for later so you can browse to this folder when prompted on the website.

3. Read the message and click OK.
4. Once you click OK, TroopMaster will take you to your unit website. Type in your Administrator UserID and Password sent to you from Troopmaster Software and click the Login button. Go to File>Download/Upload TroopMaster Web Backup.
5. Once you have logged into this page you will need to click the Browse button under the Upload section to select your Web.mdb file for upload. Browse to the location specified in part #2, select the Web.mdb file and then click Open.
6. Finally, click the Upload TroopMaster Web database button. Once the upload is complete you can click the OK button in the Troopmaster.

In TroopMaster go to File>TroopMaster Web. Then click the Sync Web Database button.

First check your Web UserID and Password and make sure they are typed in exactly as shown in the original email we sent for your purchase. If you continue to have difficulty, you most likely have a firewall blocking TroopMaster from uploading your database. You should either contact your firewall manufacturer for instructions on how to adjust your firewall settings or you can use the Manual Upload/Download option (see 'How do I manually Sync my data?' below).

1. If the Automatic option is not able to complete properly, you can Select the Manual Upload/Download option.
2. Click the Sync Web Database Button. TroopMaster will then prompt you to make a back up of your database. We strongly recommend you make a backup of your data at this time. Click Yes if you have already made a backup of your database. Troopmaster will now display a message telling you that it will now go to your unit website.
3. Read the message and click OK.
4. Once you click OK, the program will take you to your unit website.
5. Enter in your Administrator settings (Server, Web UserID and Password) from the email sent for your purchase and click the Login button. Go to File>Download/Upload TroopMaster Web Backup.
6. Once you have logged into this page, you will need to click the Download TroopMaster Web Data button. Click the Save button to Save this file to your hard drive.

   
   IMPORTANT: Do not Open or Run this file. Instead, select the location that you want to save your Web.mdb file and click Save.

   NOTE: Make sure you know where you saved this file so you can browse to it from the main program later.

7. Next, switch back to TroopMaster desktop program and click the OK button to close this message. Then, Browse to the location of which you saved the Web.mdb file you downloaded from the website and click open. TroopMaster will then merge and save your Web.mdb file to the same location and display a message on your screen.

   
   NOTE: This message will tell you the exact location where your file was saved. You should remember this location for later so you can browse to this folder when prompted on the website.

8. Read the message and click OK.
9. Once you click OK, the program will take you to your unit website. Enter in your Administrator settings (Server, Web UserID and Password) from the email sent for your purchase. Once you have logged into the Download/Upload page you will need to click the Browse button under the Upload section. Browse to the location specified in the part #8, select the Web.mdb file and click Open.
10. Finally, click the Upload TroopMaster Web database button. Once the upload is complete you can click the OK button in the desktop Troopmaster to complete the process.

Your administrator is currently synchronizing the TroopMaster Web database with the main TroopMaster Program. If the administrator is not currently in a sync operation it is possible there was a problem uploading the data and unlocking the database. Please have your Administrator run the sync process again.

You can unlock the database on your website using either of the following options:

1. You can unlock the database by either uploading a new database from TroopMaster
   
   or

2. You can manually unlock the files through the website. To do this, go to your TroopMaster Web site and enter in your Administrator settings (Server, Web UserID and Password) from the email sent for your purchase and click the Login button. Go to File>Download/Upload TroopMaster Web Backup and then click the Unlock Database button.

Log in to TroopMaster Web using the Administrator settings from the email sent for your purchase. Then, click File>Create/View Passwords. To add a new user, click on Add New under the UserID listbox then enter a UserID and Password. To edit an existing UserId, select a UserId from the listbox and then make any necessary changes to the access rights. You can then select read, write, or none for each specific area of the database. If you select None, that UserID will not be able to view that information. If you select Read, they will have read-only access to that area. If you select Write, they will be able to view and update the data in that area. You can also add specific scouts to the list that this password will have access to. For a user to see all scouts, click '<< All'. Once you are done click Save.

For security reasons, we can only provide the user ID and Password to the same person who originally set up the web account with us. If that person's email address has not changed, we can email the information to that address. Otherwise, we can only send the User ID and Password to the postal mailing address on the sales record. If that person is no longer with your unit, please contact us for more information.

TroopMaster Web syncs the database based on areas of the database that have been updated on the website. These areas are broken up for each specific member and also separated across the different areas of the databasee itself. These areas are detailed below.

