INSTALLATION

You are about to perform an update of an existing data management system. While there are a number of steps involved, your careful attention to each will ensure that the process is trouble-free. Please recognise that this is one of your core business management systems and that it is worthwhile spending some time to get it right.

Firstly, it is recommended that you read through everything here once before starting the process so that you have an overall appreciation for what is required. Then just take each section step by step to ensure a successful installation.

The user that runs the server update installer must have the appropriate permissions on the server. If this means nothing to you then you need to talk to your network administrator.

Consider this IMPORTANT information about MS Access bugs and Service Packs

Some versions of Microsoft Access have bugs. Microsoft issues Service Packs to fix these.

For some versions of Microsoft Access it is important that particular Service Packs are applied before installing and using L&D-Pro.

Before proceeding with installation of L&D-Pro please determine which version of Microsoft Access you are using and, if you are using MS Access 2000 or 2007, also determine which Service Pack has been applied. Click here if you need advice on how to do this.

If you are running MS Access 97, 2002/XP or 2003 there are no specific Service Pack requirements in relation to installing or running L&D-Pro but it is generally advisable to install any that have been released.

If you are running MS Access 2000 please ENSURE that Service Pack 3 has been applied (and note that it is necessary to apply Service Pack 1a before applying Service Pack 3).

If you are running MS Access 2007 please ENSURE that Service Pack 1 has been applied.

To obtain Service Packs please visit www.microsoft.com and use the search facility on that website to find the Service Pack(s) applicable to your version of Microsoft Office. eg For Access 2007 search for "Office 2007 Service Pack". Please follow the Service Pack installation instructions on the Microsoft website - and consult Microsoft if you need assistance with this because it is a system maintenance issue not an L&D-Pro issue.

Consider this IMPORTANT information about MS Access security settings

If you are running a version of MS Access other than 2003 or 2007 you can skip this section.

MS Access 2003 and 2007 have a security feature which affects L&D-Pro during startup (for normal use) - and also during installation.

By default MS Access 2003 and 2007 interrupt startup to display one or more warning messages when the application being opened is not digitally signed (and L&D-Pro is not). Since L&D-Pro is opened during installation this also interrupts installation. When the appropriate button on a warning dialog is clicked the startup (and installation when startup is for the purpose of installation) resumes.

For MS Access 2003 you can change some settings, BEFORE installing L&D-Pro, so that these warning messages do not appear. Click here to find out how to do this.

For MS Access 2007 you cannot avoid the warning message during installation of L&D-Pro but you can add a setting AFTER installation has been completed so that the warning message does not appear every time you start L&D-Pro. This is referred to below after the 'Perform the Workstation part of the Update' section.

Make Backups

Before performing the update, please make sure that you have a backup copy of the following files:

• Data File - which holds your data;
• Workgroup Security File - which holds usernames for your staff; and
• Custom Interface File (if you have been using it) - which holds custom queries and reports that you have built yourself using Microsoft Access.

The following notes are provided to help you find these files in case you don't know where they are. If you know which files they are, and you've already made backups, you can skip to the next section (Get the Update Installer).

Data File

The usual name for the Data File is LDPro_DB.mdb.

For a Single-User setup it is usually located in C:\Program Files\LDPro.

To check the name and location of your Data File:

1. Open the L&D-Pro Application Interface.
2. Click File on the menubar and then See Data File Location.

L&D-Pro (both the Application Interface and the Custom Interface) must be closed on all user's computers before making a backup copy of the Data File.

You can verify that L&D-Pro is closed on all user's computers by checking that a file named LDPro_DB.ldb does not exist in the same folder as the Data File. (This assumes that the Data File has it's standard name; ie LDPro_DB.mdb).

Workgroup Security File

The usual name for the Workgroup Security File is LDProUsr.mdw. However, in some earlier releases of the MS-Access 2000/2002/XP/2003/2007 version of L&D-Pro this file was named LDProUsrX2.mdw. If both exist on your system please backup both. The installer will retain the relevant one and delete the other one.