If, since the last sync, you changed the same area for the same member or the same activity on both TM-Web and in the main TroopMaster program, the data from the Web will overwrite the change that you made in the main program. In this regard, the following is a list of the separate areas within each data group:

Activities

Adults

Scouts

MBC's

For example, if you credit a scout with a Merit Badge on the web and credit him with 'Scout Spirit' in the main program, there's no conflict because those are separate areas of his data. On the other hand, if you update an adult's phone number on the web and update his address in the main program, the address change will be lost since both of these fields are located in the same area of the database for the same member.

To make changes to your account, please give us a call. Our phone number and office hours are listed here.

To change your billing information, please give us a call. Our phone number and office hours are listed here.

DotNet

• DotNet requires the installation of TroopMaster on everyone's computer that needs access to the database.
• Your leaders will have access to full copy of TroopMaster and all of it's features, reports, etc. They will need to run the main TroopMaster program which is installed on their computer.
• You can limit users from being able to update the following areas: Activities, Advancement, Duty to God, Fundraisers, O/A, Adults, MBCs, POCs, and Scouts.
• One person can make changes to the database at a time, while many can view the data.
• Main TroopMaster database is updated each time the program is opened.

TroopMaster Web

• TroopMaster Web requires the installation of TroopMaster on just the Administrator's computer.
• Leaders, Parents, and Scouts will have access to TroopMaster Web and can log in from any PC/MAC via the internet.
• You can limit users from being able to update or view the following areas: Activities, Advancement, Duty to God, MBCs, Adults, Scouts (with the option of only allowing access to individual scout records)
• Multiple users can update and view the data at the same time.
• The Administrator will need to click the sync button in the main TroopMaster program to update his database.

While a user with 'ReadOnly' access can edit fields on the page they are unable to save those changes. You will notice the 'OK' button which would save your changes now says 'Locked' so these changes cannot be saved into your database.

Yes, you can use both TroopMaster DotNet and TroopMaster Web but you will still need to select a single machine to sync between the main program and TroopMaster Web.

When using both TroopMaster Web and DotNet the following will happen. When you start TroopMaster, it will download your main database from DotNet with any changes your leaders using DotNet have made. You can then sync your data with TroopMaster Web and it will update your main TroopMaster database with any changes from TroopMaster Web When you exit TroopMaster it will then upload your main Database with all of the changes back to DotNet.

Go to your TroopMaster Web site address. Type in your administrator UserID and Password for TroopMaster Web then click Login. Go to File>Download TroopMaster Backup.

There are up to 5 backup sets stored on TroopMaster Web. Click and download the backup and archive file beside the date you wish to go back to. You must save these files in the same folder on your hard drive. DO NOT open or run these files.

Once you have downloaded both the backup and archive file open TroopMaster and go to File>Restore database and browse to the folder in which you saved your backup files.

WARNING: Restoring a database will OVERWRITE any data in your current installation of TroopMaster.

Once you have restored your backup please review the data in TroopMaster to make sure it is ok. If the data is ok you will need to upload this restored data to TroopMaster Web. Once you have the current unit database loaded back into your desktop system, you should sync this data with your TroopMaster Web to bring in any additional changes from the website.

On the TroopMaster Web dialog check the automated backup check box. Each time you sync your data with TroopMaster Web a new backup will be uploaded to TroopMaster Web. Your last 5 backups will be stored on TroopMaster Web.

If you are getting this message your browser is trying to use a cached copy of the site. To correct this issue you will need to delete your browser's history/cached pages. Please refer to the help with your browser for instructions.

We do not offer domain registrations directly through Troopmaster Software but, if you would like to use your own domain name, you can have the company that hosts your domain name (e.g., godaddy.com, No-IP, etc.), simply redirect your domain to the URL that we have assigned for your account (e.g., www.troopmasterweb1.com/012345T). You can then use your new domain name to access your site.

If you are changing administrators and setting up a new machine to sync with the Web database, you should first get a full copy of the current database into the new administrator's desktop program. To transfer the files you should first use the File>Backup option on the old computer and then, on the new computer, use the File>Restore option to load the database. Once your database has been transferred to the new administrator's computer, you will be able to run the sync on this machine. At this point, the old administrator should no longer sync with the Web database.

Yes. Google Calendar can easily be embedded into your website allowing easy access for others to view this calendar data. For instructions on exactly how to do this, please refer to our sample on our demo page:

https://www.troopmasterweb1.com/demo/CustomSite/TabbedPage.aspx

Once you are on the site, click on the Google Calendar tab at the top to view the sample page containing these instructions.

If your unit was previously using TroopMaster/PackMaster Web 1.0, click here for instructions.

If your unit was previously using the TroopMaster/PackMaster desktop program without Web, click here for instructions.

If your unit was not previously using any of our software, click here for instructions.

To help showcase the many features available in the program, we can put together a variety of How-To videos as an overview of program operation and how to perform specific tasks in the system. You can view these videos on our site at: http://www.troopmaster.com/howtotm.html

No, the new Web 2.0 is a complete, stand-alone version of the software and no longer requires the desktop program for operation. You no longer need to use or sync with the desktop software for program operation.

NOTE: Export and Import functions have been provided to transfer your existing desktop data to the new Web 2.0 site so all of your records can be easily transferred to the new platform.

Training data can be imported into Web 2.0 using the 'File>Import>Training From my.scouting.org' option on the main menu in the system. If you haven't already done so, you will need to install the Training Import companion app from our website to assist in the process. You can download this from our website at:

http://www.troopmaster.com/downloads/

You can change your login password by clicking the (My Account) link in the top right of the website.

A Friendly Name can be defined for your Web 2.0 site. When you purchased Web 2.0 you were given a URL simular to tmweb.troopmaster.com/mysite/TM99999 this can be difficult to remember. You can create a more 'friendly name' (tmweb.troopmaster.com/mysite/troop123). To do so follow the steps below:

1. For TMWeb 2.0: Click here to Login to your account.
2. For PMWeb 2.0: Click here to Login to your account.
3. Once you have logged into your site, you can choose a friendly name through the File>Settings option on the main menu.

If you do not wish to use our Friendly Name option (as shown above), you can also choose to use your own unique domain name to access your site. We do not offer domain registrations directly through Troopmaster Software but, if you would like to use your own domain name, you can have the company that hosts your domain name (e.g., godaddy.com, No-IP, etc.), simply redirect your domain to the URL that we have assigned for your account (e.g., tmweb.troopmaster.com/mysite/012345T). You can then use your new domain name to access your site.

For each custom page on your site, you will create a menu item (e.g., Upcoming Events). You can then create a direct link to this page using any of the following:

If you have multiple menu items that use similar wording, make your link as specific as possible so that it directs to the correct page. Links are also case-sensitive so upper/lowercase must match the menu item.

NOTE: If you are using PackMaster Web 2.0, you should replace 'http://tmweb' with 'http://pmweb' for your link.

Database permissions can be used to control which areas of the database and which members a specific user is allowed to view. To see a list of all menu items and which permissions are necessary for each click here.

In older versions of the software, the Eagle Honor Roll was a separate list that was used to track former Eagle scouts. Any members from this list were transferred to the Past Members area of the database in Web 2.0. However, some of these members may also still be listed in your Active or Archive records in the system.

In the new system, we no longer track the Eagle Honor Roll as a separate list. The new version scans your Active and Archive files for Eagle scouts and will also include any Eagles listed under the Past Members (Unit>Past Members) area of the database. The Past Members area of the system was added so that you can keep contact information for any previous member of the unit (not just Eagle scouts). If you delete members from your Archive files (to clean up your records), you can choose to keep contact information for these members (in the Past Members area) if you wish to stay in touch with them.

On the Unit>Past Members screen, you can either remove duplicates manually or click the Remove Duplicates From Eagle Honor Roll button to have the system help clean this up for you.

If you have members that are in the same household, you should first make sure the 'Same household' checkbox is checked for the parent of the first scout. Then, for the second scout in that household, you can choose this same parent from the list (and check the 'Same household' checkbox) to tie them both to the same parent/household record.

NOTE: If the second scout already has a parent listed, you should delete this parent and then reselect the same parent record as the first scout to link the two household records.

You can change this setting in their record on the Adult Personal Data screen. A checkbox toward the bottom of this page will allow you to modify their Leader status.

Low resolution displays may not have enough physical space to display some of the taller dropdown menus in the system. However, you can maximize the viewable area in your browser window by switching to the Full Screen viewing mode. Pressing F11 on your keyboard will toggle your browser between full screen and normal viewing and allow you to see these additional menu options.

With Web 2.0, all members of your unit can login to the system using their own User ID and Password and can generate their own reports whenever they like. Reports cannot be sent to members but all scouts can view their reports on the website once they login, or they can view their data directly through our mobile app which is free for all members of your unit.