To find the location of the Workgroup Security File that is currently used on your system:

1. Right click on the Start menu and click Open.
2. Open the Programs folder, followed by the L&D-Pro folder.
3. Right click on Application Interface and click Properties.
4. Open the Shortcut tab.
5. Examine the Target property. This property will be similar to the following, and the location and name of the Workgroup Security File will be specified in the middle section of the property:
   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSAccess.exe" /wrkgrp "C:\Program Files\LDPro\LDProUsr.mdw" "C:\Program Files\LDPro\LDPro_IF.mde"

Custom Interface file

Each user may have their own Custom Interface File. While you may have procedures in place to share the same file between users, it is also possible for each user to create their own custom queries, reports, etc in the Custom Interface File. You therefore need to determine whether to individually backup this file from each user's computer, or whether to simply backup one (if you share one file between everyone).

In the MS-Access 2000/2002/XP/2003/2007 version of L&D-Pro the Custom Interface File is named LDPro_IFCustomX2.mdb.

In the MS-Access 97 version of L&D-Pro the Custom Interface File is named LDPro_IFCustom.mdb.

To see if there is a Custom Interface on a computer, first check in the Windows Start Menu under Programs -> L&D-Pro. If there is an entry there for Custom Interface, follow these steps to determine the location and name of the Custom Interface File:

1. Right click on the Start menu and click Open.
   Open the Programs folder, followed by the L&D-Pro folder.
2. Right click on Custom Interface and click Properties.
3. Open the Shortcut tab.
4. Examine the Target property. This property will be similar to the following, and the location and name of the Custom Interface File will specified in the last section of the property:
   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSAccess.exe" /wrkgrp "C:\Program Files\LDPro\LDProUsr.mdw" "C:\Program Files\LDPro\LDPro_IFCustom.mdb".

If an entry did not exist in the Windows Start Menu for the Custom Interface, please check for a shortcut named Custom Interface on the Desktop. If you find one:

1. Right click on the Custom Interface shortcut and click Properties.
2. Open the Shortcut tab.
3. Examine the Target property. This property will be similar to the following, and the location and name of the Custom Interface File will be specified in the last section of the property:
   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\MSAccess.exe" /wrkgrp "C:\Program Files\LDPro\LDProUsr.mdw" "C:\Program Files\LDPro\LDPro_IFCustom.mdb".
4. Delete the shortcut from your Desktop. (The installer will create a new one in the Start Menu if necessary).

Get the Update Installer

Click on the following link and, when prompted, choose Save (not Open). Then, in the Save As dialog, select the folder to which you'd like to save the installer on your computer (make a note of it because you'll need to go to it in a moment) and click Save.

Download the installer

Perform the Server part of the Update

There are two possible installation paths to follow. Select only one of these. Complete this and then go to the 'Perform the Workstation part of the Update' section below.

Path 1

Follow this path only if
- ALL workstations that are to run L&D-Pro have MS-Access 2000, 2002/XP, 2003 or 2007;
OR
- ALL workstations that are to run L&D-Pro have only MS-Access 97.

1. Ensure that all users have closed the L&D-Pro Application Interface and, if used, the Custom Interface and the old Professional Tools Interface.
2. If your Workgroup Security File is not in the same folder as your Data File, move it to this folder.
3. Go to any one of the workstations that is to have L&D-Pro installed on it (irrespective of whether it does or does not currently have it installed);
4. open Windows Explorer;
5. go to the folder to which you saved the installer;
6. double-click on the downloaded file (UpdateLDProServer.exe);
7. If prompted, specify:
• the Workstation Setup Folder (which is the folder, on the server, which holds the Workstation Setup files);
• the Application Folder (to which L&D-Pro is installed on each workstation - usually C:\Program Files\LDPro), and
• the Data Folder (which is the folder, on the server, which holds the Data File and the Workgroup Security File).

Note: It is ESSENTIAL that you use a UNC path to specify the Data Folder because, when each user runs L&D-Pro, this is the path which will identify where their data is held. (If "UNC path" means nothing to you, just make sure you browse to the required Data Folder via Network Neighbourhood or My Network Places).

8. When the update installer finishes, go to the 'Perform the Workstation part of the Update' section below.

Path 2

Follow this path only if
- some workstations that are to run L&D-Pro have MS-Access 97
AND
- some workstations that are to run L&D-Pro have MS-Access 2000, 2002/XP, 2003 or 2007.