Receiving email servers will reject email messages that have more than 100 and some as low as 50 addresses in an email. To ensure deliverability, the Email screen sends a separate email to each individual in your recipient list.

To send a group email, you can create an Email Group with a single email address that will 'forward' to everyone included in the group. If someone clicks on Reply All, everyone in the group will also receive the reply. For more information please take a look at our demo video on Email Groups:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxk8I-q0lPU

To make your activities easier to locate, the system defaults to a date range of 90 days from today's date. To view activites outside of this date range, simply click the Show All Activities button at the top of the screen.

The program is flexible in marking attendance for activities. If some scouts camp a different number of nights than others, you simply use the number of nights camped as the Attendance Marker for those scouts. For example, if a scout leaves after the first night of a two-night campout, you mark attendance for him by putting a "1" next to his name--that will override the nights camped for just that scout.

Similarly, if scouts work varying numbers of hours on a service project, you enter the number of hours/tenths next to each of their names in the attendance area (e.g., 2.0, 3.5, etc).

You may have certain situations where a member is physically unable to attend a particular activity. For example, you may have a campout and a high adventure trip planned during the same timeframe where members will only be able to attend one of the two events.

In this case, you can use an asterisk (*) as the attenance marker to excuse any scouts from the second activity. Excused absences are not considered when computing attendance percentages for the Unit Participation Summary report.

In the new program, prior activity totals are tracked the same as regular activities but you set the Activity Level to 'Prior Total' instead of using the default 'Unit' setting. This designates that the activity was attended prior to joining your unit.

The simplest way to track these is to use a single activity in the database to track these totals for all members. Since the date really isn't relevant (i.e., priors will have taken place over a variety of dates), you can enter one single activity (e.g., Campout) dated earlier than all of the regular activities in your database (e.g., 01/01/2000).

Then, when a new scout joins the unit, you can simply edit this activity to add their specific attendance amount. Instead of using an 'X' for the attendance marker, enter the number of days/hours/etc. for the scout's marker to credit them with the appropriate amount for that type of Prior. To track prior Camping, Hiking, and Service hours, you would then just need 3 activities in your system and you would use each of these to add member prior totals as they join your unit. Each member will have a different attendance marker that shows their specific amount for that type of activity.

Parents in the system are used only as parental contacts for the scouts. You can not track attendance, registration, training, or anything else for them in the system.

If you would like to track attendance or other details, they will need to be added to the Adults listing in your system. To add them to your adult list, view the Parent screen and check the Adult checkbox to tell the system this parent should also be listed as an Adult. You will then be able to track attendance, registrations, and other details. If this adult should also be considered a Leader, you should make sure to check the Leader checkbox for them on the Adult Personal Data screen.

The new 'Credit Toward' allows you to specify what your activities count toward when defining your own/custom activity types in the system and also gives you control for how to auto-credit specific activities in your advancement records.

The following list denotes how these are applied when crediting individual requirements in your scouts' records:

• Camping - Tenderfoot/2nd Class/1st Class Activity Requirement, Camping MB (on Scouts Having/Needing) report, Order of Arrow Eligibility report

• Summer Camp - Reference only (does not affect auto-credit)

• Cabin Camp - Can optionally exclude these campouts from the O/A Eligibility report

• Pitch Tent - Second/First Class Activity Requirement

• Outdoor - Second/First Class Activity Requirement

• Hiking - National Outdoor Hiking Award

• Backpacking - Can optionally include backpacking activities on specific reports

• Service Project - Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, and Life Ranks

• Conservation Related - Life Rank Service Hours, National Outdoor Conservation Award

• Adventure - National Outdoor Adventure

• Aquatics - National Outdoor Aquatics

• Riding - National Outdoor Riding Award

• Cycling - National Outdoor Riding Award

• Horseback - National Outdoor Riding Award

• Motorboat - National Outdoor Riding Award

• Skating - National Outdoor Riding Award

• Leave No Trace - Reference Only

• Venturing Tier II/III - Reference Only

On the Edit Activity Attendance screen there is a 'Create Custom Filter' button. This will create a Custom Filter under the Unit menu. These filters can be used throughout the program in the dropdown boxes to filter your members. If this filter is created from the Attendance screen we will modify this filter based on your RSVPs so they are kept current based on this criteria.

BSA has eliminated the need for a Tour Permit and is no longer requiring this to be printed and submitted by units so this report has been phased out of the new version. For more information, please visit their website at:

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/TourPlanFAQ.aspx

The Fundraiser Management screen shows the true totals for all sales on a particular fundraiser. If you have members who participated in these sales but were later archived, they would no longer be included on the printed report but their sales will still show with the totals listed on the Fundraiser Management screen.

Currently, there is no direct way to import members from the old software directly into your new Web 2.0. However, if you can send the files to us here, we can manually convert these records to the new formats and import the associated members into your new system for you. If you have a transfer file that you would like us to import, please forward the file to us at support@troopmaster.com. In your email, please include your troop number, city, and state along with a list of the members you would like to import and we can get these converted and loaded for you.

With Web 2.0, backups are automatically managed on the server. Our system creates regular daily backups and maintains these files for the previous 30 days. If you need to revert to an earlier copy of your data, simply give us a call and we can help load an older set of files for you.

Although the data formats in Web 2.0 aren't directly compatible with the Ledger program, a conversion utility is available which can easily convert the export into a compatible format. A download link and instructions for this process can be found through the Downloads area on our site.

The Counselor Console is a new Menu Item that will allow MBC's to login and have access to view/update Partial Merit Badges for scouts that they have been assigned.

Counselors do not need any added permissions to do this and can be in the default Users password group with 'none' access to everything. All that is required is that your MBC has the Adult Checkbox checked on their personal data screen, a BSAID, the badges they teach selected, and to be selected as the counselor on the individual scout's Partial MB screen.

Also added is a Partial MB Message Post. You will now see a Messaging Icon beside each one of the scout's Partial MB's. To enable this feature, you must first view the File>Settings>Preferences screen and select either an individual leader or Email Group to be notified when a new message is posted.

When a message is posted on a Partial MB, the counselor assigned to the badge, the scout (along with their parents if cc'd), and the global designee will be sent an email notifying them a message has been posted and will also display the contents of the message. The scout and counselor will also have a reply URL they can click to add a new message to the post.

NOTE: Counselors using this feature will not have access to any other screens or information in the system unless the administrator specifically assigns them to a group with a higher level of access/update authorizations in the system.

To make changes to your account, please give us a call. Our phone number and office hours are listed here.

To locate your account settings for the mobile app:

1) Login to your TroopMaster/PackMaster Web account through your web browser.

2) Once you have logged in, click File>TM-Mobile or File>PM-Mobile on the main menu.

3) Click the Instructions link at the top of the page to view more details and the specific settings you will need for the app.

You should first login to your unit's TroopMaster/PackMaster Web account through the website. Then select the File>TM-Mobile or File>PM-Mobile option on the main menu. Check the box that says "Only users with write permission to Advancement can upload" to prevent read-only accounts from uploading any data or changes to your site.

This still allows scouts to track new advancement details on their phone as they would in their handbook but nothing will be uploaded. The scout can use this as a reference to see what he has finished so he can make sure the appropriate advancement chairman is notified of the new changes to be added to his records. You can continue tracking advancement in the system as you always have and the scout's phone will automatically be updated with your new entries the next time they sync. This allows the scout to track items he has completed and also see if those requirements have been entered by a leader on the website.

A connection is only required to sync your data. Once you have run the Sync function, you are free to take your phone or device anywhere and have access to your data even when you're not connected to the internet.

Having the data loaded on your actual phone can be very important, particularly in an emergency where you need emergency contact or other data and may not have an internet connection. For example if you are on a hike and a scout is injured or is having an allergic reaction you would have immediate access (without the need of internet) to his parent's contact info as well as medical info.

But, even if you just wanted to credit the number of miles hiked for each scout, you can do this on your phone immediately after the hike and not have to wait until you get a internet connection to record the attendance.

To save time and minimize data storage, mobile sync only includes an activity range from six months in the past until nine months in the future. This gives you access to all of your recent activities and allows you to view the upcoming schedule of future activities as well.

The new mobile app requires a web database connection for communication. DotNet stores a copy of your full desktop database but there is no running application through the DotNet server that can provide data to the mobile app.

Adding TroopMaster/PackMaster Web to your account will give everyone in your unit access to their data via a web browser (based on the permissions you set). Once you have TMWeb/PMWeb, everyone can then install the free mobile app to view data directly on their phone. Please visit our Product Listing for more information on TroopMaster/PackMaster Web and our mobile applications.

Please visit our Product Listing for more information on TM-Mobile/PM-Mobile including links where you can download the app for your device:

Comments and suggestions can be sent to us directly at: mobile@troopmaster.com.