1. Ensure that all users have closed the L&D-Pro Application Interface and, if used, the Custom Interface and the old Professional Tools Interface.
2. If your Workgroup Security File is not in the same folder as your Data File, move it to this folder.
3. Go to any one of the MS-Access 97 workstations (irrespective of whether it does or does not currently have L&D-Pro installed);
4. open Windows Explorer;
5. go to the folder to which you saved the installer;
6. double-click on the downloaded file (UpdateLDProServer.exe);
7. If prompted, specify:
• the Workstation Setup Folder (which is the folder, on the server, which holds the Workstation Setup files);
• the Application Folder (to which L&D-Pro is installed on each workstation - usually C:\Program Files\LDPro), and
• the Data Folder (which is the folder, on the server, which holds the Data File and the Workgroup Security File).

Note: It is ESSENTIAL that you use a UNC path to specify the Data Folder because, when each user runs L&D-Pro, this is the path which will identify where their data is held. (If "UNC path" means nothing to you, just make sure you browse to the required Data Folder via Network Neighbourhood or My Network Places).

If the computer used in step 1 also had an operational copy of MS-Access 2000, 2002/XP, 2003 or 2007 on it, you are finished with server setup and can jump to the 'Perform the Workstation part of the Update' section below, otherwise you must complete these steps too:

8. Go to any one of the MS-Access 2000, 2002/XP, 2003 or 2007 workstations (irrespective of whether it does or does not currently have L&D-Pro installed);
9. open Windows Explorer;
10. go to the folder to which you saved the installer;
11. double-click on the downloaded file (UpdateLDProServer.exe);
12. follow the prompts (and be sure that, if prompted, you specify exactly the same Data Folder as you specified in step 7 above);
13. go to the 'Perform the Workstation part of the Update' section below.

Perform the Workstation part of the Update

On completion of the server part of the update, go to each workstation in turn (on which you want to be able to run L&D-Pro - irrespective of whether you currently have it installed there) and follow these steps:

1. Check that the L&D-Pro Application Interface and, if used, the Custom Interface, are closed.
2. If you located a Custom Interface File and it has not been used (ie you have not created any custom queries or reports etc), delete it.
3. If you located a Custom Interface File and it has been used, and MS-Access has been upgraded on this workstation from Access 97 to Access 2000 or later, and the Custom Interface File is named LDPro_IFCustom.mdb (ie it is a MS-Access 97 file), change its name to LDPro_IFCustomX2.mdb. (The next time it is used, MS-Access will prompt the user to convert it. The user will need to save it with a new name to permit the conversion and must then rename it back to LDPro_IFCustomX2.mdb).
4. If you located a Custom Interface File and it has been used, and you are using the Update installer to move L&D-Pro to a different computer, manually create the Application Folder (usually C:\Program Files\LDPro) and copy the Custom Interface File into it.
5. Open Windows Explorer.
6. Go to the Workstation Setup folder and check for the existence of the Workstation Setup file - which is named SetupLDProWorkstation.exe. (If you followed earlier recommendations the Workstation Setup folder will be named WorkstationSetup and be located below the Data Folder. If you don't have a folder named WorkstationSetup under the Data Folder, the next place to look for the SetupLDProWorkstation.exe file would be in the Data Folder itself).
7. Double-click on the file SetupLDProWorkstation.exe. This will install the required files and create or update shortcuts for L&D-Pro in the Windows Start Menu.

During installation, if you get an error message about an invalid Data File version, go back to the Data File Conversion section above and follow the steps described there before trying again to install the update.

On completion of Workstation Setup you will be asked if you want to immediately start L&D-Pro.

You will also be able to start it from the Windows Start Menu:

Start -> Programs -> L&D-Pro -> Application Interface.

L&D-Pro does not update Desktop shortcuts so, if you have any, delete them and then, to recreate them with the latest settings, copy the Windows Start Menu entries. Remember to hold down the Ctrl key if you drag from the Start Menu and drop onto the Desktop - so that the Start Menu entries are copied to the Desktop rather than being removed from the Start Menu and placed on the Desktop.

Make the Application Folder a Trusted Location

If you are using a version of MS Access PRIOR to MS Access 2007 skip this section.

If you are using MS Access 2007 it is recommended that the workstation folder holding L&D-Pro be set as a Trusted Location (if you haven't already done so) - as described here.

Tidy Up

It is often discovered that users have multiple Data Files on their computers. There should be only one Data File. Backups should be moved to external media. Retaining old copies of the Data File on your computer can lead to major problems - such as entering data into the wrong file or deleting the real file!

eg If your Data File is on a server you may have additional copies (not being used) on your workstation (such as in C:\Program Files\LDPro).

So it is recommended that you check around and then (after making a copy on other media just to be safe) delete old copies of the Data File.